The pueblos blancos (white villages) of Andalucía, nestled in valleys and perched on hilltops, are stunning. Here are 5 of the best, as well as blue one and an easy way to visit them.
The pueblos blancos (white villages) of Andalucía are a dreamy reminder of a time gone by. Narrow cobbled lanes winding in and out of whitewashed homes connect tiny squares and centuries-old churches. The quiet of these rural villages is broken only by church bells, the low murmur of voices or the faint sound of Spanish shoes on uneven stones. Amongst the sea of white, fragrant orange trees break the monochrome in perfectly shaped green.
But it’s not just the towns themselves that are beautiful. An enviable location sets them apart from villages you might find elsewhere. Perched on hilltops or cosily nestled in valleys, they look out over the undulating scenery of Southern Spain. A region that still bears the hallmarks of Islamic and Christian conflict.
Some of the best white villages in Andalucía lie conveniently close to one another; connecting them via a road trip is an excellent way to see them. If you have little ones, take these printable travel games and enjoy a colourful trip through beautiful scenery.
Here are 5 of the best pueblos blancos in Andalucía, as well as a blue one and an easy way to visit them.
Booking your trip via the links on this page (or on our book page) will earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support – Paul & Mark.
IN THIS GUIDE
WHITE VILLAGES OF ANDALUCÍA
1 – ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA
Arcos de la Frontera stands on top of a towering sandstone cliff around which the Guadalete river flows. As the name suggests, for years it sat on the frontier between warring Muslims and Christians. The former chose this strategic clifftop location to provide protection from attackers.
Today, this peaceful village belies a more dangerous past. Narrow lanes wind up and over the clifftop. With very few shops and cafes in the village, it maintains an ageless feel. Cabildo Square, at the top of the village, contains a 15th-century church built over the remains of a Moorish fortress; the town hall and – Arcos de la Frontera’s star attraction – sweeping views over the Andalucían landscape.
It doesn’t take long to stroll around the village and you can pick up a useful map and guide at the tourist office on the way up to the square.
The real reason Arcos de la Frontera makes our list is the view from the bottom. Standing by the meandering Guadalete river and craning your neck skywards, you can see the white facades of Arcos’s houses and churches barely peeking over the vertical cliff wall.
2 – GRAZALEMA
Grazalema is one of our favourite pueblos blancos, not because there’s much to see (there isn’t), or because it has excellent Spanish food (it definitely doesn’t). Grazalema makes the list for its enviable location.
Sat on a rocky ledge, deep in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, towering craggy mountains rise all around it, giving it a dwarfed feel that’s ideal for some classic pueblos blancos photography. There is no better way to savour the scene than by grabbing a seat in its main square, ordering a terrible coffee and staring in awe at the rocky monoliths that peer over white houses and their red-tiled roofs.
The other winning aspect of Grazalema is its central position in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. The park has excellent hiking trails through magnificent scenery. It’s famous for the Spanish Fir tree which is fiercely protected in the park, as a result, some areas required a permit to enter. If you have more time and you’re interested in hiking to the highest peak in the area, read about the climb up to El Torreón.
3 – ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA
Zahara is our favourite white village in Andalucía. Perched on the side of a hill in the northern part of Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, it’s postcard-ready with magnificent views, a cute atmosphere, a little history, some interesting churches and good eating and sleeping options.
The town is overlooked by a 13th-century Moorish castle that sits on a rocky promontory. After all the driving on your pueblos blancos tour, the stroll up to the castle will get the heart pumping. Here for 150 years, during the 14th and 15th centuries, Muslims stood on this castle and stared across at the Christian white town of Olvera which you can still see in the distance today. The village also contains two churches (one of which is gaudy pink and red) and a maze of windy lanes and squares that dribble down the hill.
Unlike many other white villages, some decent food and accommodation options have found their place in Zahara. Some competition has even entered the equation with a number of tapas bars vying for attention from locals and tourists.
4 – SETENIL DE LAS BODEGAS
People live in some strange places and the inhabitants of Setenil de las Bodegas are literally living under a rock. The village lies along the gorge of Trejo river and the walls of this gorge contain many natural caves. Locals over the years built white facades over the cave entrances and created homes. Cheap to build and cool in summer, they were ideal for storing food pre-refrigeration. They have been dwellings ever since, accumulating in one of the most interesting pueblos blancos in the area.
The name of the town comes from the Latin words ‘septem nihil’ referring to the seven times the Catholic monarchs tried to recapture the town from the Moors. Bodegas reflect the vineyards that Christians introduced after they finally succeeded. In the 1860s an insect infestation destroyed the vines and they never recovered. Its heritage remains in name only.
