Zahara, Setenil and Ronda Small-Group Day Trip from Seville

Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park

The journey from Seville heads south-east into the Sierra de Grazalema, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the border of Cádiz and Málaga provinces. Its limestone mountains catch the wet Atlantic winds, making this one of the rainiest places in the Iberian Peninsula and keeping the valleys green even in summer. The park protects one of Europe's most unusual forests: the Spanish fir, or pinsapo, a relict tree that survived the last ice ages on the cool, shaded slopes of the Sierra del Pinar.

From the van you see a changing landscape of olive groves, cork and holm oaks, rocky ridges and white villages perched on hilltops, and griffon vultures are often visible over the cliffs. Your guide explains the geology, the wildlife and the history of these frontier lands between the Kingdom of Granada and Castile, so the drive becomes part of this Pueblos Blancos tour from Seville.

Zahara de la Sierra

Zahara de la Sierra appears suddenly on its rocky hill, a cluster of whitewashed houses crowned by the stone keep of a Nasrid castle, with the turquoise Zahara-El Gastor reservoir spread out below. For centuries this was a frontier fortress between the Muslim kingdom of Granada and Castile, and its fall in 1483 was one of the episodes that led to the final conquest of Granada.

The tour stops here for about 50 minutes. Your guide leads a short stroll to the main square, the Church of Santa María de Mesa and the viewpoint, where the view over the lake and the mountains is one of the best in the region. You then have a little free time for photos or a coffee before continuing. Zahara is especially lovely in spring, when wildflowers cover the hills.

Setenil de las Bodegas, the Village Under the Rock

Setenil de las Bodegas is unlike any other village in Spain. Instead of building on the hilltop, its people used the deep gorge carved by the Trejo river, constructing houses directly beneath huge overhanging rock shelves. In streets such as Cuevas del Sol and Cuevas de la Sombra, the rock forms the roof over shops, cafés and front doors. Above the village stand the remains of a Nasrid fortress and the Church of La Encarnación.

A local legend says the name comes from the Latin septem nihil, seven times nothing, after the Christian armies failed to take it several times before it finally fell in 1484. The second part of its name recalls the storage cellars dug into the rock. You spend about 75 minutes here with a guided walk and free time; it is a great place to taste local cheese, olives and pastries.

Ronda, the Puente Nuevo and El Tajo

Ronda, one of the oldest towns in Spain, stands on a plateau split by El Tajo, a gorge almost 100 metres deep cut by the Guadalevín river. The Puente Nuevo, finished in 1793 after more than 40 years of work, spans the gorge and joins the old Moorish town, La Ciudad, with the Mercadillo district. Standing on it and looking down into the chasm is one of the great moments of any trip to Andalusia.

Your guide leads a walk across the bridge and along the Alameda del Tajo, a park whose balconies hang over the cliff edge with sweeping views of the countryside, and past the Real Maestranza bullring, inaugurated in 1785 and one of the oldest in Spain. Many people searching for a Ronda day trip from Seville want the classic view of the bridge from below; with time, you can walk down a path to the lower viewpoints.

Free Time in Ronda's Old Town

After the guided walk you have free time in Ronda, about two and a half hours in total including the walk. Across the bridge, La Ciudad keeps its Moorish street plan, with whitewashed lanes, Renaissance palaces and the Arab baths, among the best-preserved in Spain, near the old bridges at the bottom of the town. The gardens of the Casa del Rey Moro have steps cut into the rock down to the river.

Lunch is not included, so this is the moment to choose a restaurant in the Mercadillo or the old town and try local dishes such as oxtail stew, mountain lamb or Ronda's sweet yemas. Ronda opening hours for monuments vary, and tickets for the Arab baths or the bullring are paid locally. The van then drives about 95 minutes back to Seville.