Los Pueblos Blancos
This post is another one that seems long overdue, especially considering it is about a trip that should have never happened but that ended up introducing me to one of my FAVORITE places in Spain thus far. A while back Jose and I were scheduled to spend a five day break from work in Germany, more specifically in Berlin. The day we were to fly out was the same day that the air traffic controllers went on strike in Spain. (Read about that here). We were in the car on the way to the airport, bags packed and ready to go when we found our out flights were canceled. We made a last minute decision to change our route and instead visit the Pueblos Blancos (white villages famous for their white-washed buildings) that are scattered throughout a region in the north of the Malaga and Cadiz provinces.
First stop: Ronda
The first place we visited was Ronda which is absolutely beautiful. It has a famous, historic bullring that you can visit and the vistas from the city into the surrounding areas are gorgeous. We walked across the bridges, one of which is known as the Puente Nuevo (new bridge) that connects two parts of the city. Its name is deceiving because it really isn't modern at all, though it is quite newer than the Roman era bridges also found in Ronda. We visited the Arab bathes which are well preserved and do a good job of explaining the important ritual of bathing. We also went to a wine museum which was a disappointment (besides the samples they gave out). We stopped at the Colegiata de Santa Maria church and were surprised to find a small sort of Renaissance festival going on. There is also a Nazari palace named the Casa del Gigante (known for a large statue of a man of unknown origins which is worth a visit. We stayed for about a day and a half and this first place definitely helped us get over the fact that we should have been in Berlin.
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| Inside the bullring |
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| Ronda sits up higher than the surrounding area and the views are amazing |
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| In front of the Puente Nuevo |
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| Inside of the Arab baths |
Our next stop was a quick one. We drove from Ronda to Setenil, a village famous for having houses and restaurants built into the rocky hills found throughout the area. We really only stayed long enough for lunch. I have to say that the food did not disappoint during this trip. The weather didn't really cooperate for us much but the hearty food we ate was well needed and appreciated.
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| Houses built into the rocks |
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| Restaurant where we had lunch |
Olvera was a cool place because its church and castle were both found on the highest point of the town. Castles are very common in this part of Spain due to the Catholic Kings reconquest efforts against the Moors and Olvera's castle museum did a really good job explaining this history. We didn't stay too long here either, just the afternoon. We literally drove through the pueblo of Algodonales. We stopped to walk around a bit and to see a fountain but not much else.
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| The castle in Olvera |
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| The church viewed from inside the castle |
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| A map that shows all the castles that can be found in Andalucia (the black dots) |
Fifth stop: Zahara
Zahara is another pueblo on top of a hill with a really cool castle that you can see as you approach. We spent the night here, walking around the narrow streets, trying to avoid the rain. We trekked up to the top of the castle and enjoyed the ruins and views. We ate a lot of warm food in a restaurant with a big chimney. It was probably the most picturesque place we visited. I felt like we were the only tourists there.
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| Zahara on the approach |
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| Yum! |
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| Ruins up by the castle |
Sixth stop: Grazalema
The last place we visited was Grazalema. It has some well preserved Roman era roads which for me is fascinating. They built things to last! They also have a cool, old well that they believe might have been created by the Visigoths. By this point in our trip we were ready to head home and dry out for a while. Overall, I loved the Pueblos Blancos. They were quaint and each had its own interesting thing to offer. Though I was disappointed not to go to Germany, this trip did make up for it.
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| Old Roman road |
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| One of several ancient fountains with faces |
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