A Car Ride Through The Pueblos Blancos
Nature and Simple Beauty
An original holiday idea would be a car ride through the pueblos blancos. The pueblos blancos are the famous white villages situated in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. The beauty of the villages is very simple, pure, and combined with the beauty of the nature that surrounds them, will give tourists a breathtaking image of one of the most amazing regions of Spain. The ride will take you from the eastern part of the park to its western part, the place where you will find the most attractive village – Ronda.
Getting on an Unbelievable Journey
The journey starts with Arcos de la Frontera. The village represents the western point of entrance into the region. Arcos de la Frontera is a typical Roman village, with narrow and winding streets. Driving on these streets is an art, so it would be better to take your time and walk to the main square.
The main square is the focal point of Arcos de la Frontera, the place where you can admire the Santa Maria Church, a beautiful Gothic Mudejar construction, decorated with a few Plateresque details. The church has a balcony from where tourists can admire the idylic view of the orchards and the olive groves. Arcos de la Frontera has a few more important things to offer as well: the Moorish walls of Castillo de los Duques, and the numerous Baroque and Renaissance facades.
Leave Arcos de la Frontera for El Bosque, a small village crouched at the foot of the mountains. The landscape is spectacular here. The village has just a few coffee shops and a rustic mill, but it is the center point for hikings, trekking, trout fishing, and paragliding in the area. The village also hosts the touristic center of Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.
Right after El Bosque comes Benamahoma. The road to the village will make you think you are in paradise: it climbs up through pine and eucalyptus forests, on a limestone ground. You can make a stop in the Puerto del Boyar passing, because you have a wonderful viewpoint here: the granite peak of Monte Simancon. The winding road will take you to Grazalema and from there, through Zahara, you will finally get to Ronda.
Accommodations
Since you have experienced the simplicity and the pure beauty of the region, you shoudn’y spoil it by choosing modern hotels for your accommodations. Choose villas: they are very picturesque, they offer wonderful accommodation conditions and they are very private. Here sre some suggestions: El Santiscal, Chiva or Gaucin.