Self-guided walking tour links Andalucía's historic white villages through Grazalema natural park

A seven-day self-guided walking tour through Sierra de Grazalema natural park in southern Spain links four historic white hilltop villages, known as pueblos blancos. The route is offered by tour operator On Foot Holidays and covers roughly 51,700 hectares of limestone peaks and river valleys.

The journey begins in Zahara de la Sierra, a village with historical significance in the Reconquista, the 15th-century military campaign in which Catholic forces retook southern Spain from Moorish rule. From there, the route continues to Grazalema, then Benaoján, and finishes in Ronda, a town perched above the El Tajo gorge.

In May, with temperatures around the mid-20s Celsius, the countryside is filled with blossoms and birdsong, including nightingales and bee-eaters, along with butterflies and eagles, many of which have migrated from Africa for the season. In autumn months, September and October, the landscape changes as chestnut and cork oak forests turn golden.

Walkers spend two nights in Grazalema, where wild ibex can be spotted and local restaurants serve dishes featuring partridge and wild boar. Near Benaoján lies the Cueva de la Pileta, a large cave system discovered in 1905 that contains rock art more than 25,000 years old.

The route ends in Ronda, where travellers can take in views from the gorge and sample local food. The walking season runs from February to May and September to December, with prices starting from £985 per person for the seven-night route.