Setenil de las Bodegas and Ronda by Campervan: Two Unmissable Spots in Andalusia

Our road trip itinerary in Andalusia couldn’t skip two truly unique pueblos: Setenil de Las Bodegas and Ronda. If, like us, you’re planning to reach these villages by campervan, consider parking a little outside the town centres: the streets in both towns are very narrow and much better suited to walking. Don’t worry, at the end of this article we’ll suggest some coordinates for places to park in both Setenil de Las Bodegas and Ronda :)

Setenil de las Bodegas and the houses set into the rock

Setenil de Las Bodegas is one of the typical white pueblos (pueblos blancos) of the province of Cádiz, nestled along a canyon carved by the river. The name “Setenil” comes from the Latin “septem nihil”, meaning “seven nothing”, referring to the number of failed conquest attempts by Christians during the Reconquista. The name bodegas instead comes from the many wine cellars and small shops found in the town. Under Arab rule until 1482, the town today has around 3,000 inhabitants and draws tourists from all over the world.

read also Northern Spain by Campervan | Complete Guide and Itinerary

Setenil’s houses are built right into the rock, separated by little stone and lime streets, and this feature immediately shows the human ability and stubbornness to adapt to the challenges of the place. The village is a maze of narrow alleys, with several miradors offering views from above. The all-white house façades seem to almost glow against the rocky walls they’re set into. Keep your eyes open as you stroll around: you might spot little ceramic signs, decorated with blue vases, naming the streets. If walking up and down the alleys and steps makes you hungry, or especially thirsty, don’t worry: right along the main street you’ll find one restaurant after another where you can stop for a break.

Love historic sites and Roman ruins?

About 10 km from Setenil is Acinipo  . The Roman site doesn’t offer particularly grand wonders, but the 360° view over the surrounding hills is truly spectacular. Admission is free, but opening hours are limited, from 9am to 1.45pm, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (you can park in the open area in front).

Ronda: the suspended city

Ronda is a little under half an hour from Setenil. From the San Miguel district, where we parked (the oldest part of the city), the centre is easily reached in just a few minutes on foot. Here you can visit the remains of the Arab baths (similar to Roman baths, but using steam instead of water), the Casa del Rey Moro and its gardens leading down to the Tajo gorge, the gateway of the old outer walls, and the Palacio Mondragón.

If you can’t resist reaching the most photographed mirador, we suggest heading to Calle Espinel, the pedestrian street lined with countless shops and restaurants, taking a look at the Plaza de Toros (if you’re a bullfighting fan, you can visit the Bullfighting Museum here) and taking Calle Blas Infante, passing through the public park Alameda del Tajo, which overlooks the valley below, leading to the Puente Nuevo, an immense stone bridge connecting the new town to the old town.

When we visited Ronda, the path down to admire the city from below was under renovation. We opted to reach it by campervan, unfortunately following the directions of other campervan travellers, and ended up in serious trouble — not so much going down, but climbing back up along the Camino al fondo del Tajo trail. For this reason we can’t recommend the road to get there, even though the view is wonderful: we lived through a terrible quarter of an hour skidding and nearly getting a flat tyre more than once!

One last tip, this time a culinary one: we would have loved to try the tapas at El Lechuguita  , recommended to us by friends, but unfortunately it was closed for holidays. If you find it open, you can stock up on snacks for 1 euro each!

What to see and where to park the campervan?

Find out with the handy map below: