Trips from Malaga: Ronda



Last weekend was my last free weekend during this on-the-job learning period, and wanted to finally visit Ronda. I have to admit that before coming to Malaga, I hadn't even heard about the town - something I now consider incredible. In Malaga, however, several people had told me that if I wanted to go somewhere outside Malaga, Ronda would be an excellent choice. 

I knew Ronda was situated in a mountainous area, and had seen pictures of its exceptionally beautiful landscape and of its perhaps most emblematic feature, the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge). So, when I got off the bus after an hour and 45 minutes' journey from Malaga, my expectations were high. And I was not disappointed.


I loved absolutely everything about Ronda: the people were friendly, the food was excellent, the air was fresh, and I could have stared at the landscape for hours. I even loved the hotel I stayed in (Berlanga), even though it was a bit far from the center, located in an industrial park type of area and had only the basic necessities.

For me, Ronda is without a doubt one of the most impressive places I have visited in Spain, or elsewhere. And I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Ernst Hemingway and Orson Welles, among others, spent many summers in Ronda, wrote about its beauty, and helped to make the town famous.

Yes, there are a lot of tourists, so if you want to go somewhere nobody's ever been to before, don't go to Ronda. Being a tourism student, I'm happy that so many people have found Ronda, and it takes nothing away from the beauty of the city. Though of course there is always the risk of an overflow of people wanting to visit a certain place.

Ronda is one of the oldest towns in Spain. It’s probably best known for the more than 100 meters deep El Tajo gorge that, together with the river Guadalevin, divides the town in two. The gorge and the Puente Nuevo bridge that crosses it are right in the center of the town, so you cannot miss them.




Puente Nuevo was built during the latter part of the 18th century. The work took more than 30 years in total. Coming from the center of the town and crossing the bridge, you will arrive at the old Moorish part of Ronda. Here you will find for example the Palacio del Rey Moro (The Moorish King’s Palace). The actual palace house is under renovation at the moment, but you can visit a small garden and a water mine. The mine was built in the beginning of the 14th century, when Ronda was an independent Islamic kingdom. There are more than 200 steps that lead down to the river Guadalevin, an important water supply back in the day.


When you take the first right after crossing the Puente Nuevo and keep walking, you will arrive at a path that takes you all the way down the canyon. The walk is not very hard nor very long, but good walking shoes are recommended.


Ronda is located about 100 kilometers west of Malaga and is easily reachable by bus. The journey takes 1 hour and 45 minutes, and one-way ticket costs (September 2017) 10,68 €. The bus company is called Los Amarillos and there are various departures throughout the day. You can by the tickets either directly from the driver or from the bus station. At the Malaga bus station, the company Los Amarillos has their own ticket booth, so be sure to go there because the other booths won’t sell you tickets to Ronda.



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