It’s a great place to stroll the streets and explore the houses that are built into the rock, but like many of the pueblos blancos, it goes to bed early. It’s a very quiet place in the evening, with barely a restaurant open.
5 – RONDA
In the interests of full disclosure, Ronda is not really a village, it’s more of a town. But it is white and it is beautiful.
Sitting on a vertical-sided plateau the town is cut in half by the El Tajo river, which has carved a 100m deep canyon through the rock. A bridge spans the canyon joining the two halves of the town. It’s a stunning setting and no surprise it regularly features on European bucket lists.
The old town dates from Islamic times and signs of its Moorish past can still be seen today. The mosque is now a church, the Moorish palace a mansion, and Arab baths lie ruined in the shadows of the gorge. The town also has one of the finest bull rings in the country.
You can easily spend a day exploring all the buildings, hiking up and down the gorge and staring at the sweeping views. Those in the know grab lunch at Casa Maria just outside the southern walls of the town where Maria serves whatever is fresh that day.
6 – JÚZCAR
Before 2011 Júzcar was just another one of the many pueblos blancos perched over the Rio Genal. Life was slow and the odd visitor came to hike its verdant paths. But in spring of that year, the entire town was painted blue to celebrate the worldwide premiere of the Smurf movie, held in little old Júzcar.
The plan was to paint it white again after the premiere ended. But the blue village had created a mini-sensation and it is estimated 95,000 people had visited over the course of 6 months. The locals smurfed out an opportunity and decided to leave the town blue.
The joy of Júzcar is that, while a bit gimmicky, it’s actually a fun place set in a beautiful location. Large statues of Smurfs and colourful red mushrooms dot the town, murals and cartoons cover the walls, and cute road signs show you the way. Within an hour you will have explored every nook and cranny but what a fun hour it is.
WHITE VILLAGES DRIVING ITINERARY
Our selection of pueblos blancos are spread amongst the magnificent scenery of three of the finest regions in Andalucía: the Sierra de Grazalema Nature Park, the Sierra de las Nieves and the Genal Valley.
So not only is exploring the villages a joy, the drives between them are stunning. As an alternative to relaxing on stunning beaches, the white villages of Andalucía are one of the best things to do in Spain in winter.
DAY 1
Arcos // Start at Arcos de la Frontera and stroll the town in the morning. Hop in the car then stop by the river at the bottom of the cliff for excellent photo opportunities up to the town. Next, take the beautiful drive through El Bosque and on to Grazalema. Keep your eyes peeled for the ibex that live on the slopes.
Grazalema // Stop for a quick coffee in Grazalema’s main square, staring up at the craggy mountains rising above the village. Then take the CA-9104, a magnificent steep windy mountain road that ascends to the 1331-metre high mirador of Puerta de Palomas. Stop and survey the scene including the 400-metre-deep Garganta Verde canyon, before heading on to Zahara.
Zahara // The approach to Zahara offers a great view of the white village perched under the Moorish castle. Park the car and stroll the town, making sure you visit both the churches and if you have the energy the Moorish Castle at the top. For lunch, there is nowhere better than the tapas at Cerveceria El Gallo.
Sentenil // After lunch head to Setenil de Bodegas. It’s a short walk to visit the few locations where the dwelling’s roofs disappear into the rock. It’s interesting, but there’s not a lot to see, so after a quick stroll around, drive on to Ronda.
DAY 2
Ronda // The next day, spend the morning strolling the old city, the gorge and the bull ring. Grab lunch at Casa Maria and when you are finished exploring, hop in the car and head to the blue village of Júzcar.
Júzcar // After a beautiful drive from Ronda, stroll around Júzcar for an hour or so, collecting photos of this unique blue village to complete your tour of the best white villages in Andalucía. And a blue one.
PUEBLOS BLANCOS // DRIVING ROUTE
ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA TO GRAZALEMA
50 km in 55 minutes
GRAZALEMA TO ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA
17 km in 30 minutes
ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA TO SETENIL DE LAS BODEGAS
40 km in 45 minutes
SETENIL DE LAS BODEGAS TO RONDA
18 km in 30 minutes
RONDA TO JÚZCAR
24 km in 35 minutes
How to use this map / Click on the top left of the map to display the list of locations, then click on the locations to display further information. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab or the star to save to your Google Maps.
WHERE TO STAY TO VISIT THE PUEBLOS BLANCOS OF ANDALUCÍA
For this tour of the white villages, we recommend staying in Ronda with is a great option for both backpacking in Spain, or indulging in a local atmospheric townhouse. It’s a fantastic destination with an impressive view, some interesting history and the pick of the food options in the area. It’s definitely the place you’ll appreciate spending a bit longer exploring.
