Ronda
is one of Andalusia's loveliest towns, steeped in history. It
stands on a towering plateau in the mountains of Málaga Province,
which made it impregnable to the Christian armies until the very last
years ot the Reconquest, and is famous through Spain for the plunging
river gorge which divides the medieval from the 18th century parts
of the town. This gorge is known as 'El Tajo' -The Cliff and is spanned
by a stone bridge which is known as 'Puente Nuevo' - New Bridge, which
is the chief landmark for all itineraries and which one housed a prison.
Ronda is the quarter to the North of the gorge, called 'El Mercadillo',
with the 'Plaza de España', the site of Ronda's recently built
'Parador', the spectacular walkway along the river gorge with superb
views of the countryside below. This walkway leads to Ronda´s
lovely 'Mirador', with colourful flower beds and a railing for sightseers
to lean against as the gaze into the distance. Visitors love to peer
down into the gorge, to see the waters of the River Guadaleví.
You
can walk from Plaza de España and the bullring up the Calle
Nueva, Ronda's pedestrian shopping district, where some of the shops
still retain their traditional appearance and style. It is very popular
with day-trippers from the Costa del Sol, and has a wide range of
cafés and restaurants. However, it retains all of its traditional
charm and languid atmosphere.
Ronda
is located 60 km -1 hour's drive- from Málaga. The road winds
up through the mountains of the Sierra Bermeja, and the descends into
the Serranía de Ronda and the town itself.