Visit the Andalucía White Villages on a Scenic Roadtrip

Why not take a slow, scenic roadtrip, and visit some of the beautiful White Villages and Towns of southern Spain? The Pueblos Blancos in Andalucía are an important historic tourist attraction of Spain. If you are travelling to the World heritage sites of Seville or Córdoba from the Mediterranean Coast, don’t take the highway. If possible, drive yourself.

Andalucía is the most southerly, and the most populous, Autonomous Community in Spain. (Note: Andalucía is the Spanish spelling; in English we call it Andalusia.) Historically, these white towns were built as hilltop fortifications, for the protection of their citizens.

The beautiful Andalucía White Villages are spread across the mountains, above the Mediterranean coast. Why not explore them on a scenic roadtrip, like ours. [image credit ]

From local archaeology, we know that some of the castles’ origins date to Roman times, but most retain characteristics of the era when the Moors and the Christians fought for control of Spain. The outstanding features of the Spanish pueblos blancos are the white-washed walls and brown tiled roofs of their houses. The villages are spread across the northern parts of Cádiz and Málaga provinces of Andalucía.

What to see between Algeciras & Ronda, on a Scenic Roadtrip of Andalucía White Towns

Our roadtrip started in Algeciras and finished in Córdoba. On the way, we explored villages on foot, and saw others from the road. Some of them are difficult to enter with Bertita, our self-built camper, but if you were driving a rental car, there would be no limitation to the Pueblos Blancos you could enjoy in Andalucía – except perhaps the time you have. The viewpoints on the A369 are really worth stopping for.

Our highly recommended guidebook for people who are looking for valuable information about Seville and Andalucía: the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Seville & Andalucía ! This book is for travellers who are more interested in the sights than recommendations for restaurants or hotels.

Find this guidebook on Amazon.

 

1. Castellar de la Frontera, Cádiz

When we left Algeciras on the A405, we made our first stop at Castellar Nuevo de la Frontera (the new Castellar de la Frontera). It’s less than 20Km from the city. At the time, we were looking for a quiet place to stay for a couple of days before starting our White Villages roadtrip. This small town was just about perfect. Unfortunately, because we didn’t know about it, we completely missed the original Castellar de la Frontera – one of the Pueblos Blancos. It’s 7Km away and, by all accounts, worth seeking out.

Castellar de la Frontiera: such a pity we missed this white village. These are some of its typical white-washed houses, and the village is contained, with the castle, inside the fortification wall. [image credit ]

2. Jimena de la Frontera, Cádiz

We were quite excited, driving into the first of the white towns that we came to. It was visible from a distance; you could see the castle and fortifications on the highest point, with the village crawling up the hill toward it.

It was relatively easy to park Bertita, and we set off to wander. The first thing that surprised us was the amount of English being spoken in the streets – by people, who looked like they lived there. A little research told us that 1 out of 9 people living in Jimena de la Frontera are immigrants, and most of them are British. The attraction is its proximity to Gibraltar. Some work there, and others like to go there to shop.

We spent some time wandering the narrow streets between the white-washed houses of Jimena de la Frontera. You can also climb up to explore the castle. As is sometimes necessary, we settled for the view from Plaza de la Constitución, where you will also find outdoor restaurants. The bell tower there, is all that remains of the Santa Maria la Coronado Church.

Plaza de la Constitución in Jimena de la Frontera: amazing view of the castle, outdoor restaurant in the sun, and the bell tower of the Santa Maria la Coronado Church.

There are cave paintings to be found nearby; the most important, at La Cueva de la Laja Alta (High Stone Slab Cave), are only 7Km from Jimena. Interestingly, the caves have a view towards Algeciras and Gibraltar, and many of the paintings are of boats; they are thought to be from the beginning of the 1^st Millennium BC, although some archaeological research places them much earlier. These caves are definitely a sign of the long history of the area surrounding Jimena.

