Vejar de la Frontier

Widely known to be the prettiest of all the pueblos blancos, I figured Vejar (more detailed here) would be a great place to start. Around 30 minutes drive from Seville through the picturesque Spanish countryside this super cute town is one of my favourites and definitely not to be passed on. Stop by the Plaza de Espana for cafe con leche and people watching and a dose of Andalusian culture.

I went to Ubrique in search of the famous leather bags which are made there, and whist I failed at my primary goal (these designer handbags are kept well hidden away) I won at finding another Spanish town to fall in love with. 
Another town that takes away your breath at first sight, I couldn't quite get over how stunning Ubrique is set against a giant mountain range. Get lost in the little cobbles streets and head to the Plaza d'Espana for coffee and people watching. More on Ubrique here 

The old town of Arcos de La Frontier is a tangled labyrinth of cobbled streets that lead up to a  castle (a vision in sandstone) and views of the rolling Spanish countryside. Head to the central Callejón de las Monjas for Tapas and a refreshing glass of tinto de verano. If its just a coffee your after, head to The Casa del Corregidor’s in the Parador hotel. The views from here make the trip worthwhile on their own. Arcos has some of the most beautiful Andalusian architecture iv ever seen just in case you needed more reasons to visit.

Frigiliana

Another super cute and relatively tourist free town, frigiliana was voted prettiest Andalusian village by the Spanish tourist board and I can see why. Like most of these mountain towns, its best explored by foot. This way you'll be sure not to miss a thing. Be sure to taste the local wine!

Casares

This little hidden Gem, (now made a little more famous with game of thrones) is an absolute must. The first time I saw it it took my breath away, much like seeing Gordes In Provence for the first time. If you view the town from afar, you may be lucky enough to see falcons and eagles.
Make sure you head to the old town at the top. If you fancy staying at one of the most fabulous hotels in Europe (one of my favourites too), Finca cortesin at the bottom of Casares will blow your socks off. When its time to leave, turn right for the next fairy tale village below...

Gaucin is another super cute, whitewashed mountain village. I'll never forget the first time we visited, and made a total rookie mistake of arriving at 2 pm in the peak of summer. We got out of the car to 44 degree heat... ouch. Still totally worth it. Gaucin is just beautiful, charming and honestly Andalusian. In the summer they decorate the town with crochet bunting for the ferias! Whats not to love...

Setinil de las bodega

In my opinion, Setinil (I wrote more about it here) is one of the most magical of all of the pueblos blancos. A village that grew out of the rocks and cliffs, it is a total bucket list place to visit. It may look like something from lord of the rings, but is a fully functioning village complete with restaurants and cafes. Pure magic!

Have you ever visited any of these lovely little towns? Or maybe you know of some I haven't mentioned? Let me know in the comments below!

Belle
Xx 

Sadly the last day of our little weekend break in the Spanish countryside arrived and it was time to leave the beautiful Hacienda de San Rafael.

We made the most of our stay right up to the last minute. After a lovely breakfast (they have it all set up for you right outside your room for when you wake up, isn't that cute!)  we spent the morning by the pool before taking a final walk around the stunning grounds. 

I love how authentically Andalusian the hacienda was. From its 18th century architecture, to its eclectic mix of interior decor. It really felt like a home away from home. They cleverly used wild flowers and foliage from the gardens to create lovely fresh arrangements around the hotel... something that inspired me to recreate in my own home. 

The hacienda is placed right in the middle an old olive (and almond) estate that surrounds the hacienda. The hotel even make its own brand of olive oil, which we bought a few bottles of. ​

My Dress is an old one, but I found some similar dresses below

We took in our last view of colourful bougainvillea before heading back to our own piece of heaven, inspired and refreshed after the perfect weekend in the Spanish countryside. 

Belle 
​Xx

Once the unforgiving Spanish heat subsides, and golden hour approaches it was time to grab a cocktail and head out for dinner. Iv said this before, but its really great to be able to leave your hotel room and not have to travel too far got Dinner. It just adds a more relaxed vibe to the evening, don't you think? 

One of my favourite things about the Hacienda was that even though it was at full occupancy, it quite often felt like we had the place to ourselves and was so peaceful. The hacienda only has 11 rooms and I'm told they keep the hotel small for this very reason,  Its such a wonderful contrast to busy the much faster pace of Seville, which is only 30 minutes away.  

Its a place where you can quite literally find the time to stop and smell the roses.. or in this case Bougainvillea.  

Daisy print dress Here 

Dinner at the Hacienda is a simple affair served al fresco in the summer months right next to the hotel bar. The menu is set, which at first terrified us but after seeing that we would love everything offered we quickly forgot. In fact it was quite nice not to make any decisions... they even pair the meal with wine for you.  

After dinner, we headed to the front of the hacienda to watch the sunset over the sunflower fields. The perfect end to a wonder day.

I'll never get bored of a sunset...

Belle 
​Xx