Place to see: Old town, Alcaucín, Spain

About this place:

Perched among the foothills of the Sierra de Tejeda, along the old stagecoach route between Granada and Malaga, Alcaucín is a sweet mountain village whose whitewashed walls, spring-fed fountains, and narrow, winding streets testify to its Moorish roots. The town sits within a rugged region called the Axarquía, once the domain of the bandoleros, highway robbers who preyed on traders and travelers. As one drives up from the coast, the scenery transforms dramatically from hive-like oceanfront condos to rolling farmland, rivers, and villages scaling the sides of mountains.