The heritage of the present town is linked to a settlement once occupied by the Phoenicians, then the Romans. Later came the Moors, and it was finally conquered by the Christians in the 15^th Century. The Castle dates back to the 7^th century.

Los Alcornocales Natural Park: a typical landscape as you take a roadtrip through the white villages of Andalusia.

Jimena de la Frontera is in the Los Alcornocales Natural Park and, as well as the cave paintings, there are plenty of good hiking, cycling or horse-riding trails to explore.

3. Gaucín, Málaga

We had this planned as our second white village for the day. As we came close to the entrance, we noticed that it looked too narrow for Bertita , so we drove past to the Mirador de Gaucín. The population is around 2000 people, so definitely one to visit if your vehicle is small enough to navigate the streets.

Gaucín is the gateway from the south to Serranía de Ronda (Ronda Mountain Range), which is a region of Málaga with Ronda as its main city.

A beautiful night shot of Gaucin and its guardian castle. [image credit ]

We were now driving the A369, since shortly before Gaucín. This stretch of road has many miradors. We didn’t stop at all of them.

Mirador de Gaucín

In less than a kilometre, we arrived at the mirador. Gaucín looks beautiful, nestled below a rocky crag, with a castle perched on top. The Castillo del Aguila (Eagle’s Castle) is of Roman origin, but the Moors adapted it for their own use.

In the parking lot of this viewpoint, I saw my first ever Cork Oak. I was fascinated that the bark truly looked like cork, just as it was. There are forests of these in this part of Spain, and stretching right through Portugal.

View of Gaucin from the nearby viewpoint. A very typical white town, with the Castillo del Aguila (Eagle’s Castle) perched on a rocky mountaintop above.

4. Mirador el Asalto del Cura

Just 1.5Km further on, is the Mirador el Asalto del Cura (the assault of the priest). From there you get a clear view to the Mediterranean Coast – or you would on a clear day. It was a bit hazy when we were there, but it was still possible to pick out the Rock of Gibraltar. Also, we could just make out the mountains of the Rif, across the Mediterranean, in Morocco.

From the Mirador el Asalto del Cura, you can see Morocco – on a clear day. Even through this haze, it’s possible to make out the mountains of the Rif, as well as the Rock of Gibraltar.

All miradors have informative signs, often made of painted tiles, detailing what is in your view. Sometimes they also elaborate on the history of the place, and the flora and fauna you may see. Most, but not all, are in Spanish and English.

5. Algatocín, Málaga

With less than 1000 inhabitants, this must be one of the smaller Pueblos Blancos. The tourist information website of Andalucía recommends that you leave your car by the road and walk in.

Algatocín: just one of the many pueblos blancos you can see from Mirador del Genal, with its 360 degree view.

Algatocín has no castle, or even the remains of one. It is generally believed that the Parish Church of Nuestra Senora del Rosario, from the 16th century, may occupy the site of a Moorish castle, but there doesn’t seem to be any proof to date – except that the church does occupy the high point of the pueblo, where you would expect to see a castle.

Mirador del Genal

5Km beyond the Mirador el Asalto del Cura you will reach this lookout, which provides a beautiful 360˚ view of the mountains from its top. El Rio Genal is responsible for the deep gorge you look out over to the mountains. The White Villages stand out, both in the distance and up close. The closest white town to the mirador is Algatocín.

There is a ramp access to the top of the viewpoint, as well as stairs.

Across the road is a forest of cork oaks, which had been harvested for their cork recently. There is a strangely neat appearance about them, with their trunks stripped of the cork bark.

Mirador del Genal is surrounded by forest and some of it is made up of cork oaks. Here’s one, recently harvested for its precious bark of cork.

