The White Houses in Spain?

Question

Hi Everyone

My dad keeps wanting to visit the white buildings we see on the news - the white clean buildings that are set by the seaside. I did a google search and found that there are some in Ojen, Spain. Can anyone tell me

- are they only in Ojen?

- are they actually houses, or tourist spots/hotels?

I would love to go there with my family just to experience this whole different world.

Thank you.

Answer 1

As you have already read the traditional 'Pueblos Blancos' (white villages) can be found all over Spain and the village of Ojen is in fact in Andalucia in Southern Spain.

I just wanted to add that each year the Andalucian tourist board gives an award to the best kept or prettiest white village, and one village that is a regular winner of this award is the village of Frigiliana in the Axarquia region of Eastern Andalucia.

http://www.freewayspain.com/frigiliana.h...

Answer 2

They are not just in Ojen... There are a whole series of villages in Andalucía. They are actually called "Los Pueblos Blancos"  (the white villages).

They even have their own website....

http://www.andalusia-web.com/route_1.htm

This will give you all the info you want...

And you will love visiting them! (I especially love Ronda, Arcos de la Frontera and Grazalema) (And there is a little hotel in Prado del Rey with a great restaurant: Hotel del Carmen) The Meson de la Molinera in Arcos is a lovely hotel with nice views and good food as is also El Cortijo Mesa de  Plata... The Paradors in Ronda and Arcos are also fantastic.

Answer 3

Not all but certainly a lot of the Houses in Spain are painted that way, as far as I know because it reflects the sun and keeps the houses cool inside.

I know that on the Spanish Canary Island Lanzarote practically all the Houses are white. BTW also no tall buildings anywhere. As far as I know the 'strict building rules' have something to do with the special wishes of a well known Artist on the Island that didn't like the tall sky scrapers he had seen in the USA. (Maybe as an artist he didn't like to have to much shade to have enough licht for making his art?)

On a few of the other Canary Islands like for example Fuenteventura they do also have some other color houses like yello or abricot orange coloured houses etc. etc.

To read more about Spain you can have a look at my Travel Blogspot at: http://hpshappytravel.blogspot.com

All the Best,

HP

Answer 4

Ojen is not on the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos (but it looks gorgeous from what I just saw!), which Abuela Nany described.  Actually, a lot of Andalucía is whitewashed.  It's a wonderful place, and if you are going to Spain, it is the region which most typifies what we think of as Spain...I, too have travelled the Ruta.  It runs from Arcos de la Frontera:

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/204...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/204...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/204...

and some newer ones:

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/120...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/120...

to Ronda:

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/204...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/204...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/204...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/120...

These are a couple of towns in the middle of  the Ruta:

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/120...

http://flickr.com/photos/susan_payer/120...

Enjoy!

Answer 5

I live in a pueblo blanco in Andalucia. All the small towns and villages here have white houses. Some pueblo blancos that rely on tourism have to paint their houses every year. I paint my house white every two years. White reflects the strong sun we have here in Spain.