White Towns & Rugged Mountains

Andalucia – rugged limestone mountains

Holiday information
Nights: 7
Grade: 2-3, ascents & descents each day
Terrain: mountain paths, drovers’ roads, meadows
Hotels: one country house; one rural inn, two 2-star hotels
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners, 4 picnics
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Extend your stay
If you are flying via vibrant Seville, add on a city break for a contrast to your walking holiday.
Walk on to Ronda
We offer a longer version of this holiday, finishing with two nights in famous Ronda, the perfect ending to a superb discovery of this area.
  About Andalucia >Andalucia may have returned to Christian rule in the late 15th century, but the legacy of the Moors, who held power for nearly eight centuries, is still very much in evidence in its customs, gastronomy, architecture and language. The fact that Andalucia is such a melting pot of cultures is what makes it so captivating. There are two very striking features of this part of Andalucia: the pueblos blancos – towns and villages of whitewashed houses with terracotta roofs, whose inhabitants still see themselves as culturally apart from the people of the lowlands; and the rich flora and fauna of the Alcornocales Natural Park, which owes its name to the expanses of cork oaks, and the Grazalema Natural Park. The latter’s craggy limestone mountains belie the fact that it shelters over 1,000 species of flowers – best seen in April or May – and 136 species of bird, among them hoopoes, bee-eaters, Bonelli’s, golden and booted eagles, and one of Europe’s biggest colonies of griffon vultures.
  • self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking, luggage transported
  • rewarding walking in the Grazalema Natural Park
  • rich wildlife and flora
  • breathtaking views

Andalucia, Spain’s dazzling deep south, is one of Europe’s most entrancing regions. Brilliant white towns and villages (pueblos blancos) dot a landscape of rugged mountains cloaked in the remains of ancient oak forests. The striking limestone mountains and surprisingly green valleys of the Grazalema Natural Park are ideal for exploring on foot, with inviting trails that snake up through hidden pastures and over craggy ridges that offer incredible views of dramatic landscapes as well as the opportunity to spot Bonelli’s eagles and griffon vultures gliding through the skies.
On a sunny afternoon in April, surrounded by blue sky, white mountains and yellow mustard plants, I decide that the 18km walk from Grazalema to Benaoján is one of the most beautiful I've ever done.
     
The Observer
This is Andalucia at its wildest and most remote – a place where you are unlikely to meet another soul on many of your days. With plenty of ascents and descents each day, the carefully researched routes are challenging but thoroughly rewarding – there is a real sense of achievement as you reach mountain passes to discover breathtaking views usually stretching for miles over ridge after ridge.
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