6. Benadalid, Málaga

The Mirador de los Castañares (chestnuts) is situated just before Benadalid. We didn’t stop because we were now trying to reach Ronda. There is so much to see on this route, and the day was getting old. But we caught sight of the village just after we passed the viewpoint. The castle immediately caught our eyes. The ruins of Castillo de Benadalid now houses an above ground cemetery. It seems that its origins are debated by historians – Roman or Arab?

Benadalid, from Mirador de los Castañares: one of the smallest white villages we saw. Notice the remains of its Moorish castle that now houses an above ground cemetery.

It’s a small town, much smaller than Algatocín – its inhabitants count in the low 100s! But, if you have the time, stop and take a wander. Part of it is the windy, narrow streets of Moorish origin. The other part, around the main square, is more modern and clearly laid out. Benadalid is only 25Km from Ronda, and right on the A369 we had been driving since Gaucín.

7. Ronda, Málaga

We arrived in Ronda in the late afternoon of the first day of our roadtrip, visiting the Andalucía White Villages. It was around the end of the Spanish siesta, so perfect timing to see the city wake up for the evening.

Ronda, the largest White Town of Andalusia, perches atop the escarpments of El Tajo Gorge. It’s a good place to base yourself for visiting the Pueblos Blancos. [image credit ]

Ronda is the largest and most visited of the Andalucía Pueblos Blancos; with a population of over 30 000, it could be called a city. Probably, the most common pictures of Ronda are of it perched atop the famous escarpments of El Tajo Gorge that divides the town in two. And they are usually taken from the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge). Don’t be fooled by the name of this bridge; it was completed in 1793! There are actually 3 bridges that span the gorge; the others are Puente Viejo, which is a pedestrian only bridge, and Puente San Miguel, the smallest and oldest – built by the Moors.

The old town dates from Moorish times. It was one of the last in Spain to fall to the Christians. The best way to see the historic town centre of Ronda is to wander the narrow winding streets and see what you find.

We found the Iglesia de Santa María de la Encarnación la Mayor. It is the largest church in Ronda. It’s on Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, where you can also see the Town Hall, a converted military prison from the 18^th century. The church of Saint Mary was built on the site of the ruins of a mosque. Some say you can still see evidence of the Moorish architecture in the bell tower, which is thought to be the former minaret. Other than the bell tower, the exterior of the church is quite modest in appearance. But, once you enter, all modesty is gone…

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

There is so much to see in Ronda, that you could spend a couple of days wandering about. It has a lot of tourists, compared with the other White Towns we had visited.

Pueblos Blancos of Andalucía to Visit on a Roadtrip from Córdoba or Seville to Ronda

These 3 small, white towns are really special, each in their own unique way. If you are visiting Seville (suggested 3-day itinerary) or Cordoba (post to follow), it’s easy to make a roadtrip to these Pueblos Blancos from there. Note, that if you come from the cities in the north, you will encounter the villages in reverse order.

8. Setenil de las Bodegas, Cádiz

On day two of our scenic roadtrip, we left Ronda to drive to Setenil, which is around 15Km, almost directly north. We were attracted to it after reading this in our Spain guide book [Link to DK Eyewitness Travel SPAIN on Amazon]:

Some of the streets of this unusual white town, which climbs up the sides of a gorge, are covered with rock overhangs. The gorge was carved out of volcanic tufa rock by the Río Trejo.

It was probably our favourite white village we explored. We walked up and up, both on stairs, and roadways that seemed impossibly small for the cars that squeezed between the white-washed houses. And then we had to walk down again, to cross the tiny river and get to the houses on the other side of the gorge.

Setenil de las Bodegas: home of ‘the house under a rock’. Some refer to these structures as ‘cave houses’, but they are really built under the rock, with walls to enclose the space as needed.

