Castles, Roman ruins, Al-Andalus, white villages, watchtowers, nature, gastronomy and even wine are just some of the tourism routes which help people to discover Andalucía
Setenil de las Bodegas on Andalucía’s white villages route
Andalucía, home of the Costa del Sol, is the largest and most varied region of Spain and it would take a great deal of time to explore all it has to offer. Luckily, owning a property here on the Costa del Sol provides the ideal base to access the numerous themed routes which display some of the most beautiful and interesting areas of this region. In fact, there are too many of these officially recognised routes to detail here, but these are a few of the most popular.
The White Villages Route – Most people have heard of Andalucía’s ‘pueblos blancos’, or white villages, and this route through the Malaga and Cadiz countryside is an excellent way of seeing them. It is possible to follow an itinerary which includes them all, but many visitors prefer to pick and choose. Arcos de la Frontera is a main feature of this route, although technically it is a town. It is so old that according to legend it was founded by a grandson of Noah and it perches proudly on top of a high rock with dizzying views over the surrounding countryside. With its ancient buildings, elegant mansions and narrow cobbled streets, it is a beautiful introduction to one of the region’s most stunning areas. Other white villages which shouldn’t be missed along the route are Setenil de las Bodegas, with its cave houses built into the overhanging rock, pretty Zahara de la Sierra, overlooking a lake and crowned by its mediaeval castle, the lovely Grazalema which nestles into the mountainous Natural Park of the same name, and some of the Moorish villages in the Genal and Guadiaro valleys, such as Igualeja where the Genal river has its source. Anyone who comes across Juzcar, however, could be in for a surprise as this former ‘pueblo blanco’ is now a ‘pueblo azul’, after being painted bright blue as part of a campaign to promote the Smurf movie. Originally intended as a temporary project, the idea caught on and locals voted to let it stay this way, even going on to organise events related to the cheerful theme.
Painted blue to promote the Smurf movies, Juzcar is only 48km from Marbella
The Caliphate Route – History lovers will not want to miss the chance to take in the two most important cities of Moorish Spain: Granada and Cordoba. This route also provides the opportunity to see some of the countryside of the Natural Parks of the Sierras Subbéticas and the Sierra de Huétor. Cordoba was the ancient capital of the Caliphate and Granada was the home of the Nasrid kings; following this route is like stepping back to the 800 years of Al-Andalus.
The Bética-Ilomana Route – For those who are interested in ~ Andalucía’s Roman past, of which many vestiges remain, this route which connects ‘Hispalis’ (Seville) with ‘Corduba’ (Cordoba) and ‘Gades’ (Cadiz) is a must. It takes in the Roman settlements of Italica and the gorgeous town of Carmona en route to Cordoba and then doubles back via Jerez to Cadiz before ending at the well preserved ruins of Baelo Claudia, a sizeable Roman town beside Bolonia beach at Tarifa.
Baelo Claudia near Tarifa, a popular getaway for residents of the Costa del Sol
The Cabo do Gala Route – Almeria province can boast a huge variety of scenery, which can be enjoyed along the Cabo de Gata route. This includes the stunningly beautiful beaches and coves of the Cabo de Gata—Nijar Natural Park but also the surprising mixture of desert and mountain ranges (Sierra de Gador, Sierra de Alhamilla, Sierra de los Filabres) which lie inland.
The Jaen and Cazorla Route – For a look at some completely different countryside, this route passes through the Sierra de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park, which is the largest in Spain, and also takes in beautiful historic towns such as Jaen, Baeza and Ubeda. The park can be visited in one day, but two or three days would be needed to visit the towns as well.
Any route which covers a largish distance and includes several places of interest will take at least a couple of days to complete, but there are plenty of very enjoyable day trips. In Malaga province, for example, there is a route along the eastern coast which features the old watchtowers, many of which were built for defensive purposes in Moorish times. The ‘Ruta de las Torres Vigias’ begins in Torre de Benagalbon, in Rincon de la Victoria, and ends at Nerja, or vice versa. For those who prefer to explore on foot, bicycle or horseback, there is the Via Verde in Cadiz and Seville provinces. A never completed railway track runs through 36 kilometres of beautiful countryside between Puerto Serrano and Olvera, and with places to stay along the way. A visit to the observatory at Zaframagon definitely shouldn’t be missed, to spy on the largest breeding colony of Griffon vultures in Europe.