The hills and mountains of the Serranía de Ronda are dotted with several charming and interesting pueblos blancos. While quite a few visitors to the area take a drive to visit them, we think that the best way to explore the area is by bike.
A bike lets us get away from the roads and experience the beautiful countryside up-close-and-personal. Biking causes no noise and no pollution and offers the added bonus of helping us feel like we have ‘earned’ some delicious local tapas or a chilled beer at the end.
The white villages range from sleepy hamlets in the heart of rural farmland to small communities precariously perched on rocky limestone crags. The thing which links them all is true Andalucían rural charm and a pace of life which has changed little in centuries.
So take a day or two away from the crowds and take a bike ride to some of our favourite white villages near Ronda.
Montejaque
The old Berber village of Montejaque (see photo above) was built in the mountains to be easy to defend from unwelcome invaders. It occupied a niche in the mountains – well-hidden and high up, with a fortress on the top. These days the village has spread further down the mountain and, fortunately, there is a much more welcoming attitude to visitors! The castle is long gone but you can still walk up the tiny streets above the village square to a mirador where it once stood, with views over the village and across to the deep valley of the Guadiaro river. The plaza is still the central hub of the village, with a well-kept church, a hotel, cafés, bars and a modern fountain in the centre. It is a lovely place to while away some time watching village life go by.
Cycling Tips: Getting to Montejaque from Ronda can be done either using a quiet road which heads steadily up into the mountains or off-road, on small tracks and trails. The latter is a little more challenging but provides great mountain biking sections for the keen off-roader.
Jimera de Libar
Jimera de Líbar and its satellite village of Jimera de Líbar Estación sit in a quiet valley above the Guadiaro river. It is nestled between two mountain ridges so is a little off-the-beaten-track and remains quiet and traditional. Above the main village, olive groves perch precariously on what seem like impossibly steep mountain slopes and everything is overlooked by the imposing peak of mount Palo. The small railway station in the bottom of the river valley provides welcome links to Ronda and down to Algeciras in the south, and a small ‘beach’ and swimming area on the river provide welcome relief in the hot summer months.
Cycling Tips: This village can also be reached using quiet mountain roads or off-road. The latter includes a 7km narrow, rocky pathway known as Mr Henderson’s Walk which undulates above the course of the river through the mountains and is a popular option for more experienced mountain bikers.
Jimera de Líbar
Júzcar
Júzcar is the anomaly amongst white villages because it isn’t white at all but bright blue! Back in 2011 the village was picked to promote the launch of the first Smurf movie as, apart from the white-painted buildings throughout, its form and location apparently resembled the imaginary blue town in the film. The villagers agreed to a temporary repainting of their homes in ‘Smurf blue’ and then discovered a huge leap in tourist visitors. This brought much-needed income to this very isolated village, so they decided to keep their unique blue colour. Whilst overt references to the Smurf name and characters have now had to be removed from village murals, the blue colour still remains, along with one giant Smurf statue and a huge blue toadstool!
Cycling Tips: This is a tough but rewarding road ride from Ronda through the dramatic, craggy mountains and extensive chestnut woods of the Genal Valley.
Juzcar
Setenil de las Bodegas
Strictly speaking, this village lies just outside the borders of the Serranía but is so unusual and different that we think it still deserves a mention – and the ride to get there is mainly through the Serranía. Setenil sits in the bottom of the River Trejo valley, along a dramatic gorge which is the result of major erosion of the surrounding limestone mountains. Over thousands of years the river has carved out large overhanging rocks which have provided human shelter for centuries and these original cave houses still form the basis of many of the houses, bars and shops in the village – If you go inside you can see how the limestone rocks form the roof and walls. In one street, buildings have been squeezed on both sides of a narrow passageway beneath a solid rock ‘roof’ which weighs ominously above your head as you ride through.
Cycling Tips: This is a great family ride – 30km of easy-to-intermediate off-road biking.
Setenil de las Bodegas
Visiting any of these white villages and exploring their narrow winding streets makes a great day out. The views from a bike are fabulous and you will experience a taste of the real, rural Andalucía.
For more information on any of our bike rides to these villages and the surrounding countryside, contact Hike + Bike the Sierras
Great article, Heather! Welcome to Secret Serranía!