Arcos is listed as one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, in fact it is the most beautiful town on the well-known route of the white villages in the province of Cadiz. It is located on top of a hill overlooking a gorge of the Guadalete River.
The city owes its appearance to Muslim culture, in fact when you visit Arcos, there are continuous references to this religion that predominated in many of the towns in the Sierra de Cadiz. At that time it was called the Medina of Arkos, and it even became a small Taifa kingdom.
If it is the first time you visit the town, a tip is to leave your car parked in the many car parks at the entrance to the town. If you go up to the Plaza del Cabildo you must be brave, the streets are very narrow and steep, worthy of photographs, but not for driving.
When you arrive at the Plaza del Cabildo, where the Parador is located, one of the most beautiful in its network, and the Town Hall, you can enjoy the balcony of the Peña Nueva, from there you get spectacular views of the Guadalete River and the fields that extend around it. The people of Cadiz and the locals call the viewpoint “the balcony of the pussy”, why? You only have to visit it and you will have the answer.
Its old town has been declared a Historic Site.
On weekends, hundreds of tourists flood its streets and crowd its terraces, some in the middle of the street. Don’t be afraid, cars pass right there.
We recommend visiting Arcos during Holy Week, seeing the Holy Week floats through its arches is highly recommended, and above all a beautiful picture of Andalusian Holy Week.
In Arcos you can see monumental gems worthy of a great museum, such as the castle of the Dukes, the remains of the walled enclosure, the Church of San Pedro, but above all the palaces and stately homes that fill its old town, worthy of a location in the Game of Thrones series.
We highlight the Minor Basilica of Santa María de la Asunción with Gothic, Plateresque and Baroque styles from the 14th and 18th centuries. It is the oldest, most distinguished and main parish church in Arcos, titles granted by a Holy Roman Court in 1764. The temple sits on an Arab mosque and has been under construction for six centuries, hence its mix of styles.
Arcos also has a well-known lake, a very short distance from the town, and where you can do countless water sports, and the City Council has created an artificial beach, yes, yes, you read that right, an artificial beach.
If you wish, you can take advantage of the opportunity to buy cheese, oil or honey from the area. Remember that the most characteristic cheese is the “payoyo”, today it is a brand of the Sierra de Cádiz.
In addition, we recommend that you buy some of their sweets from the nuns of the convent of the Mercenarias Descalzas, just behind the Parador: puff pastries, alfajores, pestiños, egg yolks, pastries, muffins, etc., will delight those with a sweet tooth.
At lunchtime, we recommend that you try the Parador tasting menu, but if you are in a hurry and want something cheaper, the streets that go up to the old town are full of bars and gastro bars, all of them recommendable, but especially “El Retablo”, let us know.