Setenil de las Bodegas

Setenil de las Bodegas is one of those places you see on a photo and think it can't be real. Whole streets with houses and terraces tucked right under a huge overhanging rock. We combined it with our two days in Ronda, because it's only about 15 minutes away, so it's an easy add on and really worth the time.

It was already our second visit. The first time we mostly stayed on the main street with the rock houses, which is what most people do. This time we took more time and walked through the rest of the village as well, and it turns out Setenil has a lot more to offer than just the cave streets.

The street under the rock

This is what everybody comes for and it's still impressive. The rock hangs right over the terraces and the white houses are built against it, so the rock is basically their roof. It's nicely shaded under there and the bars and restaurants put their tables out along the street, so it's a great place to sit for a coffee and just stare up at the rock for a while.

Walk up through the old town

Don't stay on that one street only. We walked up through the village and in some places it's a proper climb, so you will feel it in your legs, but it's not hard and you get great views over the white houses and the church on the hill. The narrow cobbled streets are lovely, with tiled religious pictures on the walls and doors that look almost Moorish, like the one with the red and white striped arch. We also spotted a yellow shell on a wall, so the Camino de Santiago passes through here.

Houses built into the rock

Further on you really see how people lived here. In some places a house just stops and the rock takes over, and there are empty spaces under the overhang that are simply closed off with a chain. We also found a quieter stretch under the rock with a bench and a paved path, a bit rough around the edges and with some graffiti, but it shows how big that rock really is without the terraces and the people.

If you stay around Ronda for a couple of days this is an easy half day and definitely worth it. Take your time and enjoy one of the most special villages in Spain.