We will be in Andalucia for approximately 11 days, and plan to go to Granada, Sevilla and Cordoba. We would however also like to visit some small town/vilages. Does anybody have any suggestions? The Alpujarra villages mentioned in the previous topic sounds good. What about places such as Arcos de la Fronterra, Ronda and Antequera? Any info will be appreciated.

go to arcos. there is a great hostel on top of the hill, but the name escapes me, and i believe it is the only one at the top. it has an accessable roof-top terrace which lends itself to incredible,omni-directional views. the cobbled street below is about 2 feet wide, and worn smooth, with a 90 degree turn that makes car tires squeal when they make the turn. it can keep you up all night. but that's the built in charm. i like to stay in the corner room on the 2nd floor with the window/balcony over the 90 degree turn in the street. Then i drag as much of my bed onto the balcony as possible so that my head is fully exposed to the elements. this may sound insane. probably is. or if you want to spend some more for a rustic feel there is the parador, also on top of the hill. it overlooks the lower town and the surrounding countryside.(aka balcon de cono)
while in the area(cadiz), there are several small towns that are a must...
1. espera. a stones throw from arcos.
2. borneo
3. medina sidonia. further south
4. vejer de la frontera.
5. el puerto de santa maria.
6. sanlucar de guarramera.
7. jerez de la frontera.
8. the city of cadiz.
these are a few of my favorites. these can be seen within two days, but, it is hardly enough time to scratch the surface.

this might be too much info.

What great suggestions, miles!!!! We certainly appreciate your knowledge and experiences here.

I visited one of "The White Villages of Andalucia" last year, a VERY small town called Istán in the mountains UP from Estepona in the Málaga province. (See a page description of Istán on the Andalucia.com website @ http://www.andalucia.com/province/malaga/istan/home.htm and my personal account on my daily online journal @ http://www.MadridMan.com/madrid99b.html on 4/9/1999)

This little town was so cute. After driving for miles we were certain we must have missed a turn-off, but finally, after about 2 hours winding our way through the mountains with some spectacular views and dodging the "professional" cyclists, we found it.

Istán, population (probably) 300 people, has one main road, barely wide enough for one car, and only 2 or 3 bars.

We parked the car in the small town square and took out on foot, seeing every small turn and hill in about 20 minutes. Then, walked into a small bar for an afternoon drink before returning home. What fun we had!

Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 05-20-2000).]

On the way from Granada to Seville on the N342, stop off at Fuente Vaqueros, just off the motorway near Granada Airport. This is the birthplace of Lorca and there's a museum there with plenty of interest. Further on, just past the town of Loja, turn off left to the village of Rifrio, where there are several trout farms. You can have fresh trout for lunch (yummy!) in one of the restaurants. And you must stop at Antequera, which has more churches than any other town in Spain, and have a look at the prehistoric dolmens (about 1 km outside the town), and the Lovers' Rock - a huge limestone outcrop.

Hope this helps!

davej@wanadoo.es

On the road between Sevilla and Huelva
there is a little town called Niebla, which
is surrounded by a wall. I haven't been
there in 24 years, but I still remember
the day I spent walking within those walls.
A village policeman took me and my two
friends to an old cemetary that was locked
up. When he opened the door a massive number
of birds flew away. The grass had overgrown
the tombstones.

We walked for several hours through the
little town. The townspeople all came out
to see us and to stare. We stopped at the
little bars to eat and drink. It was like
stepping back in time.

I would love to return to Niebla.

Punta Umbria: a great little fishing village near Huelva, near the Portugues border, near the the monastery where Christopher Columbus stayed before his big trip west. In 1976, my friends and I went there often. It is off the beaten tourist trail, and is a popular place for the Spanish to vacation. The food was great, the beaches were soft white sand.

We went to Discoteca Lady Godiva in Punta Umbria. Wonder if it still exists? I remember dancing on the beach, which was lit by a full moon and the waves crashing against the shore. It was a wild time.

Cazorla in Jaen was was one of the coolest small towns i visited. Its nesteled up in the mountains. It has two diffrent castels and tons of fountains all around town.