White Villages bike tour, from Ronda to Arcos de la Frontera

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Type of Tour

,

Difficulty Level

,

Duration

5 days, 4 nights

Departure - Destination

Ronda - Arcos de la Frontera

Number of participants

minimum 2 travellers

Price from

540 €

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The Pueblos Blancos (White Villages)

The White Villages bike tour along the Pueblos Blancos will lead us mainly on quiet country roads to the heart of the region, dropping down from the lofty heights of the Ronda Mountains to  Arcos de la Frontera.

Between the provinces of Málaga and Cádiz, set in dreamy landscapes of interwoven peaks and valleys, you will find the “Pueblos Blancos” (White Villages) of the Ronda and Grazalema Mountains. These villages constitute gems of popular Andalusian architecture, lodged between the deep green of their valleys and the rocky grey of the mountains. Discover a region and  people forged over the ages in these idyllic, hidden spots.

 

From Ronda to Arcos de la Frontera on a bike

We set out from the ancient city of Ronda (one-time home to writers like Cervantes or the Czech poet Rainer María Rilke) with its gorge, mountains, and famous bullring (Spain’s oldest). From here we will discover on our comfortable bike many of the “Pueblos Blancos”: Arriate, Setenil de las Bodegas, Torre Alhaquime, Olvera. From there we take the old “Vía Verde” (disused mountain railway – now reconditioned as a Greenway for cycling) to Puerto Serrano. We continue to Arcos de la Frontera, a whitewashed farmstead set into an impenetrable peak above the Guadalete River, a splendid viewpoint over the Jerez countryside.

The bike tour long the White Villages finishes here in Arcos after breakfast. From Arcos you can get to Jerez de la Frontera by bus, where you can see the Andalusian horses dancing! Or learn all about the sherry wines in one of the many bodegas. You can also continue to the Capital of Andalusia, Seville!

 

 

Ronda, arrival

Ronda, arrival

Whether you come by bus, train or car, you should try to get to this fabulous town as early as possible. Have a stroll, see the oldest bullfight ring of Spain, and the famous "Puente Nuevo" (New Bridge) and take some good wines and tapas.

Ronda - Olvera (36 km)

Ronda – Olvera (36 km)

We leave Ronda heading northwards and make for Setenil de las Bodegas, one of Andalusia's most surprising villages, a focal point of the Cádiz mountains white villages route. The people here made use of the gorge to build their houses. It is one of the finest examples of this type of architecture, which instead of excavating into the rock simply makes use of natural overhang, with the houses developed laterally along the rock face. Lose yourself in the village's intimate corners and tapas bars... We then follow the Trejo River and soon see the village of Olvera in the distance, with its typical church and 12th Century castle atop a hill.

Olvera - Puerto Serrano/Montellano (40/48 km)

Olvera – Puerto Serrano/Montellano (40/48 km)

Olvera was originally to have been a stop on the Jerez-Malaga train line, but the line was never completed and the village went back to its business of producing olive oil. Eventually, new roads removed the need for a railway; now the railway has been given a new lease of life as one of the first Vías Verdes, or greenways (old re-conditioned railway lines), in Spain. You cycle for 36 km along this greenway (no cars), passing the Peñon de Zaframagón (Nature reserve with one of Europes' largest colonies of vultures). You pass through many tunnels (up to 30) - some up to 1 km in length - where lights come on automatically as soon as we enter!  Follow the Guadalete River as far as Puerto Serrano, where the greenway finishes and where you sleep in a bungalow next to the old railway station, now a restaurant. Or you ride to the village Montellano, where you sleep in a 3-star hotel with swimming pool.

Puerto Serrano/Montellano - Arcos de la Frontera (42/50 km)

Puerto Serrano/Montellano – Arcos de la Frontera (42/50 km)

You leave the hotel and follow a narrow country lane, almost a cycle lane, surrounded by gentle rolling hills covered in sunflowers, cotton and vineyards. You will pass the bodega Regantío Viejo and continue on the same road to get finally to the white village of Arcos de la Frontera. This town is situated on cliffs high above a meander in the River Guadalete. This is a typical defensive hill village with cobbled streets leading up to a castle, built in the 15th Century on Moorish foundations. The view from the castle and village is staggering. You will stay in a hotel in the historical centre of Arcos.  

Arcos, fin

Arcos, fin

After breakfast finishes this bike tour. You can get back to Ronda or continue to Jerez and Seville by bus.

Accommodation with breakfast

Included

4 nights

Information on the trip

Included

Telephone helpline

Included

5 days

Luggage transport

Included

Services not included

Supplement for single occupation

Not Included

110€

4 nights

Bike rental with delivery & collection

Not Included

165€

3 days

E-Bike rental with delivery and collection

Not Included

235€

Transfer to or from airport

Not Included

145€

Optional transfer organised from airport to departure point of tour or from finishing point to airport. Price depends on amount of people using this transfer.

Extra night (charming Hotel in Ronda)

Not Included

65€

Extra night before starting the tour, in double room with breakfast

Mid-season Supplement

Not Included

35€

1 April to 30 October 2024

Questions about the travel

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