This was the inner courtyard of our hotel. During the hotest point of the day (and probably in the rare occasions it rains) they cover it with this huge shade. There were fountains and flowers and it smelt amazing.
Arcos is a "white hill town" in a series of white hill towns (same as Ronda was) Like Greece they paint the town white to keep it cool in the heat of summer.
I got out to help Zac navigate through some of the narrow streets. The walls are marked where people have not quite cleared them in the past.
That blank sign...ya it probably had PARKING posted in it at one point, but because they removed it. Parking is hard to come by and there was a tiny lot just to the right we discovered after...we had circled around the ONE WAY ONLY loop trough the city and narrow streets to find street parking...not cool. If you miss your hotel...you circle trough the city again. No backtracking.
This is the view from the top of our hotel (where we dried our laundry)
Marques de Torresoto - Was a great location in the old town.
Marques de Torresoto, 4
Arcos de la Frontera, 11630
Spain
34956700717
We spent a night in the romantic town Arcos de la Frontera. Towns with "de la Frontera" in their names were established on the front line of the Christians'- the town gained its name by being the frontier of Spain's 13th century battle with the Moors.
"Arcos smothers its long, narrow hilltop and tumbles down the back of the ridge like the train of a wedding dress. It's larger than the other Andalusian hill towns but equally atmospheric. Arcos consists of two towns: The fairy-tale old town on top of the hill, and the fun-loving lower or new town. The old center is a labyrinthine wonderland, a photographer's feast. Viewpoint-hop through town. Feel the wind funnel through the narrow streets as cars inch around tight corners. Join the kids' soccer game on the churchyard patio. Enjoy the moonlit view from the main square, Plaza del Cabildo.
The thoughtful traveler's challenge is to find meaning in the generally overlooked tiny details of historic towns such as Arcos. A short walk from its Church of Santa María to the Church of San Pedro (St. Peter) is littered with fun glimpses into the town's past.
Stand at the viewpoint opposite the church on Plaza del Cabildo. Survey the square, which in the old days doubled as a bullring. On your right is the parador, a former palace of the governor. On your left is the city hall (with the TI), below the 11th-century Moorish castle where Ferdinand and Isabel held Reconquista strategy meetings (closed to the public). Directly in front is the Church of Santa María. Notice the church's fine but unfinished bell tower. The old one fell in the earthquake of 1755 (famous for destroying Lisbon). The new replacement was intended to be the tallest in Andalucía after Sevilla's — but money ran out. It looks like someone lives on an upper floor. Someone does. The church guardian lives there in a room strewn with bell-ringing ropes.
Enjoy the square's viewpoint. Belly up to the railing and look down. The people of Arcos boast that only they see the backs of the birds as they fly. Ponder the parador's erosion concerns (it lost part of its lounge in the 1990s — dropped right off), orderly orange groves, and fine views toward Morocco. The city council considered building an underground parking lot to clear up the square, but nixed it because of the land's fragility. You're 330 feet above the river. This is the town's suicide departure point for men (women jump from the other side)." RS
