Standing atop a towering plateau, Ronda remains one of the most popular Andalucían destinations. A plunging river gorge, El Tajo divides the city into two. On one side of the gorge is the old Moorish town, which contains many historic edifices and on the other side is El Mercadillo, a newer urban development. El Mercadillo, the modern area is the main shopping area and where the bull ring can be found.

 

The 18th century Puente Nuevo spans El Tajo and provides access to the two sides of Ronda, with the famous rio Guadalevín river flowing beneath. The bridge offers spectacular views of the Serranía de Ronda Mountains and should be on top of every visitor’s must-see list. Because of its high perch in the mountains Ronda is often referred to as “The Eagles’ Nest.”

 

Ronda is renowned as the birthplace of the modern form of bullfighting on foot rather than the ancient form of bull-fighting where horse-back riding matadors faced the wild bulls. Today bull-fighting is held only once annually in September at the spine-tingling Feria Goyesca festival . The bull ring, Real Maestranza de Ronda at the Plaza de Toros, is otherwise a museum where visitors can amble about in the arena.

Ronda’s history is jam packed with conquests and more conquests, which over time altered the topography as well as the character of the place many times over.

 

The 1580 earthquake destroyed many of the city’s buildings, including the main church, which has down the years been only partially rebuilt. This earthquake permanently and drastically changed the physical features of the town.

The Peninsular War in 1810 re-shaped the city again when the castle and other defenses were blown up and yet again in the Civil War that lasted from 1936 – 1939. This time it was the churches that were targeted. During the Reconquista, its strategic location enabled Ronda to outlast many other cities before it finally fell to the Christians.

 

Very soon Ronda developed into two distinctly different sections. La Ciudad (the town) is developed at the site of the original citadel. To its west is El Mercadillo, the street market, an area where considerable development and expansion has rapidly taken place. Both areas are linked by several bridges that span the famous ravine that divides them.

 

Ronda began attracting tourists by the 1960s. Bullfighting and the combined enthusiasm of Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway rapidly made Ronda into a popular non-coastal vacation destination in Spain.

The highlight of any visit to Rhonda is going across any one of the three bridges that span the El Tajo, the deep gorge that splits the town into two distinct parts. The Puente Nuevo, at 200 years, is the newest and the grandest of all the three bridges. Marvel at the unparallel views of the Serranía de Ronda Mountains as you go across from the old city of Ronda to the newer development of El Mercadillo.

 

You can also choose to descend the Tajo at the West side, from where you can get extraordinary photographs of the Puente Nuevo Bridge bathed in the afternoon sunlight.

 

The many beautiful 14th century baths in the city are also worth visiting.

 

Spend a day exploring the many ancient monuments and ruins in the old Islamic town. When you have had enough of the past, cross the Puente Nuevo and spend time rambling around the bullring, where modern bullfighting was established by three generations of the Romero family.

 

With everything else you plan on doing in Ronda, do include the Cueva de Pileta, which is just a half-hour’s drive away. The caves with paintings that are 25,000 years old, offer a unique look into the past.

 

If you plan your trip around the first week of September, you can experience the thrill and the gore of the Feria Goyesca de Pedro. The highlight of this fair is the bullfight that is held on the first Saturday of September. Toreros put on traditional bullfighting gear from the 18th and 19th centuries, which were also called the Goyesque Period. Before the bullfight commences, a procession of horse-drawn carriages weaves its way through the town and ends finally at the bullring. Everybody who participates in this parade is dressed complete in Goyesque costume.

With the increasing number of people wishing to buy holiday/permanent homes or to holiday in this stunning town, tourism plays a very large part in the town’s economy. Also Ronda’s ideal location - just 1 hour drive from Marbella, 1.5 hour drive from Sevilla and 1 hour from Malaga has boosted the housing and construction industry.