Discovering Arcos de la Frontera: A Magical White Village of the Cádiz Region

Arcos de la Frontera is one of Andalucías “white villages” : towns settled by the Moors (Muslim invaders from North Africa.) The term “la frontera” refers to the border between Muslim and Christian territories. The battles for Reconquest were often small local skirmishes for control of a single town. The white villages are usually up in the hills, so that invaders could be spotted from afar. The white buildings were coated in limestone to fight disease, and they have the added advantage of protection from the strong southern sun. The village streets are narrow and short. The resulting confusion put invaders at a disadvantage. Today’s invaders, the tourists, will wander about getting lost and thinking they have walked a long way, when really they have been going in circles. I speak from experience.

We went to Arcos by bus from Cádiz. The trip was comfortable and took about an hour and a half (far less if you rent a car). The bus station is in the lower city and our hotel was in the upper. We took a taxi up the mountain.

We were staying two nights at The Parador de Arcos de la Frontera. The Paradores in Spain are government hotels. To be designated a Parador, they are either in historic buildings, breathlessly situated geographically, or some combination of the two. This one has amazing vistas of the entire valley below. It was built in modern times, but is right next to the castle and blends perfectly with the historic streets of the upper town. This parador has 23 rooms, only 4 of which were full when we were there. Our room was lovely with an outside balcony and an amazing view of the valley. The common areas were charming and cozy, and the hotel restaurant was very good. Twice we chatted with local businessmen who meet daily in the lounge area for coffee or a “copa” (wine). Always a good sign when the locals come there.

The sites of Arcos could be covered in a day. There are two main churches (San Pedro and Santa María). I recommend going up the tower at Santa María; the views in the bell tower are spectacular. We went in the late afternoon and the light was beautiful. Again, we had the space to ourselves.

Besides the churches, there is a small art gallery, various lookout points, and some bars and restaurants in the historic section. The castle, it seems, is privately owned and only opens for tours four times a year. We spent a lot of time walking around the old streets and of course, taking pictures. Although we didn’t need two nights, we really enjoyed them.

I hope you enjoy these color and black and white photos of Arcos.

Below are some more scenes from around town.

Thank you for joining me in Arcos de la Frontera! Geri