Setenil de las Bodegas - Ronda - Marbella

Route: Malaga - Setenil de las Bodegas - Ronda - Marbella - Malaga
Duration: 8 h
Explore tree charming towns in Andalusia, Setenil de las Bodegas, Ronda and Marbella. Learn about each town’s history and go for a guided walk through their scenic centers. The first stop will be at Setenil de las Bodegas, where around 3,000 inhabitants are living quite literally, under a rock.Believe it or not, people chose to settle here for practical reasons. The natural caves of Setenil turned out to be ideal living quarters because rather than needing to build entire houses to keep out the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter, all they needed to build was a facade. It is believed people have been living here since pre-historic times. The town’s name ‘Setenil de las bodegas’ reflects its rich history; setenil, from the latin words septem nihil– “seven times no”, refers to the seven times the Catholic rulers tried to take back the territory from the Moors, the medieval arabian inhabitants who ruled much of Spain for several centuries. Only on the seventh attempt to conquer Setenil were the Catholics able to win the territory– one of the last Muslim strongholds in Iberia. ‘Solid as a rock’ Setenil (unavoidable pun) later began using the cool areas under the rock to store all kinds of local produce in large storerooms, which is how the town earned the second part of the name, “bodegas“, meaning ‘warehouse’ in Spanish. The next stop of our tour will be at  Rondo. To visit Ronda is to enter another era and see unique places and landscapes; to enjoy an experience similar to that of those romantic travellers and writers who have made this city so famous. Palaces, lookouts, Arab baths, Roman theatres and even Neolithic caves can be seen by travellers and transport them in time. Visit to Ronda require time to make the most of it, in order to properly see each of its emblematic places, enjoy its delicious gastronomy and a glass of wine in some of its fashionable establishments.Our next stop will be at Marbella.  Visit to Marbella is to have the chance to delight in the magnificent conservation of its historic and cultural heritage, both witnesses to a past that becomes established through tradition, so every corner of its old town is filled with Andalucian character. White buildings with flower-adorned balconies, shops with personality and squares with a special air abound in its cute narrow streets. Look  delve deep into Marbella’s heritage and enjoy  you stroll the old city. Soak up sights including Orange Square, the marina, the ancient castle, dating back to the 9th century, the 16th-century Iglesia Mayor de la Encarnacion church, and the sculptures by the surrealist artist Salvador Dali. After that we will return to Malaga.
Price: Per person