Ronda is a historical city in Andalucia, famous for its wine and arch bridge. There are plenty of things to do in Ronda with a wide range of attractions, old buildings, shops, and beautiful squares.Â
The city is located in the province of Malaga in the region of Andalucia. Ronda is located on a plateau in a mountainous area 750 meters above sea level.
El Tajo de Ronda
The Tajo de Ronda is the name of the gaping gorge that cuts the city in half. It has National Monument status, along with monumental size. This gorge is 500 meters long and 100 meters deep, causing a dramatic drop and a very picturesque landscape, right in the middle of the city.
The GuadalevÃn River runs through it, and you can also find La Caldera, which is a hollow where the original city of Ronda was formed.
Paseo de Ernest Hemingway
The American writer Ernest Hemingway was great friends with Antonio Ordoñez, a famous Spanish bullfighter from Ronda. His relationship with Ordoñez and Ronda itself is so special, he had a street named after him.
And not just any street—Paseo de Ernest Hemingway is one of the city’s most beautiful promenades. It stretches behind the bullring towards the Alameda park, with gorgeous views of the neighboring mountains.
Puente Nuevo
Puente Nuevo means new bridge, but there’s nothing new about this one unless it’s compared to the Old Bridge. This 230-year-old bridge stretches 66 meters across the Ronda Gorge, and it is an emblem of the city and one of the most photographed bridges in Spain.
The arched structure is breathtaking, hanging over the 100-meter-deep drop. One of the arches has a chamber that was once used to torture and hold enemies.
The bridge is the work of architect José Martin de Aldehuela and it took 42 years to build. It’s one of the main attractions in Ronda.
Arab Baths
Ronda’s Arab Baths are located in the old Jewish quarter of the city. They were built over 700 years ago, then abandoned and slowly buried by floods and natural decay.
These Arab baths have now been preserved and are open to the public. They are widely believed to be the best-preserved Arab baths on the whole peninsula, with a four-room setup including the changing room, a cold pool room, a warm room, and a hot room.
Palacio de Mondragón
Mondragón Palace in Ronda is the grandest non-religious monument in the area. Believed to be the residence of the son of a Moroccan king, the somewhat small building is full of lush details and beautiful tiles.
The Palace includes a water garden, which looks out on the cliffs. The top floor is a museum with exhibits on local history. It is believed to date back to 1314, although the building itself has been renovated and refurbished several times.
The outer building, with its two small towers at the entryway, is from the 1700s.
Iglesia de Santa MarÃa La Mayor
This church was originally a Muslim Mosque in the 1300s. Located in the Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, it is Ronda’s most imposing church.
Inside the church, you can see a fresco of Christopher Columbus by Ronda’s famed artist Jose de Ramos.
Alameda Del Tajo
The Alameda de Tajo is the city’s green space. Outfitted and opened in the 1800s, it is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike to seek a bit of nature and peace.
It is composed of five wide tree-lined avenues, as well as hundreds of trees, some of them over 200 years old. You can find the most popular trees used in local gardening, from the acacia pine to the Himalayan cedar.
Be sure to take your evening stroll along the Alameda like a local, and enjoy one of the best viewpoints in Ronda.
Dona Felisa Winery
Finca Doña Felisa is a family-run winery outside of Ronda, a perfect daytrip for anyone interested in wine and rural tourism. José Maria and his family live and work there, though their family has roots in La Rioja and Burgos, Spain’s other wine country.
Founded in 1999, the bodega produces red, white, sweet, and rosé wines. The winery is open for visiting and tasting, and is a great example of wines in the D.O. Sierras de Málaga. Pay them a visit to taste local terroir.
Puente Viejo
The Puente Viejo, or Old Bridge, predates Ronda’s new bridge by about 200 years. Built in the 16th century, this was the important link between the Mercadillo and the city of Ronda until the Puente Nuevo was completed.
However, the bridge was quite steep and not easy to traverse in inclement weather or without good gears or strong horses. This bridge was originally built to connect the ancient Moorish market area with the new buildings that were surging as the city bloomed after the conquest.
The bridge has a single arch and features balconies that were added on in the 60s. It’s one of many historical attractions in Ronda.
Casa del Rey Moro
The House of the Moorish King is a group of structures that tells an important part of Ronda’s history. The actual house is a Neomudejar style that dates back to the early 1900s, and it is surrounded by a garden designed by the Frenchman Jean Nicolas Forestier in 1912.
The oldest part of the complex is the Water Mine, which dates back to the time of Muslim reign in AndalucÃa. The Water Mine is the best example in all of Spain of this type of structure, and the engineering feat can be visited by heading down the gorge to the GuadelevÃn River.
Museo Lara
Ronda has a hidden treasure, located in the city’s historic quarter, that is surely one of the most unique museums in Spain. Founded by Juan Antonio Lara Jurado, Museo Lara is dedicated to this man’s private collections, which include all manner of vintage antiques and paraphernalia.
The most striking part of Lara’s collection is held in the cellar: a dark exhibit on the Inquisition, witchcraft, and black magic. From taxidermy animals to a werewolf fashioned from dog bones and clay, the collection at Museo Lara is surprising and mystical, and definitely worth a visit.
Nuestra Señora del Socorro
The Iglesia del Socorro dates back only as far as the 20th century, as the church formerly in its place burned down in 1936.
An early hermitage was demolished to make way for the original church, inaugurated in 1709. The grounds also held a chapel, a hospital, and a Muslim place of worship.
Bodega Garcia Hidalgo
The Garcia Hidalgo winery was founded in 2006 in the GuadalcobacÃn Valley and is one of the most popular wineries for enotourism in the area. Located in Llano de la Cruz, the bodega produces only 12,000 bottles a year, using only their own grapes.
At 500 meters above sea level, the quality of the land and grape is high, and the Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot grapes produced here are fabulous.
The harvest here is done manually to avoid pressing the grape before it gets to production. The utmost care is taken at every stop. The visit takes you around the vineyard and for a tasting of the winery’s unique wines.
Casa don Bosco
This palatial house has long symbolized the noble heritage of Ronda. The Moorish architecture and the large balcony, above a door crowned by the Granadinos family shield, make up a beautiful façade.
The interior is open, with a large square courtyard that holds a cistern and Tuscan columns. Right in the center of Ronda, on the edge of the gorge, it was donated by the family to the Salesian priests of the area.
The house and its gardens are open to visitors.
Puerta de Almocábar
The Puerto de Almocábar is the old gateway to the city, situated next to Plaza Ruedo de Alameda. The construction is an imposing wall with rounded towers and three arches.
It once served as a shelter for the guards of the city. Almocábar comes from the Arabic “Al-maqabir”, which means cemetery, denoting its proximity to the Moorish cemetery.
In 1485, this spot was the location of the Castilian advance in 1485 that wrested Ronda from Moorish hands.
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