Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema

This tour explores one of the best hiking areas of Andalucia and has been designed to visit some of the most picturesque white villages it is so well known for. Graded moderate overall, with daily walks of between 5 and 20km and ascents of up to 795m, it is suited to regular walkers who are used to walking in more rugged terrain. You will stay overnight in hand-selected small boutique hotels and rural posadas who offer a warm welcome to walkers.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This walking tour is graded moderate overall. Walks are between 3-7 hours on a mixture of unsurfaced tracks and footpaths, with the occasional section on surfaced tracks or small tarmac roads. Some of the terrain is quite rocky and you may encounter some loose rocks or muddy/slippery sections in wet weather. There are also some sections with steep drop-offs. Ascents are between 225 and 700m with descents of up to 800m. During the shoulder months of May and September the walking may become more difficult due to the higher temperatures at that time of year and we recommend setting off early on those days.

Accommodation is in a mixture of small boutique hotels and rural posadas is included in your trip.

The accommodation we normally use is detailed below. We may sometimes have to use alternative hotels subject to availability but if this is the case we will always let you know when confirming your booking.

Accommodation Location

We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in your itinerary. Occasionally, because of limited availability, there is the option to be accommodated at an alternative location. In the unlikely event that we have to accommodate you elsewhere we will advise you of this before confirming your booking.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

Single rooms are available and a single supplement is payable. This trip is available to solo walkers but we recommend that you are an experienced walker who is comfortable with navigation, has walked in rougher, mountainous terrain before and is comfortable with steep ascents/descents and some steep drop-offs.

Meals

Breakfasts are included and usually consist of breads, fruits, cheeses and meats. Packed lunches and Dinner are included at Zahara de la Sierra. Evening meal is served at the Hotel Al Lago, which offers contemporary Andalucian cuisine in a relaxed setting. All other lunches and dinners are not included but you will find suggestions in your route notes of local places to eat. The local cuisine in this area is second to none. Expect local specialities such as the ‘serrano gazpachos’ (gazpacho served with tasty chunks of Iberico ham), the mouth-watering payoyo goats cheese and ‘chacinas’ (delicious pork sausages).

The routes on this trip are generally way-marked but we will also provide detailed route notes and maps. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone’s GPS so using this combined with the provided route notes and maps means you should have no problems finding your way.

It is essential to make sure that you follow the designated path, as the signs may be damaged or difficult to see due to the overgrowth, especially on the small paths along the rivers where there is a lot of vegetation.

You can start this tour on any day of the week subject to availability between March to May and then again from September to November. We do not offer this tour in the summer months due to high tempereatures at that time of year making it uncomfortable for walking. It should be noted that the shoulder months of September can still be quite warm with average temperatures reaching up to 30°C

The Sierra de Grazalema is enjoyable most of the year round. The spring months of March and April are fantastic if you want to see the bird migrations in full swing and a profusion of flowers in bloom. The temperatures start to heat up in May and June and the summer meadows are alive with colour at this time but it can make walking more difficult. In the autumn months the days are still nice and sunny and the colours change again with a variety of autumn bulbs coming out.

This area has a mountain microclimate and can have sporadic rain showers throughout the year which are usually followed by drier days. It's worth noting that while flash floods and heavy rainfall are not typical for this region, they're possible and have become more common in recent years (particularly early or late in the season).

By Air: Malaga Airport is the most convenient airport to fly into for Zahara de la Sierra. From here travel to Ronda by bus (2h 30m). An included taxi transfer will pick you up from Ronda and transfer you to Zahara de la Sierra (25min). Malaga has lots of airline connections from the UK and Europe with airlines such as British Airways, Ryanair, Vueling, as well as the large European airlines such as KLM, Air France and Lufthansa.

Alternatively you can fly into Seville Airport and take the bus to Ronda (2h 30m), and again a private transfer will take you from there to Zahara de la Sierra.

By Air: Malaga Airport is the closest airport to Ronda, reachable by bus from Ronda in approximately 2h.

To get back to Seville Airport, by bus takes approx 3h.

By Train: Ronda is well connected by train to other Spanish cities including Granada (2h 30m) and Cordoba (1h 45min). Visit the Renfe website for more details.

We can also arrange airport transfers from/to Malaga and Seville Airports at an additional supplement. Please just ask us for details.

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight stay. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.