Andalucía’s White Towns: Jimena de la Frontera
When you live in a bustling, congested port city, sometimes you just want to get away. To escape the noise, the pollution, the people, and find solace in a quieter, simpler place.
This place for me was Jimena de la Frontera.
Jimena is the type of fairytale Spanish town that seems straight-out-of-a-postcard. White-washed villages have always captured my heart, but Jimena’s regal position perched high up on the foothills of the Serranía de Ronda commands your attention.
As a town that carries “de la Frontera”, Jimena’s name is a reference to the Moorish occupation of Spain. Other white villages like Arcos de la Frontera and Vejer de la Frontera all make up what was once the border between Muslim-ruled and Christian-ruled Spain.
In fact, Jimena has seen occupation by many: the Phoenicians, Iberians, Carthaginiansand Romans.
However, nowadays, things are much more quiet and these towns make up the famed pueblos blancos (white villages) of Andalucía, though not all carry “de la Frontera” in their name.
The pueblos blancos range from chic seaside resorts, to quiet nature retreats. Visiting Jimena is definitely a gorgeous way to connect with nature.
With stunning views that stretch all the way to the Bay of Algeciras and Gibraltar, I didn’t tire in taking in my surroundings:
And though everyone like to describe small towns as “charming”, Jimena absolutely encapsulated the word.
It was oozing it.
After trekking to through the steep hills of town to where the castle is located, I found the perfect spot for a picnic and went for a leisurely walk grueling hike back down the other side…
Stay tuned to see what I encountered!
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