- self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking, luggage transported
- rewarding walking in the Grazalema Natural Park
- stay in Ronda, an atmospheric pueblo blanco
- rich wildlife and flora
Andalucia, Spain's dazzling deep south, is one of Europe's most entrancing regions. Here, the Moorish influence from centuries past is felt in the architecture of the famed white towns and villages (pueblos blancos), sheltering from the sun amid a landscape of rugged limestone mountains. The beautiful scenery and fresh mountain air of the Grazalema Natural Park make for wonderful, rewarding walking through unspoiled hills and meadows.
What I love most is that this area is completely wild. You can walk all day without seeing another soul, which to me is no bad thing – I enjoy the absolute tranquillity.
David Lanfear, Inntravel’s Spanish Route-Note Writer
The Park, which is surprisingly green through good rainfall levels, offers one of the most impressive landscapes of southern Spain, exceptionally rich in plant and birdlife. Buzzards and Bonelli's eagles join one of Europe's largest colonies of griffon vultures soaring around the craggy mountains. If the scenery is magnificent, equally fascinating is ancient Ronda, set over a dramatic gorge, and packed with historic buildings. Like Ronda, the other featured pueblos blancos are full of atmosphere even after the summer tourists have gone and the temperatures have cooled, giving you a good feel for the slow rhythms of life in Spain’s southern mountains.