If you’re looking for fantastic views of this small town, there is a new one around every corner. Visitors come searching for the house under a rock; there are plenty of those too. We found this pueblo had a lovely feel to it, as well as being a feast for the eyes. You won’t be disappointed, if you follow in our footsteps to this white town of Andalucía.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

9. Grazalema, Cádiz

To reach our next pueblo, we had to drive more than 30Km. It was a scenic route, first with sweeping views of farmland, under vineyards and crops. Later the terrain was more rugged, and used mostly for grazing. Some of the ways are narrow, but they don’t reach the level of being pronounced a scary road, based on our experience.

A typical ‘farmscape’ as you leave Setenil de las Bodegas towards Grazalema.

Grazalema has the unfortunate (in our opinion) reputation of having the highest rainfall in Spain. We were fortunate though, to arrive on a particularly sunny afternoon and enjoyed our walk around this small white town. If you walk up to Iglesia San José, almost at the top of the village, and turn north, you will find the Mirador Los Peñascos, which gives you a fine view of both the town, and the surrounding Natural Park.

Plaza de Espana: the social hub of Grazalema, watched over by the Iglesia de la Aurora.

Please click thumbnails below for a larger photo with description.

The Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park gives opportunities for outdoor activities, from short walks, bird watching, and cycling trails, to serious hiking – if you don’t mind getting wet!

We found an overnight place in a parking lot on the outskirts of Grazalema; during the night it started raining heavily!

10. Zahara de la Sierra, Cádiz

We were not so fortunate on our third and final day of our scenic roadtrip through the Andalucía White Villages – we were shrouded with fog and it rained most of the day. Instead of getting wet in Grazalema, we got soaked in Zahara de la Sierra!

This is quite the fairytale setting: a castle on a rocky crag of a mountain top, a white town spilling down its slopes, and a beautiful lake below. The lake, the Zahara-El Gastor Reservoir, built just a couple of decades ago, completes this picture perfect place, as you drive toward the town. Some say Zahara is the most picturesque of the Pueblos Blancos. We might have agreed, had the sun been shining…

Zahara-El Gastor Reservoir, as seen from Zahara de la Sierra. It completes the picture: mountain top castle above, turquoise lake (when the sun is shining) below, and a white village flowing down the slope between.

Nevertheless, we did brave the elements to wander the streets between its white-washed houses, as far as the viewpoint overlooking the pueblo. It is a very pretty village – from afar and up close.

Zahara de la Sierra, Cádiz, as seen from the top of the town.

Our highly recommended guidebook for people who are looking for valuable information about Seville and Andalucía: the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Seville & Andalucía ! This book is for travellers who are more interested in the sights than recommendations for restaurants or hotels.

Find this guidebook on Amazon.

 

How to visit the Andalucía White Villages

There is no one Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos; there are so many spread over this part of Spain that it would not really be possible to visit them all. As well as the villages themselves, there are frequent viewpoints along the roads, with information boards and great mountain views. Often you can see many white villages dotted along the mountainscape.

Tip for planning your roadtrip: take it slowly, and allow for plenty of time for exploring at each stop. The roads are winding up and down through the mountains. Most of them are narrow and are often limited to a maximum speed of 60Km/h. If you stop at most of the lookouts along the way, you probably won’t cover more than 40Km in an hour. On our first day we took more than 4 hours to cover the 85Km to Ronda.

The A369 we drove from Gaucin to Ronda. The closer we came to Ronda, and the further from the ocean, the drier the landscape became. But still an interesting, and ever-changing view for a roadtrip.

In summer, if the nearby cities of Spain get unbearably hot, the White Villages can be a pleasant destination to escape to. Here are a few more useful tips to deal with the heat in Spain by a fellow Spain expert.

If you can’t make a roadtrip, you could base yourself in Ronda and take a small tour to the white villages nearby – like in this 2 Weeks in Spain itinerary . It is also possible to reach some of them on local bus routes.

Or there are tours available from Seville to White Villages , which is 130Km from Ronda, and even closer to some of the other white towns.

If you can make a roadtrip through this interesting and scenic part of southern Spain, go ahead: follow in our footsteps, or create your own Route of the White Villages.

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