HOW TO GET TO THE PUEBLOS BLANCOS OF ANDALUCÍA
The Pueblos Blancos are located in southwestern Spain. The closest international airports for this itinerary are Seville (1 hour from Arcos de la Frontera) or Málaga (2 hours from Júzcar).
Both cities are easily worth visiting in their own right, in particular, we had a great 3 days in Seville.
For a hire car while visiting the villages, we recommend rentalcars.com. They provide a cost comparison across all the major can rental companies making it easy to see the best rates.
MORE READING FOR YOUR SPAIN TRIP
Andalucía is one of our favourite areas in Spain. With an excellent climate, world-class cities and beautiful nature parks, it’s a fantastic southern European destination. Here are more of our guides from the area.
The best things to do in Málaga
Hiking El Pinsapar near Grazalema
Complete Guide to hiking El Torreón in Sierra de Grazalema
Our complete guide to Cádiz, the island city of Andalucía
Our favourite things to do in Seville
What to do in Córdoba – A 2 day Córdoba itinerary
A BIG THANK YOU
We’ve been providing free travel content since 2017, helping our readers explore new and familiar destinations.
Following us on social media, using our resource page or buying us a coffee, helps keep Anywhere We Roam on the road.
Thanks for your support, Paul & Mark.
Thank you for this comprehensive guide! We are heading to Andalusia soon and still did not decide whether to include the Pueblos Blancos in our itinerary. We are driving with a toddler and would only have a day to cover some of the villages, on the road from Cadiz to Malaga. How is the road quality? Would you recommend it to us (logistically)?
Hi Anca, There are obviously a few twists and turns in the mountains but the surface of the road is high quality. Its a straight forward drive. The quickest way for your drive is along the coast about 2h 45 m but for only half an hour more you can go through the mountains. I would pick a couple of villages of your choice and try to do them on the way. It’s a very feasible day out. Hope you have fun and let us know how you go.
We need to head to Spain and explore Andalucia. It’s already in my wishlist, thanks to the architectural beauty of Alhambra. Guess I should spend several more days there to visit the white villages. Smurf movie was shot here? That’s more reason to take my little gal here.
It’s a great part of Spain – there are so many interesting sights nearby, and yes, including some Smurf movie nostalgia!
Spain is always a great idea. I only had the time yo visit Barcelona Madrid and toledo in my last trip. There is so much to see in the countryside. History haunts these villages and the architecture is stunning. These white villages and the blue one makes it to my wishlist today.
Well, you’ve ticked off the big cities, but it sounds like it’s time to go back and explore more of this fantastic country!
I love driving tours, and have been wanting to see more of Spain, so this tour of the Andalucian white villages looks perfect for me. Your photographs really bring these beautiful villages alive, the white ones plus the odd-one-out blue one! The landscape is also stunning. Some of them remind me of Monsaraz in Portugal, which is also perched on a hill top. That bridge at Ronda is gorgeous and oh my gosh, Júzcar is too too photogenic!
Thanks, Kavita – we love driving tours as well. There’s no better place for it than the gorgeous villages around Andalucía, so add it to the list!
Firstly, I must say killer pictures. I loved the white villages tour through your post. It brought back so many memories of my Spain tour in 2017. I stayed in Setenil de las Bodegas, loved the cave town. I still wish if I could have spent few more days there. Arcos de la Frontera is a pretty village and I loved visiting the church and the viewpoint. You have been to many other places that I haven’t been to when I was there due to time crunch, but always wanted to visit. Thanks for showing them here in a comprehensive guide style.
Thanks, Shreya – glad you liked it. Andalucïa is a very photogenic part of Spain so it’s hard to go wrong. Hope you make it back someday to explore more of the area.
What an incredibly beautiful journey! I especially loved the quirky blue of Júzcar. I didn’t realise that there we so many white towns around, once I finished exploring Asia this will be on my list of things to do.
Thanks, Chris. You might miss the stir fries, but there’s plenty of great reasons to explore Spain.
I love your pictures! I dream of living on a mountain or hilltop community with stunning views of the sorrounding land. But having a tour in one would suffice for now. I’m adding Andalucia and the pueblo blancos in my list. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks, Cat. Glad you like it. It’s a stunning area, even if you’re just there for a quick tour!
This is absolutely gorgeous! We’re beginning to think about a semester in Europe with our boys (in a few years!) and I want to spend quite a bit of time in Spain so we can really explore places like this!
Sounds great Elizabeth, they’d be very lucky to spend some in Spain – it’s a beautiful part of the world.
