The most beautiful villages in Andalucía
Spain’s sun-roasted, flamenco-loving south is known for its soulful pueblos (villages), most of which are traditionally painted white to reflect the strong rays and have dramatic locations overlooking mountains, gorges and valleys. Many of most beautiful villages in Andalucía trace their roots back to the Islamic era, which means centuries-old castles and watchtowers abound. And while plenty are hidden away in the hills (with wonderful hiking and other adventures on the doorstep), the seductive Andalucian coast is almost always within easy reach too.
Best villages in Andalucía
Kim Petersen / Alamy Stock Photo1/8Capileira, Granada
The rugged Alpujarras hills just southeast of Granada have been inspiring creative foreign minds for years, including Gerald Brenan in the early 20th century and, more recently, Driving Over Lemons author Chris Stewart. Unlike most of Andalucía’s pueblos blancos (white villages), villages in Las Alpujarras are known for their distinctive flat-roof buildings reminiscent of north-African village architecture, and Capileira is arguably the prettiest of them all. Sitting 1436m above sea level, it’s a charming, sloping, white-walled village overlooking the sweeping Poqueira gorge, and a popular base for hiking up Mulhacén (mainland Spain’s tallest peak) and around the Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada. Rural-charm rooms await at Hoteles Poqueira, three small, family-owned properties.
© Francesco Carovillano/4Corners Images2/8Zuheros, Córdoba
Seen from afar, Zuheros ticks off everything that makes Andalucía’s villages sparkle – a whitewashed tangle of a historic centre, a hillside position surrounded by rugged countryside, a cragtop castle tracing its roots back to the 9th-century Islamic era. With a population of just over 600 people, it sits on the northern edge of the Sierras Subbéticas, an untouristy pocket of southern Córdoba province known for producing some of the world’s best olive oils (so the food is a treat too). Also here are great hiking trails, cycling routes along vías verdes (repurposed rail lines) and miles of quiet countryside, much of it protected by the Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas. Stay at Casa Olea, a sustainably run converted farmhouse in an olive-tree-filled valley.
© Riccardo Spila/4Corners Images3/8Grazalema & Zahara de la Sierra, Cádiz
An elevated mountain pass and a turquoise reservoir sit between these two delightful neighbouring villages, which count among Andalucía’s loveliest pueblos blancos. Both rest in the craggy hills of Cádiz province, within an hour’s drive of popular Ronda but engulfed in the mountain serenity of the pine-forested Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema. Zahara is known for its dramatic hilltop castle dating from the 12th century, and you can go paddle boarding and kayaking on the reservoir. Grazalema, meanwhile, has great restaurants and ancient architecture, all centred on a lively square with a 17th-century church. Boutiquey Al Lago in Zahara and charmingly rustic La Mejorana in Grazalema make dreamy stays.
© Francesco Carovillano/4Corners Images4/8Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz
Around 30 miles southeast from Cádiz, Vejer combines one of Andalucía’s most magical pueblos blancos with a hilltop location just 15 minutes from the blonde Atlantic beaches of the Costa de la Luz. Popular with holidaying Spaniards, it also has one of Cádiz’s liveliest food scenes (try La Judería, El Jardín del Califa or Casa Varo) and a crop of boutique design hotels that have grown into destinations in their own right, including La Casa del Califa, La Fonda Antigua and Plaza 18. Stroll around the old town’s meandering whitewashed streets and 15th-century walls, pop into the boho-chic boutiques and have a soak at the moodily styled Hammam Vejer, before catching the sunset over a glass of crisp local sherry.
Agencja Fotograficzna Caro / Alamy Stock Photo5/8Cómpeta, Málaga
Just an hour’s drive from arty Málaga, Cómpeta is a relaxed pueblo blanco in the heart of the rural region of La Axarquía. Set on the edge of the Parque Natural Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama, it’s a great base for mountain hiking, with some excellent restaurants, a buzzy plaza with a 16th-century church and a growingly popular August wine festival. The silvery beaches around Nerja, Maro and La Herradura are all within easy reach, as are pretty Frigiliana and tiny El Acebuchal (a recently restored hamlet abandoned in the 1940s). There’s a good choice of self-catering accommodation, along with small independent hotels like boutique-flavoured Almijara Residence.
Jon Arnold Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo6/8Segura de la Sierra, Jaén
It takes around two hours by car to reach Segura de la Sierra from Jaén city (north of Granada), but this pine-fringed village is a treat to explore. Looking almost plucked from a fairytale (especially in winter when it is sometimes covered in snow), it’s topped by a castle dating from Islamic times, with narrow cobbled alleys weaving downhill past white-walled houses. Beyond stretches the Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, one of Andalucía’s most evocative protected natural spaces, best enjoyed by hitting the walking trails. The village has a handful of small, charming accommodation options, including Hotel Poeta Manrique.
JESUS MARIA ERDOZAIN GOMEZ / Alamy Stock Photo7/8Aracena, Huelva
For keen walkers, the refreshingly unexplored hills of Huelva’s Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche are a joy, just over an hour’s drive northwest from Seville. Aracena itself is an attractive jumble of whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs and ancient churches beneath a 13th-century castle. This area is renowned for producing some of Spain’s finest jamón, and Aracena’s tempting culinary scene takes in everything from rustic local bars to creative kitchens playing with contemporary flavours. In the hills outside Aracena, Finca La Fronda offers elegant rural seclusion, while Finca El Moro has yoga retreats and cottages.
Marc Lucas / Alamy Stock Photo8/8Vélez Blanco, Almería
Less visited than some of Andalucía’s more famous white villages, Vélez Blanco sits around 100 miles north of sunny Almería, almost on the border with Murcia. The village’s whitewashed houses tumble downhill from a lofty 16th-century fortress, whose lavish Renaissance patio – in a curious twist – is now on display at New York’s Met gallery. The surrounding countryside, meanwhile, is known for its Unesco-listed prehistoric cave art. Vélez Blanco has a couple of local hotels, or you can also visit from places along Almería’s nearby coast like pretty Mojácar, which has a smart Mediterranean-view Parador.
