Hills, lakes, winding roads and great views – all of these, and more ………Andalucia in Southern Spain.
We based ourselves in El Bosque, a picturesque little town in the hills of the National park of Andalucia, perfect for exploring the mountains and white villages of Andalucia.
SCENIC DRIVES
Our favourite drive was the wonderful route from El Bosque to Grazalema and on to Zahara de la Sierra. This mountainous route had multiple viewpoints, a “must stop” being the Mirador (Lookout) Puerto de las Palomas with a panoramic 180 degrees view of the surrounding area. Then the road descended through bends and hairpins towards a water basin which made a stunning backdrop for the serene scenery. Further on we reached Mirador Puerto los Acebuches which provided a perfect spot for our picnic lunch. Zahara de la Sierra was a small town located on the edge of the water reservoir of Zahara-El Gastor, a turquoise lake glistening in the afternoon sun.
We also found the Puerto del Boyar viewpoint from where we could see a layered view of the mountain shadows in various shades against the setting sun. That was a unique view!
We had a choice of taking an easier ‘A’ road or a more adventurous ‘CA’ road. We took a bit of both, moving to the A road towards the evening when there was less traffic. Many hikes in the National park start from these roads and you might find them busier than expected at times.
Another nice all-day drive (at a leisurely pace) was from El Bosque to Ubrique, a small village with narrow roads, and on to Ronda, a town perched on a hill with a deep gorge, a Roman site and a far-stretching view of the nearby landscape. One could then drive to Zahara de la Sierra via Grazalema and get back to El Bosque towards evening.
Our third drive, a bit adventurous, was from El Bosque via Ubrique all the way to Gaucin via the Cortez de la Frontera. Gaucin turned out to be another beautiful mountain village with awesome views, apparently an adventurous hiking destination.
Whichever route you chose within the National park, you would be sure to find curvy hill roads, picturesque white villages, beautiful scenery, kilometres of forests, rugged rocks, endless photo ops and plenty of hiking trails. Many memories to fondly cherish………….
Absolutely gorgeous! Especially that first photos – looks unreal!
The city of El Bosque is so beautiful and it kind of reminds of a picturesque little town called Kodaikanal in India. I would love to visit El Bosque someday and soak in its beauty.
I have seen Seville only in Andalucia region but looking your photos I now think that I have missed so many things. Your base stay at El Bosque looks very beautiful. The view point at Mirador is stunning
What a beautiful place, your photos are stunning! These are the types of small, out of the way places we love to explore. Thanks for sharing your lovely trip with us.
This is an awesome drive, which we did in our camper 3 years ago. Such a memorable trip. Great to rekindle the memories.
Those little white villages are amazing to visit. Each one has their own unique identity and vibe. We toured round Spain last year and loved it.
Always wanted to visit Spain and this post has just made the idea to visit alive.
Wow! Spain is really high on my list of places to visit
I’m so glad I came across your article as we are heading to Andalucia for a few months this summer. This drive will be perfect for us. I just hope we are blessed with the weather you had! Great photos. Thanks for the inspiration.
I have always said that I wanted to go on a road trip to either Scotland or the US, but maybe Spain should not be written off. The country clearly has so much more to offer than what I have seen so far, and I have only been to the bigger cities 🙂
Your photos are beautiful especially the first one. Did not explore so much of Andalucia when we visited. El Basque seems to be the perfect spot to be for hiking. Pinned your article for future reference.
I loved the day trips you found in El Basque. We would definitely be up for drives along the smaller mountain winding mountain roads. We did enjoy a day in Ronda. But we did it by bus from the coast. So still lots to explore in this region. We would not plan long drives because I know we would stop at every Mirador!
Wow – this area looks just beautiful & one I would never have considered going back to until I saw your photos. I love a road trip so always looking for inspiration & this is close enough to home…when we can travel again of course. Thanks for highlighting & sharing your gorgeous photos…Sold!