As a rule, I don’t spend much time thinking about goats. Here in Villaluenga del Rosario, though, it’s hard to ignore them. Brown, black, brindled, white – goats of all hues are grazing in every field, trotting across the outsized boulders which surround this pretty village and even sitting contentedly by the roadside, munching on lush grass, oblivious to the constraints of their tethers.

These are no ordinary goats; they are payoyas, a breed particular to the north-east of Cádiz province and suppliers of milk for the Payoyo cheese produced in Villaluenga, which is special enough to draw foodies from all over Spain.

These billies and nannies are a source of great local pride in this village of 500 souls, tucked deep into the Sierra de Grazalema mountains. I’ve found my way here by following La Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos de Cádiz – the White Towns Route.

These whitewashed settlements are well known, of course – largely because the bigger towns like Arcos de la Frontera, Olvera and Ubrique enjoy film-set locations and streets stuffed full of history.
But with 19 settlements ranging across the north of the province – and ranging in size from 30,000 to a couple of hundred inhabitants – I’ve eschewed the familiar route to seek out some of the hidden gems.

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