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A picturesque hamlet of whitewashed buildings, cobbled streets and a Baroque church.

A 10th-century mosque, a castle and a bullring are all clustered on the citadel overlooking the village.

Capital of the sierra, this is an attractive town blessed with fresh air. The oldest town hall in the province offers information about the sierra.

Close to the Portuguese border, this town remains one of the best-preserved villages around. A wonderful oddity is the Museo del Santo Rosario, packed with rosaries that have belonged to Mother Teresa, John F Kennedy and General Franco, among others.

Dominated by a 13th-century castle, this is one of the largest towns in the area.

The “home of ham” produces Spain’s most famous, known as jamón ibérico (cured Iberian ham), jamón serrano (mountain-cured ham) and pata negra , named after the black pigs that forage in the Sierra de Aracena.

Massive ramparts, built by the Moors in the 12th century, attest to the central role this town played in defending the land. The walls stretch for about 2.5 km (1.5 miles).

This wild area provides plenty of inspiring views and fauna (see Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Park).

Set off by a 13th-century castle, this village lies in the heart of the ham-curing area. The 15th-century parish church has a fine Baroque interior.

This cliff-top community is like a mini-Ronda. The Paseo de los Alcaldes has rose and lime trees and a mirador with views across the terraced plain.