Millions of British tourists are very familiar with some towns and cities in Spain when it comes to holiday destinations they might return to again and again. But for those looking for some hidden gems not swamped by hordes of holidaymakers then the Los Pueblos Blancos in Andalucía could be the perfect place to unwind.
Dotted with villages and Moorish influenced castles, this area enjoys some of the warmest weather in Europe with temperatures even in January reaching 20C.
Speaking to Euronews Dutch travel expert Timon van Basten, Founder of Travel Spain 24, said he personally had settled in Spain for the past five years because of his love of the country.
He said the Los Pueblos Blancos, or White Towns, was a special place, adding: “Most tourists don’t make it past Ronda or Seville, but the white villages dotted throughout the mountains and hills are like stepping back in time.
“Towns like Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema offer winding streets, tasty tapas and breathtaking views without the crowds.”
Mr van Basten added that the area was famous for the “white houses and small castles” with “olives grow around hills and cliffs. Hiking and relaxing in the village squares are fun things to do. Wildflowers bloom in spring”.
The local tourism site for Andalucía describes the ancient villages dating back hundreds of years as intrinsically linked to the cultural struggle for the Iberian Peninsula between Islamic and Christian civilizations.
It reads: “They were ‘frontier villages’ in the secular struggle between Moors and Christians explains the profusion of castles and the Muslim influence.
“This, together with their characteristics as mountain villages, marks many features of their popular architecture: steep, narrow, winding streets, alleyways affording access to the houses or patios, arches across the narrow roads propping up the facades.
“There is also a predominance of tiled roofs.”
