White houses
Below the rock.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · El Pantera — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grez — CC BY-SA 3.0 · David Brooks — CC BY-SA 2.5 · El Pantera — CC BY-SA 4.0
Grazalema is a white village in the mountains of Cádiz province in southern Spain, inside the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, about 18 km in a straight line west of Ronda. Its white houses with tiled roofs climb a hillside below the huge rock of Peñón Grande. Grazalema is one of the prettiest of Andalusia's «white villages», with narrow cobbled lanes, flower-filled balconies and a small square. It is surrounded by green limestone mountains that are among the rainiest places in Spain, because clouds from the Atlantic run into them. The area became a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1977 and Andalusia's first natural park in 1984. It is known for its forests of the rare Spanish fir, the pinsapo, which grows only in a few mountain ranges of southern Spain, and for vultures and ibex. Walking trails lead from the village to peaks and gorges, some of them requiring a permit booked in advance. The village is free to explore. The mountain road to it is winding and scenic, spring and autumn are best for walking, and winter is wet, with occasional snow.
Below the rock.
Rare fir.
In the park.
Grazalema, Cádiz, Spain
Some require a permit booked in advance.
About 18 km in a straight line.