Ronda · Spain

Population - 35,000
Distance from Malaga airport: 40 Miles (66KMS)

Ronda which is famous for it's plunging rover gorge makes this town one of Andalucia's loveliest. Ronda has an abundance of history standing on a towering plateau in the mountains of Malaga Province. The gorge divides the medieval from the 18th century parts of the town. This gorge is known as "El Tajo" - The Cliff and is spanned by a stone bridge, which once housed a prison. Visitors love to peer down into the gorge, to see the waters of the River Guadalevín.

Three bridges span the gorge connecting the two areas of the town. The oldest bridge is of Arab origin, the Puente Viejo dates from the 17th century and the Puente Nuevo from the 18th century. The places of historic and architectural interest are mostly located in La Ciudad while the majority of places to stay and to eat are in the new town. At the western side, of both the old and the new towns, cliffs plunge down to the valley of the Río Guadalevín far below.

Ronda was impregnable to the Christian armies until the very last years of the re-conquest. This plateau is slashed into two main quarters by a deep cleft in the rock, spanned by the 18th century "Puente Nuevo" or New Bridge, which is the chief landmark for all itineraries.

In the heart of this pretty town there are many carefully preserved monuments which make it one of the most important historic-artistic collections in all Spain. People who have fallen in love with the city include Richard Ford, Rilke, Hemingway and Orson Welles. It is surrounded by natural parks and nature reserves; the Sierra de las Nieves, the Tajo, the Caldera, the Garganta del Arroyo del Cupil and the Cañada del Cuerno.

Ronda boasts the oldest and the most beautiful bullring in Spain; the arena itself is also the country's largest. When there are no fights, the bullring is open to visitors, and has a fascinating museum with many mementos of Spain's most renowned bullfighters.

Ronda is located 50 km – 1 hour's drive - from San Pedro de Alcantara on the Coast. The road winds up through the mountains of the Sierra Bermeja, and then descends into the Serrania de Ronda and the town itself. Ronda is very popular with day-trippers from the Costa del Sol, and has a wide range of cafés and restaurants. However, it retains all of its traditional charm and languid atmosphere.

Ronda's monuments & points of interest

1. Gateway of Almocábar (Puerta de Almocábar) - built in the 13th century to control access to the city
2. "El Tajo" - The Cliff & "Puente Nuevo" - New Bridge
3. The Bullring (Plaza de Toros) - the oldest bullring in Spain dating back to 1785. Nobles used this ring for equestrian training and practiced the art of fighting bulls from horseback. However the Romero family established Ronda as a centre of the modern corrida, which is contested on foot. Fransisco Romero invented the killing sword and cape, and his grandson Pedro perfected the skills of the sober classic Ronda style. Pedro is widely considered to be the father of modern bullfighting and one of the greatest matadors of all time. A Bullfight museum, housed under the terraced seating, pays homage to this traditional, if controversial, art and includes prints by Goya representing scenes in the bullring
4. Rey Moro House (Casa del Rey Moro) - an 18th century house built over the remains of a Muslim palace. The terraced gardens extend down into the gorge
5. La Mina - an old underground stairway of 365 steps, hewn by Christian slaves in the 14th century, out of the rock in the sides of the gorge right down to the river. Its purpose was to enable emergency water supplies to be drawn in times of siege. Every bucket was carried up by hand! It is open daily from 10.00h to 19.00h
6. Mondragón Palace (Palacio de Mondragón) - ordered by King Abomelic of Ronda in 1314, and used as the residency of Kings, including Fernando and Isabel, and Governors. Inside there are three original stucco and mosaic courtyards, of which the Patio Mudejar preserves an Islamic character with rich tiling, brick arches, marble columns and an arch leading to a clifftop garden with a fountain and pool. The Municipal Museum is housed in the palace. Open daily from 10.00h to 14.00h
7. Arab Baths (Baños Arabes) - 13th century preserved in a good state and located in the old Jewish quarter. These remarkable structures were fed by river water. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10.00h to 14.00h and from 16.00h to 19.00h, and on Sundays from 10.00h to 14.00h
8. Acinipo - a Roman amphitheatre hewn out of the rock, 18 kilometres from the city. Open Tuesdays-Fridays from 10.00h to 18.00h and Saturdays-Sundays from 12.00h to 18.00h. Entrance is free
9. Pileta Cave - located at Benaoján, it contains Palaeolithic wall paintings of animals, including a pregnant horse, fish, an archer and abstract symbols. Tours are given several times daily (952 167 343)
10. Church of Espíritu Santo (Iglesia del Espíritu Santo) - ordered by Fernando The Catholic King in 1505, it has one nave with Gothic style vaults and thick Renaissance columns. Open daily from 10.00h to 18.00h
11. Santa María la Mayor - originally built in the 13th century as the town's Friday mosque, it was converted to a church by Fernando The Catholic King. Open from 10.00h to 20.00h in the summer and until 18.00h in the winter
12. Salvatierra Palace - 18th century with a fine balcony made from Ronda cast-iron, and bizarre images of biblical scenes and South American Indians embellishing its facade. Open Mondays-Wednesdays and Fridays-Saturdays from 11.00h to 14.00h, and from 16.00h to 19.00h
13. San Sebastián Minaret (Minarete de San Sebastián) - 14th century and a fine example of Nazari art

Where to stay in Ronda

Many of the best places to stay in Ronda are in the heart of the Mercadillo quarter, and to the east of the Plaza del Socorro. Upmarket accommodation was once concentrated around the Plaza del Toros, but a number of excellent small hotels have sprung up in other parts of the Mercadillo quarter as well as La Ciudad quarter, across the Tajo bridge.

• Los Pastores Ronda - www.lospastores.com
• Alavera de los Baños Ronda - www.andalucia.com/alavera
• Hotel El Juncal Ronda - www.eljuncal.com
• En Frente Arte Ronda - www.enfrentearte.com
• Hotel Don Miguel Ronda - www.dmiguel.com
• Hotel El Tajo Ronda - www.hoteleltajo.com
• Hotel La Casona Ronda - www.lacasaonadelaciudad.com
• Hotel La Española - www.ronda.net/usuar/laespanola
• Hotel Montelirio Ronda - www.hotelmontelirio.com
• Hotel Reina Victoria Ronda - www.husa.es
• Hotel San Gabriel Ronda - www.hotelsangabriel.com
• Parador de Ronda - www.paradores.es
• Hotel Arunda I & II Ronda
• Hotel Colón Ronda