Suggestions for visiting the White Hill Towns Area

Holly - You have the option to take a drive to Arcos De La Frontera which is a cozy little town. Smaller hill towns, such as Zahara and Grazalema, offer plenty of beauty. Grazalema is a picturesque high-mountain village of the Cádiz province (50 kilometers from Arcos de la Frontera), nestled in a valley and surrounded by the Parque Natural de Sierra de Grazalema. The stunning little village of Zahara de la Sierra is set into a steep hillside at the heart of the Sierra de Grazalema natural park. The town dates back to Moorish times and has endured a turbulent history because of the conflicts between Islamic and Christians rulers.

The route from Zahara de la Sierra to Grazalema travels through some of the most stunning scenery in Andalucia, ending in one of its most emblematic towns

From Jerez, you can also visit Cadiz which is close by.

To add to what RJean said, the distance between Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema is only about 8 miles, but because of the twists and turns through the mountain, it will take 30 minutes to drive it. There is a tower one can climb in Zahara that offers a great view of the countryside. North of Ronda, about 12 miles, is Sentenil de las Bodegas. It doesn’t take a long time to see, but is interesting to see the houses and shops built into the mountain. Jerez de la Frontera has a nice Alcazar. Not as spectacular as others in Spain, but it is worth visiting if you are there.

To me Cadiz is worth a half day at most. It’s worth walking around and maybe visiting the cathedral, but the town itself, because it is on a small peninsula, doesn’t take more than an hour or so to walk around. If you didn’t want to drive to the town you can always take the ferry from Puerto de Santa Maria, or from Rota. I don’t see it as a must see city if you have a limited amount of time.

From Jerez, you can also visit Cadiz which is close by.

from the NY Times: Cádiz, an Underrated Corner of Spain

In the province of Cádiz, the 52 Places Traveler finds ancient history, heart-wrenching music and some of the best meals of his trip.

Go from Ronda for a day towards Ubrique or El Bosque or Olvera, you'll have scenic driving and be able to visit 2-3 charming hill towns.

Where are you staying near Jerez? Arcos is worth at least 1/2 day and near Jerez. Cadiz is also near Jerez, but in the opposite direction.

If you're going to be in Cordoba, there are horse shows at the Royal Stables several days a week.

some have asked...where are you staying? Answered Two days outside of Ronda, and two days in Grazalema. I cancelled reservation for Estepona. I saw the beaches are covered with some form of Sea plant life. I am more interested in the White Town experience. Ronda is close so we can visit Estepona area if curious.

I used the DK Eyewitness Back Roads Spain. Mostly I just drove until I saw a village that enticed me. Some are very tricky to drive in (steep, narrow streets lined with parked cars and sharp, tight corners), so consider parking when you get in and exploring on foot. Do allow at least a 1/2 day for Arcos. Park in the large lot at the foot of the old town and walk or take the free shuttle up and down. I used the RS guide for Arcos, very good.

I found the roads easy to drive, well graded, but when the sign says 50 (km per hour), don't try to do more. There are fairly frequent pullouts for admiring the views and photo ops. You are only supposed to use the pull-outs on your side of the road. Trying to cross against oncoming traffic can be disastrous.

The brown algae - called Rugulopterix okamurae apparently - isn't everywhere and they are shifting it out by the tonne and it might disappear naturally anyway later in the year. But probably wise to avoid those areas at present without checking the current position. From Ronda, Gibraltar is an obvious day-trip. Very interesting colony, lots to see in a day and a nice contrast to Spain.

Contrary to a previous poster, from Grazalema I'd recommend Cadiz for a day-trip. It's not a place full of "wow" sights, but it's setting on the peninsular, the
higgledy-piggledy streets, rough & ready fisherman's district, Roman theatre, fort in the sea, etc. do make it a great day out. Plus the fresh seafood. We spent three nights there (with an excursion to El Puerto de Santa María), and loved the city. Cadiz has a lot of history if that's of interest. On the other hand, I wouldn't claim it's an Andalucian must-see like Cordoba. We just thought it pleasant and interesting.

As for the White Towns, I'm sure you want to see a couple. But I wouldn't try to see them all in four days. They do get rather samey after a while. Instead from Ronda you could visit the Antequera dolmens for example.

The fact is you'll have a car and can make last-minute decisions. I loved exploring the hill towns at a slow pace.

Cadiz is certainly worth a few hours. If you have time in Sevilla, it's better to do it as a day trip by train from there (1.5 hours each way). You could probably combine a few hours there if you leave very early and stop in Arcos on the way back to Grazalema - you'd go past it anyway. Jerez is the place for sherry tours - several bodegas have walk-in tours. Tio Pepe's is the most fun.

There are sights in Ronda as well. The bull ring and museum are excellent. There are some quirky small museums, my favorites were the Centro de Interpretacion del Vino (ethnography and wine tasting) and the Museo del Bandolero (literally bandit museum). Look for a Spanish guitar concert.

If you were staying in Estepona then the obvious food destination would be Benehavis, https://www.spainmadesimple.com/costa-del-sol/benahavis but even if you're not in Estepona it's still worth driving to if you're in the area.

We'll be back in the area in October and with Benehavis a fifteen minute drive away I plan on eating there every day. Every meal I've eaten there (and there have been many) has been outstanding.