The Route of the White Villages (Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos) is a series of towns and small settlements in southern Spain. Often located on hilltops, they have well-preserved old-town quarters characterized by whitewashed houses and maze-like networks of narrow streets.
There are two main groups. One group is located in the province of Cádiz, around the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. The other group is found in the province of Málaga, around the Serranía de Ronda region.
Popular stops include Arcos de la Frontera, Grazalema, Zahara de la Sierra, and Ronda. There are also less-visited places, such as Ubrique (see the above image), which have equally spectacular settings. The Route of the White Villages is best explored by car. Public transport options are limited, especially in remote areas.
The whitewashed appearance of these villages protects buildings from the sun and acted as a disinfectant in times of disease. The many of these towns’ layouts and styles show Moorish influences from the Al-Andalus period, when fortified hilltop settlements were common across southern Iberia. Following the Christian Reconquest (Reconquista) many of these villages retained their distinctive architecture, blending Islamic and later Andalusian elements.
