The area has been settled since prehistoric times, and some of the local caves have ancient rock paintings. Iberian people, Roman[citation needed], Visigoths and Berbers are some of the settlers before the Modern Era that left their print. It was precisely during Roman times that whitewashing was introduced, but it was later during the pandemic plague waves during 14th and later centuries when whitewashing exterior but also interior walls of houses and churches - the latter often visited by disease-affected inhabitants - became predominant.
These villages punctuate or are close to natural parks in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, including Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park that is listed as a biosphere reserve and is the highest rainfall area in Spain, or Los Alcornocales Natural Park with its cork oak protected landscape.[1]
All of the villages are characterised by whitewashed walls and red or brown tiledroofs. They also commonly present narrow alleyways, steep hills, lookouts, and town squares with a church and town hall. Often local institutions manage archeological museums with Roman or Arab artifacts, as well as others dedicated to local customs, crafts or trades.[citation needed]
There are proposed routes to visit some of the villages. Of interest[tone] are the ones close to Ronda (province of Málaga) and Arcos de la Frontera (province of Cadiz).
Ronda's White Towns route:
Ronda, including the ancient Roman settlement of Acinipo archeological site.
Setenil de las Bodegas, some parts of the village use the rocky mountains as walls and roof of the houses.
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