2005

Spain’s Costa del Sol is an international playground that needs little introduction. But drive inland into the toothy peaks of the Sierras and you’ll step back hundreds of years. The pueblos blancos, or white towns, cling spectacularly to the mountainsides retaining much of their early Moorish flavour. These days, many of the village houses have been converted into holiday homes, offering luxury with loads of local charm.

Ronda

Only an hour from the coast, Europe’s own Grand Canyon cleaves the extraordinary town of Ronda, spanned by the 18th-century New Bridge that took 42 years to build. There’s a restaurant on a ledge just under the bridge where diners can feed the birds wheeling below them over the 360ft chasm they call El Tajo – the cleft. The town doesn’t rely solely on its bridge for appeal; in the rabbit-warren of streets you’ll find dignified old mansions, Roman ruins, a Moorish palace and shops selling fine wroughtiron, copperware and delicious jamon or ham. Ronda’s bullring is one of the loveliest and oldest in the country, while the prestigious Hotel Reina Victoria played host to Europe’s top society figures in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Hotels Ronda
Maestranza Hotel Ronda is situated in the centre of the town facing the oldest bullring in the world, in which the first bullfighting was born. The Maestranza's 54 rooms have been carefully thought out and equipped in order to offer the maximum comfort and security for its clients. You can start the day in the hotel having breakfast in the restaurant buffet service, and later taste the traditional and typical "serrania" dishes in the hotel's restaurant "Sol y Sombra", where you can organize business lunches or dinners, being assured that both, food and service will be to your complete satisfaction.
Last Minute Hotels Ronda

Where to visit: If you want to mingle with the rich and famous – Sean Connery, Baroness von Thyssen and Adnan Khashoggi to name just a few – head for glitzy Marbella about 30 miles away, but don’t forget your credit card. Many of the mega rich stay on their sleek yachts in Puerto Banús marina nearby. The heaviest gold-chain brigade parade the harbour and hit the pubs and clubs there from early evening.

Gaucín

As you approach this charming village from afar in the spring, it seems to be floating above a cloud of blossom. With its huddle of twisting streets and baroque churches, Gaucín is one of the most beautiful of all the pueblos, not surprisingly attracting a colony of artists and writers. Its Moorish castle, the Castillo del Aguila, is so named for its eagle views as far as Gibraltar and North Africa. Try a tapa, or meal at the old Fonda Nacional inn, a favourite with British officers and travellers since 1800.

Frigiliana

With its dazzling white cubist architecture and mosaic-cobbled alleys festooned with geraniums, Frigiliana has won national and regional prizes as the prettiest and best preserved village in the country. It is steeped in Moorish atmosphere – ceramic plates dotted around the village commemorate 16th-century battles between Christians and Moors. Only four miles from the coast but nearly 1,000 feet above it, the little town has become renowned for its handicraft bargains – look out for pottery, leatherware and wood carvings, as well as local honey, wine and superb olive oil.

Where to visit: Pop down to the coast at nearby Nerja if you want to frolic in the Med, linger in seafood restaurants and hit the tapas bars. With tourism and local character evenly balanced, this resort has a real feelgood factor. If you’re into retail therapy, head slightly further west to Malaga. The Larios shopping centre has over 100 outlets, and the department store El Corte Ingles is huge. Make time for a glass of wine in the atmospheric Antigua Casa Guardia bar and visit No 15 Plaza de la Merced in the old quarter, where Picasso was born.

Alcaucín

Citrus groves, vineyards, palm trees and orchards of pomegranates and mangoes surround the villages of Eastern Andalusía, famous for their wine and fiestas. Moorish Alcaucín is renowned for its anis – try the liqueur at the Venta de Alfarnate which, it is claimed, is Spain’s oldest inn and once the haunt of bandits and smugglers.

Where to visit: The nearest beaches are at Torre del Mar 16 miles away, while Malaga is an hour’s drive (about 40 miles). There are also superb natural parks in the area which you shouldn’t miss; plus one of the wonders of the world, Granada’s Alhambra palace, well worth the 70-mile drive.

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