Thursday, May 27, 2010

Pueblos Blancos de la Sierra de Grazalema, Andalucía

One hour south of Seville the agricultural fields lining the Guadalquivir River suddenly slope upward to form the Sierra de Grazalema in neighboring Cádiz province. Like Ronda, see an earlier post, the towns of this region are know as the pueblos blancos. An outdoor paradise, this stretch of frontier was for centuries the "no man's land" between Cristian and Moorish garrisons. Though sheep still dot the hills as they have for centuries, the area is now a natural park and host to some of the best hiking in southern Spain.

In the last town, Arcos de la Frontera, I took the opportunity to try a seasonal favorite with dinner, caracoles, or freshwater snails. In case you're wondering, they taste exactly like you'd think they would, but I'd have them again.

First stop: Zahara de la Sierra
The town of Grazalema
Benamahoma
Entering cliffside Arcos de la Frontera



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