White Towns of Andalusia

A string of whitewashed, red-roofed hill towns in the mountains of southern Andalusia, led by Ronda, Arcos and Setenil.

The White Towns of Andalusia (Pueblos Blancos) are a series of whitewashed limestone villages and towns built on ridges and cliffs in the Sierra de Grazalema and surrounding area, where the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga meet in southern Spain. They cover only a small part of the Andalusia autonomous community and are a cultural-scenic region as visitors commonly understand it. Representative towns: Ronda (the Puente Nuevo spanning the Tajo Gorge, and one of Spain's oldest bullrings); Arcos de la Frontera (the cliff-top 'Gateway to the White Towns'); Zahara de la Sierra (a lakeside castle); Grazalema (hiking in the natural park); Setenil de las Bodegas (houses built under the rock); Olvera; and Frigiliana and Mijas in Málaga province. A classic plan: rent a car in Seville or Málaga and drive the 'Route of the White Towns' for 2–4 days, often combined with Seville, Córdoba and Granada into an 8–12 day Andalusia loop. Without a car, take a train or bus to Ronda from Málaga or Seville and join a day tour. Mountain roads are narrow and many streets in town are one-way, so park outside town. Summers are scorching, so visit early in the morning or in the evening; in spring, the Holy Week processions at Easter are especially memorable.

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