Ronda is a stunning little town in the Málaga province of Andalucía, in the south of Spain, and offers plenty of charm. It is situated in the mountains, at the top of a gorge.
Ronda is definitely a growing town but still has a very authentic Spanish feel, offering spectacular views, an interesting history and the slow pace of the town makes it a great place to unwind.
What to do?
Puente Nuevo
The best known attraction in Ronda is the Puente Nuevo or New Bridge. It is the newest of the three bridges that connect the new and old town of Ronda, over the Guadalevín River. This is a bridge that took 40 years to build and was completed in 1793 and is 98 metres high above the river.
You can take a walk down below the bridge, it makes a great spot for taking photos of the view. I wandered down for about an hour, I wish I had worn walking shoes instead of my boots, as I would have loved to explore further.
Mirador de Aldehuela and Balcón del Coño Lookout
There is a great look out called the Balcón del Coño, which is near the main park, Alameda del tajo, here there are amazing views of the bridge, out over the countryside and into the mountains, it is absolutely stunning. I woke up early and spent a couple of hours here, mindfully wandering and taking in the view. It was just me and a man walking his dog, so peaceful.
I was so glad I did this because later on in the afternoon when I came back, there was a bus load of tourists there!
City walls
I spent a good portion of the day exploring the city walls. Ronda’s position of elevation gave it a huge advantage historically, it was very well protected against potential attacks. The city is surrounded by huge walls and they are very well preserved, offering insight into the past. You can explore around the walls and through the Gates to Ronda, which would have been the main entrance into the city. On my walk around the walls, I also stumbled upon the Jardins de Cuenca. The views from here are fantastic.
Plaza de Toros
There is also the Ronda Bullring, I only went outside it, as I did not know at the time that this bullring plays an important role in Spanish history. It is the oldest bullring in Spain and the birthplace of modern bullfighting and built completely from stone. Bullfighting while controversial, takes place here once a year, otherwise the bullring is open as a museum for the remainder of the year.
Where to stay
I stayed at the Pension Hostal Ronda Sol, which I found through Hostelworld for only €19. It was basic but clean and the staff were friendly and it was very centrally located. For the price it was a bargain, a single room at a dorm price, so I definitely couldn’t complain about that. There was also a free breakfast at the café down the street, where you can have bread with olive oil and tomato, orange juice and coffee, a typical Andalcuían breakfast.
How to get here
Ronda makes a great day trip from Málaga, Seville or Córdoba. I personally stayed overnight so I could see the sunset from the bridge, so I would definitely recommend staying one night if possible. You can take the train here in about 2 hours from any of those cities.
Ronda is stunning and well worth a visit. It is more touristy than a lot of the other pueblos I visited, but it is not hard to see why, Ronda is a very photogenic town. It is now the third most visited place in Andalucía, after Granada and Seville, but doesn’t have that fast pace tourist feel. So be sure to add Ronda to your Spanish travel itinerary to take the time to unwind and soak up the scenery.
Via Verde
Biorganic Ibiza
Bike along the coast
The Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) has some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, but it is also known to be over developed and super busy, particularly if you head west. This is why I decided to head East along the coast, to discover Nerja, which has managed to keep its small town charm. Though you would definitely be forgiven if you forgot you were in Spain with all the British and Scandinavian expats around – I was surprised to see English translations in the supermarkets!
Coffee
