Hostels in Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

Arcos de la Frontera, in the province of Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain, is one of famous Pueblos Blancos or White Towns of Andalusia, which are distinctive and well known for their houses and buildings with whitewashed walls and red- and brown-tiled roofs. The name of the town is Spanish for Arches of the Frontier or Border.

Arcos de la Frontera sits beside the River of Guadalete. The Guadalete River runs from Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park to the Bay of Cadiz. Like the town of Arcos de la Frontera, Guadalete River is also a border or frontier between Muslim and Christian settlers in Cadiz. Both Arcos de la Frontera and Guadalete River had been both sites of many battles between the reconquering Christians and the Moors settlers.

Because of its bloody history, the Guadalete River earned it nickname “Rio de los Muertos” or River of the Dead. The name of the Guadalete River came from the Arabic phrase that means “River of Forgetfulness,” which came from either its bloody reputation or the placidity of its running water. Guadalete River is one of the major tourist destinations in Arcos de la Frontera, and a perfect place for river cruising, or riverside hiking, jogging, and picnicking.

Like many Andalusian and Southern Spanish towns, Arcos de la Frontera has a long history that goes back to the Neolithic Age where Neanderthals and other cave dwellers settled. There have also been significant evidence that Arcos de la Frontera had been inhabited by Phoenicians and the Romans. Arcos de la Frontera has been particularly important with the arrival of Moor conquerors and settlers. After the Moors were expelled by the Christians, Arcos de la Frontera were under the Christian dominance and other nearby kingdoms, especially the Kingdom of Granada.

Like many Andalusian and Southern Spain towns, Arcos de la Frontera has structures, buildings, and a town plan that are heavily influenced by Christian iconographies. Though the period of Christian dominance prevailed more than centuries than that of the Muslims, Moorish influences are still apparent in every aspect of designs. Most of the attraction sites are the old Christian churches and Moorish buildings. Arcos de la Frontera also features a very idyllic countryside landscape and environment. Most people go hiking and camping in the nearby areas.

Arcos de la Frontera hostels provide the quietude of mountainside living. Hostels in Arcos de la Frontera all feature the distinct whiteness of Pueblos Blancos and the combination of Christian, Moorish, and natural influences.