A day in the white villages of Andalusia

The region of Andalusia is Southern Spain has some beautiful scenery. Green mountains are interspersed with white villages and cute small towns. Here’s how to spend a day in the white villages on Andalusia. 

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How to explore Andalusia 

For a day in the white villages of Andalusia, I’d recommend hiring a car. Having your own car will give you the freedom to explore at your own pace. You’ll also be able to stop whenever you want for photos, and spend as long as you want in each place. 

If you’re staying in one of the major cities like Seville or Granada, there will be plenty of places you can hire a car in the city. Public transport around the white villages is very sparse, if it even exists at all. So a car is definitely the best option. 

There are loads of beautiful places in Andalucia. If you’re looking for a detailed guide to the whole region, check out Lonely Planet’s guide to Andalucia (affiliate).

Exploring the mountains and wildlife 

Andalusia is often more green and mountainous than many people imagine Southern Spain to be. Visiting in spring means you can see the Sierra Nevada mountains at their greenest. Make sure you take time to stop and enjoy the views along the road. 

Keep an eye out for wildlife as well. In spring, you might see storks nesting on tall nests. And in the skies, vultures can glide overhead, surveying the land below. If you see any wildlife, this website can help you identify them here.

Pueblos Blancos – White villages 

If you take some of the smaller roads through Andalusia, you’ll soon come across some white villages. It’s these villages that make this area so famous. The moorish influence in this area gives it a feel of being in North Africa
Some of my favourite white villages are Arcos De la Frontera, Vejer de la Frontera, and Grazamala. 

To make the most of your day in the white villages of Andalusia, look at a map in advance and plan a vague route that takes in some of the villages you’d most like to see. However, don’t give yourself too tight a timescale. It can take longer to drive between each village along the narrow, winding roads than you might expect. And one of the joys of a day trip like this is to go wherever you fancy, and change your plans whenever you like. 

Ronda and the famous bridge 

One village I’d definitely recommend including on your itinerary is Ronda. Ronda can get fairly busy, but it’s definitely worth stopping at. Ronda has an interesting history of bullfighting, one of the classic parts of this area of Spain. 
The village clings to the edge of the cliff along the El Tajo gorge. And one of the best sights in Ronda is the amazing bridge that crosses the 150m deep gorge. 

My suggested route from Seville 

If you’re looking to spend a day in the white mountains of Andalusia as a day trip from Seville, then here’s my suggested route:

• After hiring a car in Seville, I’d recommend driving to Ronda. It’s 1 hour 30 mins drive from Seville, and one of my favourite villages so I’d recommend doing it first. Spend some time looking around the village, especially the bridge viewpoint.
•  Next, check out Puerto de las Palomas. It’s 50 minutes drive from Ronda with great views along the way.
• Villaluenga del Rosario is another pretty white village. It’s about 30 minutes drive from Mirador Puerto de las Palomas.
• For your final stop, check out Espera. It’s about 1 hour drive from Villaluenga, heading back towards Seville.

Of course, it’s completely up to you what route you take, and how long you spend in each place. Just drive and enjoy the scenery of Andalusia! 

Enjoy spending a day in the white villages of Andalusia! If you’d like to explore Andalusia more, why not check out Seville, Cordoba and Granada. Or you could travel further through Spain to visit Barcelona and the nearby Montserrat monastery in the mountains. And remember to check out the Lonely Planet guide to Andalucia to help you plan your trip (affiliate)