I think Zahara de la Sierra is my favourite – how beautiful! I never realised Andalucia had architecture quite like this so I’m definitely inspired to visit. There’s just something so magical about white buildings.
Zahara was definitely one of our favourites as well.
Wow! This is beautiful. It looks like a photo that I just usually see on postcards. It would be such a wonderful experience to stay here and enjoy the scenary for a couple of days. Happy to know that decent food and accommodation are available.
Decent food and accommodation is always a good idea!
What an inspiring post. The only place you described that I knew of was Ronda. You have convinced me that the way to go is a road trip , so as not to miss out on these special gems along the way.
Hi Adele, Thats great, hope you get the chance to go before too long. Thanks
What a perfect Spanish road trip! Ronda is absolutely stunning and this posted has made me want to take a trip back to Southern Spain!
Thanks, Suzanne – glad it inspired you to make it back to Spain.
Andalucia looks like a real treat for the eyes – look at all those glorious views. I love the varied angles you’ve captured here too.
Thanks Kacie. It’s a beautiful spot.
Loved this post! I’ve long wanted to visit this part of rural Spain but I’d never considered exploring it as a short break. I’d always imagined it would need a week-long road trip to do it justice, but seeing just how much it’s possible to do in just a few days fills me with enthusiasm for attempting something similar. Thank you for the inspiration.
There’s certainly enough to fill much longer, but if you just want to dip into some gorgeous villages, a couple of days is enough to give you a taste of the beauty of Andalucía.
I’m fascinated by cave dwellings, after going inside one in Puglia. I see a lot of resemblances between these white towns, and the ones I visited in that part of Italy. I guess it’s a good way to adapt to the hot, arid climate in both areas. Beautiful!
Yes, I guess it is. Not sure I’d like to get in there in the middle of winter, but I guess it has a similar effect, just in reverse. We haven’t been to Puglia yet but from what I hear it’s a great place to visit.
Ronda is one of the cutest towns I have ever been. I am in Spain quiet often so I will check out some more pueblos blancos next time. #FarawayFiles
We were in Ronda for Easter once and it transforms itself from a cute sleepy town to crazy carnival atmosphere. Very interesting thing to see!
Thanks – this is great and will come in very handy! I’m so glad you included a map too, you’ve done all of the hard work for us! #farawayflies
Thanks, Alex. Mark gets a scary amount of satisfaction from creating maps, so most of our stuff has a map in it somewhere – whether it’s needed or not!
This guide will come in handy one day because I’ve been collecting info on all of these towns for years and I’m dying to do a big tour of Andalucia, starting with the small white villages!! And definitely wouldn’t pass up the Smurf village! I love that they left it like that, though I wonder how they feel about the increase in tourism now. #FarawayFiles
They don’t appear to have had much of an increase in tourism, in fact, I wonder if they would like a bit more. Andalucía has one of the lowest incomes per capita in Spain and most visitors to the region head straight for the beaches. Some of the shops in these white villages look like they wouldn’t mind a few more customers.
I can overlook Ronda being a town not a village since it’s so beautiful! The picture you shot from the gorge hewn by the river is breathtaking. And the bridge that connects the two sides of the town is pretty impressive as well! #FarawayFiles
Thanks, Katherine. Ronda is a very picturesque place.
There are some wonderful towns and villages in Andalucía, we did a tour across the countryside a few years ago and it’s amazing that you don’t have to travel too far, to find some of these lovely tranquil places. We didn’t get to Júzcar, I think I may have remembered that one. #farawayfiles
It’s a great destination for a wee road trip with so many great things to see right next to each other. The mountain scenery is stunning as well. It’s worth poking your nose in Júzcar just for a look. Thanks for stopping by Janis.
I’ve spent a lot of time – years ago – in Spain but not much in Andalucia and would love to visit this region. There’s just something about white villages isn’t there? As I also have linked up my post of a white village in Italy, with more white villages to come. The blue one is interesting – not sure how I feel about the Smurf aspect but it does make for a good story! Thanks for linking up with #farawayfiles
Thanks, Corey. It’s a really great part of Spain, the scenery, hiking and food are all top notch.
How quirky is Setenil de las Bodegas?! Some beautiful places for a road trip, for sure! Emma visited Ronda a few years back and I fell in love with the place when I saw her photos… #FarawayFiles
Ronda is stunning. We were there at Easter and it was a little weird – they really take their street parades seriously! But, it was lots of fun.
We stayed in Gaucin and loved it. Beautiful views down over Gibraltar, no where near as hot as the coast and lots of cute towns to explore #FarawayFiles
We haven’t been to Gaucin – must add it to the list.