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Andalucia's White TownsLos pueblos blancos
Nights: 7
Starting point: Hotel Arco de la Villa (2*), Zahara de la Sierra. A modern hotel in a magnificent position on a cliff at the top of the village. There are marvellous views over the nearby reservoir, especially from the atmospheric restaurant. Day 1: this first walk ascends along an old drovers' road across the flank of Monte Prieto, passing through olive groves and areas of cacti as you continue to rise. Throughout the first part of the day there are good views back towards Zahara de la Sierra and its dramatic castle. (13km, 5hrs) Day 2: today's route is fascinating as it leads through a forest of pinsapos, a type of fir found only here and in Morocco. Some of the trees are 300 years old, and the forest has been designated a rare biosphere by Unesco. From Grazalema you rise steadily to reach the pass of El Puerto de las Cumbres el Bosque, then follow the ridge above the protected forest to a lovely viewpoint. (11.5km, 4hrs) Day 3: yet another superb walk leads through some of the most interesting and beautiful pastoral scenery in the Grazalema Natural Park, with the limestone mountains providing a continual backdrop. The route begins through cork oak woods on an old drovers’ trail, then explores a picturesque green valley before winding downhill on a forest track through a deep valley with views of the Ronda plain ahead. (19km, 6.5hrs) Day 4: for your day at Benaoján, we suggest a circular route along an old drovers' trail. Alternatively, you could stroll to Pileta, where Paleolithic and Neolithic paintings have been discovered in the caves there in addition to weird and wonderful stalagmites and stalactites. (13km, 4.5hrs) Accommodation: Molino del Santo, as above. Day 5: you can catch the train or walk the 11.5km to Ronda. The route winds up to the crest of a ridge, from where you descend into the next valley and climb to a second ridge, where you are greeted with views of the famous pueblo blanco. Following the ridge, you continue to enjoy good vistas of Ronda, then descend through a wood of holm oaks and walk along a wooded gully to enter Ronda through the lower town walls. Accommodation: Hotel San Gabriel (3*), Ronda. Situated in a quiet part of the old town, the Arnal family's hotel is a real find, with exquisite bedrooms and public rooms. Breakfast only is included, leaving you free to take your pick of the restaurants in the town using our recommendations as a guide. Day 6: spend the day exploring Ronda, with its ancient bullring, dramatic bridge, attractive old town and lively shopping district (including many shops selling leather goods). If you fancy more walking, a 2-hour circular route takes you down into the gorge which dramatically divides Ronda in two, offering a different perspective of the town. Accommodation: Hotel San Gabriel, as above. Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: La Mejorana (Grazalema) for extra walking (a tour with a local guide can be arranged in advance, enabling you to visit parts of the Park not generally accessible to the public) or Hotel San Gabriel (Ronda) for more time to explore Andalucia's most famous white town. Other information: If you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: Mountains of Alicante (grade 2), La Gomera – Hidden Gem of the Canaries (grade 2-3), The Grazalema Sierra (stay 7 nights in Grazalema with a hire car and walking routes provided) Prices & travel 2007/08:
Room upgrades: Benaoján, superior room £5pppn; Ronda, superior room £5pppn; junior suite £9pppn Extra night prices:
# Dinner and breakfast included > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Andalucia, Spain's dazzling deep south, is one of Europe's most entrancing regions, not least for its powerful sherry wines, and simple, tasty cuisine. Here, the Moorish influence from centuries past is felt in the architecture of the famed white towns and villages (pueblos blancos), sheltering from the hot sun amid a landscape of rugged mountains. This discovery of the Grazalema Natural Park, ideal for exploration on foot, is a fine, rugged walk with some long and challenging sections through unspoiled hills and meadows against a backdrop of dramatic mountains. 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 colony of griffon vultures soaring around the craggy mountains. 
Zahara de la Sierra 
