By air
Málaga (AGP), ~1.5 h by road
Europe · Spain
Ronda, Spain
A white town split by a deep gorge
Getting there
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October — mild
Don't miss
The Puente Nuevo
The Plaza de Toros
The Mondragón Palace
The Arab Baths
Things to do
The Puente Nuevo
The bullring
The white villages around
Where to eat
What to pack
Walking shoes
A quieter corner
The path down into the gorge, for the view up at the bridge
Questions travellers ask
When is a good time to visit Ronda?
April to June and September to October, when it's mild. Bring walking shoes.
What should I not miss in Ronda?
The Puente Nuevo, the Plaza de Toros, the Mondragón Palace and the Arab Baths. While you're there, try the oxtail stew, rabo de toro.
How can I see Ronda's bridge from below?
Take the path down into the gorge for the view up at the bridge. Afterwards, explore the white villages around Ronda.
Which airport do I use for Ronda?
Málaga (AGP), about 1.5 hours away by road.
About Ronda
- Mountains
Where it is
Ronda is a town in the province of Málaga in Andalusia, southern Spain, built on a plateau about 750 m high in the Serranía de Ronda mountains and split in two by El Tajo, the deep gorge of the Guadalevín river.
History
Ronda is traditionally identified with ancient Arunda, a settlement of the Iberians and Romans. After the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba it became the capital of a small taifa kingdom, and it remained a Moorish stronghold until the Crown of Castile seized it in 1485; the Puente Nuevo, completed in 1793, joined the two halves of the town across the gorge.
People
Rondeños speak Andalusian Spanish, and bullfighting runs deep in local tradition: the Romero family of matadors, above all Pedro Romero, shaped the modern bullfight, and each year the Corrida Goyesca is fought in costumes inspired by Goya. The surrounding hills produce wine, olive oil and cured meats.
Known for
- The Puente Nuevo over El Tajo gorge
- The Plaza de Toros, completed in 1785
- The Arab Baths
- The Mondragón Palace
- The white villages of the Serranía de Ronda
Did you know?
Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles spent many summers in Ronda, and after Welles died in 1985 his ashes were laid to rest on the country estate of his friend, the bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez, near the town.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.