Cadiz to White Hill Towns

[INeedaVacationNow]

We are doing a transatlantic and one of the stops is Cadiz, Spain. Most people take a day trip to Seville but we have been there before. We were thinking about trying to do a trip to the white hill towns. Has anyone done this from Cadiz and how long does it take to get there and back? Is this workable as a day trip? We are in port for nine hours.

[John Bull]

We are doing a transatlantic and one of the stops is Cadiz, Spain. Most people take a day trip to Seville but we have been there before. We were thinking about trying to do a trip to the white hill towns. Has anyone done this from Cadiz and how long does it take to get there and back? Is this workable as a day trip? We are in port for nine hours.

 

I've no experience of car rental from Cadiz, but cost is comparable to the US.

Yes, it's certainly do-able, but to make a decent round-trip you'll need to aim for Ronda, about 2 hrs away. This will mean 4 1/2 to 5 hrs in the car, though it's a very pretty & interesting drive.

 

Via El Bosque & delightful Grazemala is the best route. You'll be told that Ronda is the capital of the white villages, or nothing whatsoever to do with them, depending on who's doing the telling :rolleyes:

With its bullring/bull-fighting museum tour & stunning Roman viaduct to its moorish quarter, torture museum etc Ronda is worth an hour or two, then depending on time & mood return via the valley route of Algodonales, Villamartin, & Arcos de la Frontiere, or the twisty & hilly southern route to join the autoroute near Alcala de los Gazula.

Arcos is worth a nosey-round (perhaps on the way back if time permits) or Medina Sidonia if you take the southern way back.

A long day.

 

Or consider just a taster of the White Villages by combining just a couple such as Arcos & Medina Sidona, with Jerez de la Frontiere, the home of sherry. Here you can tour the Royal Equestrian School http://www.realescuela.org/ plus one of a number of bodega tours - the Sandeman's bodega is a 2-min walk away, or google Jerez bodega tours.

Total driving time around 2 hours.

 

John Bull

[Destin Mom]

If you plan to go to Ronda, suggest mapping out for a stop at Zahara de la Sierra which was our favorite of the hill top white villages. It is very authentic and a real gem. We hiked around a bit - the views are remarkable. The drive through this area is really beautiful- we were there in the summer, and there were tons of fields full of sunflowers. We never made it Jerez unfortunately.

 

We were based in Seville and used a car to explore- we ended up enjoying our day trips outside of Seville more than Seville itself. We loved Ronda and Zahara and would recommend both. Should be about 2 hours from Cadiz to Ronda without any stops.

 

Have a great trip.