Ronda.
We wrote this article from Marbella 360 because we believe that, at some point during their visit, a high percentage of tourists who come to the Costa del Sol will decide to visit Ronda, the dream city.
At Marbella 360, we have the advantage that one of our team members is originally from Ronda. Therefore, the information is firsthand, albeit with the personal perspective of the individual. In any case, we believe this article will be useful to anyone visiting the city who may not have prior knowledge of what to see or what to eat. Ronda is reached from the Costa del Sol via mountain roads, as it is nestled in the Serranía de Ronda, a mountain range whose highest peak is La Torrecilla, at 1,919 meters, and which forms part of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.

The main access road is the A397, a beautiful scenic road with an exceptional surface, as are the views along the way. It does have many curves, many indeed… but on the other hand, the road is wide enough to allow three cars to pass each other at any point along its entire length.
Ronda rises on a plateau that has been carved out over thousands of years by the Guadalevín River, which, through its relentless erosion of the rock, has created the famous Tajo de Ronda gorge. The word “tajo” in Spanish, according to the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary, means “a longitudinal cut made with something sharp.” That is the impression one gets when looking out from the balconies of the Puente del Tajo (Bridge of the Gorge): that the rock has been “cut” with a single slash… and the view on either side of the bridge is truly magnificent.

This gorge dramatically divides the city into two main parts: “La Ciudad” (The City) and the San Francisco neighborhood on one side; And the Mercadillo, which comprises the entire modern part of Ronda. These two parts are connected by the famous “Puente del Tajo,” known locally as the “Puente Nuevo” (New Bridge), which boasts nearly 250 years of history, and by two others: one from the 18th century known as the “Puente Viejo” (Old Bridge) and an earlier one, known as the “Puente de San Miguel” (San Miguel Bridge), built in the 13th century.

“La Ciudad” (The City) is Ronda’s old town, a vast area with sturdy cobblestone streets and dotted with palaces, convents, and churches. It is largely enclosed by a wall of Arab origin, as are the “Baños Árabes” (Arab Baths), which we can confidently say are the best preserved on the entire peninsula and are open to the public. Without a doubt, the essential part of visiting this beautiful town is its old town.
In the modern part, the Mercadillo, lies the bustling “Calle de la Bola” (Ball Street), actually called Carrera Espinel in honor of its famous son, the writer and inventor Vicente Espinel. The famous Ronda Bullring, while not the oldest, boasts the largest arena. Beautiful, with its arcades and seats made of Spanish fir (Pinsapo), a species endemic to the Ronda mountain range, the Plaza de Toros de Ronda is a must-see. The Alameda del Tajo is another essential stop, a spectacular botanical park featuring dozens of balconies overlooking the sheer cliffs of the plateau on which the city sits, cliffs that reach heights of 120 meters.

We won’t elaborate further, but rather let the Ronda tourist office advise you on the best options for visiting, depending on the season, your preferences, and your abilities. They offer a wide range of information tailored to the myriad visitors the city receives each year.

In our next post, we’ll recommend a couple of places for appetizers and tapas, as well as some of the many excellent restaurants in Ronda.