Cueva de la Pileta, Benaoján

The GuardianSep 1

A walking tour of Andalucía’s historic white villages: ‘Nightingales serenade us as we wind along lush river valleys’

The famous pueblos blancos in southern Spain’s Sierra de Grazalema natural park teem with wildlife amid a limestone wonderland of peaks ‘The wind is in from Africa / Last night I couldn’t sleep.” Joni Mitchell has ear-wormed her way into my head as my wife and I step out from Zahara de la Sierra into the mountains of Sierra de Grazalema natural park. The Africa bit probably comes from yesterday…

immense cave system with ancient shamanic rock art

11 things in this story

Los Peñascos miradorSightviewpoint below which griffon vultures roost
Molino del SantoHoteldined beside a stream on a geranium-filled terrace
Cueva de la PiletaSightimmense cave system with ancient shamanic rock art
Elsewhere
Sierra de Grazalema natural parkSightZahara de la Sierra, Spainlimestone wonderland of peaks and river valleys
Zahara’s castle museumMuseumZahara de la Sierra, Spainlearned how its recapture was a turning point
White Villages of the Ronda MountainsTrailRonda, Spainself-guided seven-day walking route
On Foot HolidaysPlaceRonda, Spainprovided the walking tour
Hotel la MejoranaHotelGrazalema, Spainstayed two nights, met wild ibex nearby
Cádiz el ChicoRestaurantGrazalema, Spainmenu featured partridge and wild boar
El Tajo gorgeSightRonda, Spainprecipitous gorge on which Ronda is perched
Parador de RondaHotelRonda, Spainroom offered a stirring panorama

Read the full piece at The Guardian →

Cueva de la Pileta

In the coverage1 story

A walking tour of Andalucía’s historic white villages: ‘Nightingales serenade us as we wind along lush river valleys’