Zahara de la Sierra in the province of Cadiz is definitely one of the most beautiful white villages or ‘Pueblos Blancos’ in all of Andalusia. It is only 45 car minutes from the beautiful city of Ronda, and less than 120 minutes from Malaga and Seville. Essentially, the town lives on agriculture and adventure tourism. It is a well-known destination for practitioners of hiking, climbing, caving, kayaking , biking, horseback riding, 4×4 or archaeological sports .
Coming off the main road and crossing the Zahara-El Gastor water reservoir, you get a panoramic view of the 13th-century castle. Zahara de la Sierra lies at the foot of the Sierra del Jaral, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the reservoir. In summer there is excellent swimming here.
The name‘Zahara‘ means ‘enormous rock’ in Arabic; the strategic location of the village was initially for the defense of the Nasrid, and later the Christians.
The historic ruins of the thirteenth century Nasrid castle, the watchtower; ‘Torre del Homenaje’, and the breathtaking views make a walk there more than worthwhile.
Sightseeing:
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- the 17th-century church of Santa Maria de la Mesa
- the 19th-century San Juan de Letrán Chapel
- the 16th century Torre del Reloj (bell tower)
- The Palominos Bridge of Roman origin
Gastronomy
In Zahara, its meats and stews are very famous. In patisserie, sighs (meringues) and gañotes (fried almond and cinnamon dough ) stand out. Quemones is a traditional dish: bread, water and salt soup, with olive oil, garlic, onion and parsley, consumed almost dry.
