Exploring the White Villages behind the Costa del Sol

To truly understand Andalucia, it's often best to venture away from the crowds and explore the peaceful life of its villages.

In "Los Pueblos Blancos," the White Villages, you can escape the hustle and bustle and travel back in time to a place where charming town squares are enlivened by gentle fountains, and the leisurely pace is occasionally interrupted only by children playing or the elderly engaging in lively discussions on their favorite bench.

When you choose to holiday on the Costa del Sol, you'll find a surprising number of delightful, tranquil villages nearby, ready to be discovered. Here's a quick overview of some of our favorite white villages in Andalucia.

1.Casares

Casares is located fifteen kilometers inland from Estepona, to the west of Marbella, in the Malaga province of Andalucí­a. It is situated on the side of a mountain near the Sierra Crestellina national park, about a twenty-five-minute drive from Estepona.

This picturesque village has been likened to ‘sugar cubes’ on the mountainside and is especially stunning when illuminated at night by blue and green street lights. The most impressive view is from the approach to Casares, so make sure to stop and admire the scenery before you arrive.

Casares boasts a magnificent 12th-century Moorish castle, several churches and chapels, each as beautiful as the last, a visitor center, and a fountain. It is also near the Baths of La Hedionda, Roman baths and sulfur springs reputed to have healed a skin infection of Julius Caesar! Known as the ‘Hanging Village’ due to its dramatic cliffside location, Casares offers many excellent restaurants, tapas bars, and village shops to explore. If you’re lucky, you might spot eagles soaring above the cliffs surrounding Casares.

In addition to national festivals like Andalucí­a Day on February 28th, the Easter celebrations, and the Three Kings parades on the evening of January 5th, Casares hosts its annual feria in the second half of July and a second feria in the first week of August, making it an ideal time to visit.

2.Frigiliana

Frigiliana is located east of Malaga and just a ten-minute drive from the coastal town of Nerja, in the Andalucían region known as the Axarquia.

Recognized as the most beautiful village in Andalucí­a for several consecutive years, its cobbled streets gently wind through the well-maintained white houses of the old town, with vibrant colors from balconies and doorsteps adorned with meticulously kept flowers. The houses are repainted annually, a task traditionally performed by the village women.

Frigiliana boasts excellent infrastructure, including numerous shops, bars, and fantastic restaurants, as well as several hotels and a functioning molasses factory in the town center. The streets are hilly, with beautiful mosaic-covered steps leading from the main road to the narrow residential streets.

The renowned Frigiliana festival, Festival de las Tres Culturas, takes place at the end of August each year, attracting hundreds of visitors to enjoy the spectacular concerts and various festivities. Other celebrations occur throughout the year, including Saint Sebastian Day in January, honoring Frigiliana's patron saint. The Day of the Cross is celebrated each May, and the annual Frigiliana feria takes place in June.

3.Gaucin

North of Casares and west of Marbella, in the Malaga province of Andalucía, lies the white village of Gaucin. It is about nineteen kilometers from Casares and a thirty-minute drive from the coast.

Situated approximately 600 meters above sea level in the Sierra del Hacho, Gaucin offers stunning views of Gibraltar and Morocco. Surrounded by cork forests, the local shops sell various cork-made items to tourists. The surrounding mountains create a beautiful backdrop for the charming white village, highlighted by the vibrant colors of wild poppies, orchids, olive groves, and almond blossoms.

At the village's highest point stands a medieval castle, Castillo del Aguila or Eagle’s Castle, where eagles can be seen soaring over the mountains, as the name implies. Gaucin is a tranquil, relaxed town with a few equally laid-back bars and restaurants serving the area's traditional fare. The narrow, winding streets of Gaucin have long inspired artists and photographers, and the village hosts a large artistic community.

Among Gaucin's many festivals, the release of two bulls on Easter Sunday is particularly noteworthy. These bulls run through the village, chased by the more adventurous or daring locals. The annual feria takes place in August, around the fourth, featuring three days of live music, eating, drinking, and dancing.

4.IznAjar

Situated north of the Costa del Sol in the Cordoba province of Andalucía is the charming town of Iznajar. It is approximately a one-hour drive from both Malaga and Granada.

Iznajar boasts a unique setting overlooking the Embalse de Iznajar, the largest lake in Andalucía, featuring a pristine, sandy beach that becomes very popular during the summer. Families often arrive in their cars, drive directly onto the beach, set up gazebos and tables, and spend the day swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying meals. The village is perched on a rocky outcrop with stunning views of the lake below. It is overshadowed by a majestic, though ruined, Moorish castle, which is a delightful spot to visit, offering breathtaking views.

The village provides bars, restaurants, a lakeside hotel, and a municipal museum. At the lake, visitors can fish, learn to sail, and rent pedalos and kayaks from the campsite situated right on the beach. The lake is clean and safe for swimming, with several beach bars offering refuge from the sun during hot afternoons.

Iznajar's local festivals include a wonderful carnival in February, featuring parades and costumes. On April 25th, the patron saint of Iznajar, San Marco, is celebrated with a day of picnics in the countryside. The feria takes place around September 7th each year, usually lasting three days and featuring a candlelight procession through the town.

.

5.Jimena

Jimena de la Frontera, located in the province of Cadiz in Andalucía, is approximately a thirty-minute drive west of Gaucin and directly north of La Linea and the Gibraltar border.

The village is nestled within the Alcornocales Natural Park and is dominated by a Moorish castle constructed around 750 A.D. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and at the archaeological site of La Laja Alta, you can view cave paintings that are the only known maritime examples from the Bronze Age in Spain.

Jimena is easily reachable from all directions thanks to improved transport links, including an enhanced road and rail network. The area features several beautiful churches and other sites worth visiting. Due to its proximity to the stunning Natural Park, activities like biking, horse riding, and hill walking are popular.

In addition to Spain's national festivals, Jimena hosts several of its own throughout the year. The Carnival, featuring parades of floats, takes place in February, and the agricultural fair occurs in the second week of May each year. An annual music festival is held in the second week of July, and the Jimena feria generally takes place in the first week of September.

6.Mijas

Mijas pueblo (village) is located just a twenty-minute drive from Malaga airport in Malaga province and is merely fifteen minutes away from the coast at La Cala de Mijas and Fuengirola.

Mijas is nestled in the Sierra de Mijas mountains, surrounded by picturesque pine forests. It offers the best of both worlds with its charming white village, winding cobbled streets, stunning views, and close proximity to the sea. For those interested in bullfighting, Mijas has its own bullring, which is still operational and also used for horse displays. An auditorium hosts concerts throughout the summer, and there are two museums to explore.

In addition to being near the coast, Mijas boasts excellent infrastructure, including shops and a diverse range of restaurants, along with all the usual supermarkets and other food shops. Perhaps most exciting for children is a chocolate factory!

Special festivals in Mijas include Mijas International Day, a multicultural festival that allows people from around the world to share their culture and lifestyle, typically held in the first week of May. San Juan is celebrated on the night of June 23rd, marking the longest night of the year with festivities such as dancing and fireworks. Check out our insider’s guide to Mijas.

7.Ronda

Ronda is in the Malaga province of Andalucí­a and is a one hour twenty minute drive from the airport at Malaga. It is situated north and inland of Marbella and Estepona.

The village of Ronda is third only to Seville and Granada in the most visited places in Andalucí­a. It is famous all over the world for being perched on the edge of the El Tajo gorge and offers fabulous views and countless photo opportunities. It is the modern birthplace of bullfighting and its bullring ‘Plaza de Toros’ is now a museum and attracts many thousands of visitors each year.

Ronda is accessible by road and rail, the drive to the village from the coast or from further inland is quite spectacular. There are two tourist offices here and a whole host of fabulous shops selling traditional, and not so traditional, Spanish crafts and other goods.

The ‘Fiesta de la Virgen de la Paz’ is the celebration of the patron Saint of Ronda and is held on the 24th of January every year. The feria is around the 20th of May and the main events of the year are held in the first week in September with the International Folklore Music and Dancing Festival and other festivities. See our Ronda guide here.

8.Viñuela

Viñuela is another white village located in the Malaga province of Andalucía. It lies inland from Velez Malaga, to the east of Malaga city, and is roughly a fifty-minute drive from Malaga airport.

The picturesque village of La Viñuela is nestled in the stunning landscape of the Axarquia and is positioned next to the man-made reservoir of Lake Viñuela, which supplies most of the local area's drinking water. The hills are dotted with villas offering beautiful views over the lake, which features charming beaches and non-motorized water sports for everyone. Around the lake, there are picnic and barbecue areas, while the surrounding pine forests provide shade and a tranquil atmosphere for visitors.

La Viñuela gets its name from the local grape vines used to produce a delicious sweet wine still made today. The town is also renowned for its high-quality local olive oil. Numerous arts and crafts shops can be found here, including those specializing in basket making and leather goods. Additionally, the village hosts archaeological sites dating back to prehistoric, Roman, and medieval times.

In May, La Viñuela hosts a pilgrimage from the village to the hamlets of Los Gomez and Los Romanes for the Romeria, a traditional gypsy festival. The annual feria takes place in mid-July, with three more local ferias occurring in early August, mid-August, and mid-September.