Location: Heart of Andalucia Southern Spain in the province of Jerez

Of more substantial interest than Zahara de la Sierra, and a better place to break the journey, is Arcos De La Frontera . This was taken from the Moors in 1264, over two centuries before Zahara fell - an impressive feat, for it stands high above the Río Guadalete on a double crag and must have been a wretchedly impregnable fortress. This dramatic location, enhanced by low, white houses and fine sandstone churches, gives the town a similar feel and appearance to Ronda - only Arcos is poorer and, quite unjustifiably, far less visited. The streets of the tow are if anything more interesting, with their mix of Moorish and Renaissance buildings. At the heart is the Plaza del Cabildo, easily reached by following the signs for the parador , which occupies one side of it. Flanking another two sides are the castle walls and the large Gothic-Mudéjar church of Santa María de la Asunción ; the last side is left open, offering plunging views to the river valley.

A turismo on the west side of Plaza del Cabildo (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm & 5.30-7.30pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 10.30am-12.30pm; can provide a town map and also does daily guided tours of the old town (except Sun). Budget accommodation in the old town is confined to the Pensión de Callejón de las Monjas, immediately behind the church of Santa María, and the very friendly Bar San Marcos , Calle Marquéz de Torresoto 6 the better option, with its own restaurant. More upmarket options are the elegant parador, perched on a rock pedestal, the Hotel Marqués de Torresoto , Calle Marqués de Torresoto 4, housed in a converted seventeenth-century mansion with colonnaded patio and Baroque chapel, and a new hotel, La Casa Grande , Calle Maldonado 10 , with beautiful rooms inside an eighteenth-century mansion and a stunning terrace view across the river valley. In the new town you'll find a couple of places on either side of the main street, Calle Corredera, including the excellent Hotel Fonda Comercio , Arcos's oldest inn, welcoming visitors for well over a century, and recently refurbished.