After spending two nights in Nerja, we are driving to Arcos de la Frontera and spending two nights there. Any suggestions about where we should stop along the way? We'd like to stop in at least two quaint Andalusian towns (should Ronda definitely be one of them?) or take a driving tour of some of the prettier "white towns". Also, any off-the-beaten path restaurant suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

When you are in Nerja, don't miss Frigiliana. It's one of the most pretty white villages and it's less than 10 min. drive from Nerja.

Myriam..is this a whole day village? Is there a nice place for lunch or dinner? What about markets? We will be in Nerja for a week...any other suggestions?

I would say it's a half day trip.
We did Nerja & Frigiliana in one day (stayed in Marbella). There are plenty of small restaurants where you can eat local dishes. The place where we've eaten (don't remember the name, sorry) had a roof terrace with a lovely view over the village.

Do Frigilana and the caves the same day.
They are close--total of 5 hours with lunch. Yes, Ronda is your best option, but get an early start.

For Mic -

You might find some useful information on my website which includes a description of our trip to Andalucia. We were in Nerja as well as Ronda. Ronda shouldn't be missed!!

Here's the URL:
www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5733

Hi Mic,
We just returned from 11 days in Andalucia. We drove from Seville to Ronda (and then Granada) with stops along the way in that area:
Arcos, Sanlucar, Zahara & Grazalema. Arcos was a fun little village with a great view coming upon it on the highway. (you need a very narrow car in town!) I, too, agree Ronda should be on your list. Have you considered staying in Ronda instead and day-tripping from there? Very convenient to villages and more to do there than Arcos (IMHO) Zahara de la Frontera (our favorite) was one of the prettiest and most quaint "white villages" we visited. Also, we took the VERY HIGH & NARROW mountain highway (CA531) from Zahara to another great village - Grazalema. The mountain highway was a highlight of our 11-day trip. (postings are correct - not for the faint of heart!) Great lookout point at the top of the mountain!! Gaucin (south from Ronda on A369)was highly recommended but we ran out of time. That whole area is filled with beautiful views of white villages along the countryside. What we found was that while the driving time was short - there were so many distractions along the way that made the drive so much fun but a little longer!

I don't know what the rest of your trip includes so its hard for me to recommend one over the other. Ronda is bigger than Arcos, Zahara & Grazalema.
But Zahara - I wouldn't miss it. Also, visited Frigiliana. Was cute but we didn't enjoy it as much as Zahara, Arcos & Grazelema. However, if you're in Nerja, its about 10-15 minutes up the road.

I don't have the names of any lunch places in those villages - its hard to go wrong! The seafood is all fresh!!

Hope this helps,
Sheila

Thanks for the report, Sheila! Sounds like you had a great trip. You have me questioning whether I should swap Arcos for Ronda as our base for the region. Do you think there is more to do at night in Ronda than in Arcos? I imagine we'll be out driving around during the day so I guess it makes sense to stay in a place where there's more going on at night. Where did you stay in Ronda?

Hi Mic, sorry I didn't respond quickly - we're getting ready for our next outing to Santa Fe, New Mexico!

For nightlife, I would go with Ronda since it is bigger than Arcos. Arcos was much smaller and quiet. (We did not overnight there but toured around during the day.) Ronda is larger but doesn't have as much nightlife as Seville or Granada, if that makes sense. Another nice thing staying in Ronda was that we would leave in the am when the tour buses arrived and returned when they were gone!

We stayed at the Parador and I highly recommend it for its spectacular views, rooms and location. I think our room was $180 and it was worth it! (www.paradore.es)

Hope this helps! By the way, when is your trip?

Have fun!
Sheila