Spain White hill town - Ronda

We drove from Malaga along the coast and headed up the A-397 to Ronda. Easy drive. As for Arcos, we were based in Ronda and made a day trip to Arcos. Again, no issues there. It's a nice region and I can't see any reason you'd need to do it in any sort of order.

I found a lot more to see and do in Ronda than in Arcos. I'd allocate sightseeing time accordingly.

We picked Ronda over Arcos for our trip, and we're happy with our choice. I felt it had more to see and do than Arcos, particularly the view from the bridge, bull ring, old ruins, and cave-like stairs down to the bottom of the gorge. With a family and car, I'd also suggest visiting the passage tombs in Antequera not far from Ronda. I believe the newest is upwards of 5,000 years old. They're free and have surprisingly nice facilities for visitors.

Thanks a lot Matt, Brad and Chani - I will definitely stay in Ronda and spend more time there.

The bull ring and museum were definitely a highlight for me, and the views everywhere.

Tastes vary. We thought Ronda was nice, but were turned off by the crowds - seemed like it was completely crammed with package-tour day-trippers from cruise ships and the Costa del Tourismo who were considering this their "day in Spain". We spent the night. The crowds lessened after dark, but it still seemed crowded and overwhelmed to us. On the other hand, we also spent the night in Arcos and were totally in love with the place - we preferred it over Ronda by far - no comparison. We found that the contrast between day and night in Arcos was tremendous - yes, there were tourists in Arcos during the day, but at night, the place was completely empty and completely magical - one of the highlights of our trip. By comparison, Ronda seemed crowded day and night. If you go to Arcos, by all means, spend the night. I'm sure you can do an itinerary in either direction.

I have to agree that I loved Arcos and would definitely spend the night there. I can't remember the name of the hotel, but it was at the top and the view was amazing.

We also chose Ronda over Arcos and was pleased with our choice. We filled up our 2 nights while there and were never bored. The views were incredible. the hike down to the bottom of the hill was intense. It is a great town for exercise.

The timing could make a big difference. I was there in February, definitely low season and there were lots of tourists - but no crowds anywhere. I think Brad was there in April, probably not high season yet either.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions Vidya