Route of the White Villages
A self-drive route through the Grazalema Natural Park in the Cádiz mountains, linking whitewashed villages from Arcos de la Frontera via Zahara and Setenil to Ronda.
The Route of the White Villages is Andalusia's most classic rural driving route. It links a string of Moorish-style villages, all whitewashed, in the mountains of northeastern Cádiz and western Málaga provinces. Most lie within or around the Grazalema Natural Park. The route has no single official road number. The usual drive runs from Arcos de la Frontera to Ronda, covering about 150–200 km. The starting point, Arcos, is built on a cliff. The route then passes El Bosque, the leather-crafting town of Ubrique and Villaluenga del Rosario, reaching Grazalema in its valley. From Grazalema, cross the viewpoint at the Paso de las Palomas (Pigeon Pass) and descend to Zahara de la Sierra, a hilltop castle village above a lake. Continue via Olvera to Setenil de las Bodegas, whose houses are built under the overhanging rock, and end at Ronda, where a new bridge spans the gorge. Allow 2–4 days, with an overnight stay in Grazalema or Zahara. Mountain roads are winding and narrow, and the Paso de las Palomas section is steep. The lanes of the old white villages are extremely narrow, so park in the car parks at the village entrances. Summer afternoons are scorching, while in winter the mountains sometimes see fog and snow. Grazalema is one of the rainiest places in Spain.