Ronda

Ronda is a town in Malaga in Spain. Set in and around a deep gorge spanned by an impressive bridge, the relaxing atmosphere here is a great break from some of the more tourist-ridden places on the south coast of Spain, however it can still be packed with day-trippers from the Costa del Sol, especially during the peak summer months.

Understand
Ronda was first settled by the early Celts, and later inhabited by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. The Moors left an indelible imprint in the city, which only fell to the Christian reconquista in 1485. In more modern times, the town has hosted a number of well-known writers, including Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles, James Joyce, and the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

Ronda is divided into three neighbourhoods: the more modern Mercadillo, with the bus and train stations and other services; La Ciudad, the old Moorish quarter which has been largely preserved; and the Barrio de San Francisco. The town makes a good base for outdoor pursuits, including hiking, canoeing and river kayaking, and mountain biking.



Read

 * Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls. The execution scene in Chapter 10 is based upon events which took place in Ronda during the Spanish Civil War.

By train


A taxi from the train station to the quarter of La Ciudad should cost about €7, or it takes about 20 minutes to reach it on foot.

By car
From Marbella on the Costa del Sol, the scenic road A-376 leads through the mountains north. Plan on 1-1½ hours for the 43-km journey, which after many hairpin curves reaches an elevation of 1,125 m before descending to Ronda. At the highest point is a monument to the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, in the form of a stone memorial with a stylized pen nib.

For a scenic route from Seville, head south on A-376 to Utrera, and then take A-375 to Puerta Serrana, and A-384/374 further on to Ronda.

From Jerez de la Frontera, take A-382 west to Arcos de la Frontera, continue on A-384 past the exit to Puerta Serrana and Seville, and pick up A-374 to Ronda.

Distances to Ronda: Madrid 612 km, Algeciras 100 km, Cadiz 150 km

Get around
Ronda is a small town, both easily and best navigated on foot.

While driving in by car may be interesting - once within Ronda - park it! Ronda is difficult to navigate by car, especially in the older quarters. In some parts - non-resident cars aren't even allowed to use the streets! There are two reasonably convenient public car parks in the Mercadillo: an underground garage beneath the ; and another on Avenida Poeta Rilke, north of the bull ring.

Mercadillo

 * Also located inside is a bullfighting museum.
 * Also located inside is a bullfighting museum.

La Ciudad
The old district of Ronda, beyond the new bridge. Full of twisting, narrow streets.



Buy
Ronda is noted for distinctive white enamelled ceramic, which is used for everyday domestic ware. There are plenty of ATMs dotted about the Mercadillo, or the main commercial district.



Eat
Avoid the restaurants in the tourist area during the day, as they are overpriced and often only full of other tourists! Look for smaller cafes and bars.

A quick breakfast usually consists of toast (pan tostada) and coffee (cafe con leche – coffee with milk; be sure to add the pack of sugar always served with it for a real treat.)

Look for bakeries (pastelerias), as Spain has some of the finest pastries around.

Budget
Any bar will be able to make you a sandwich (bocadillo) with your choice of ham, cheese, or tomato.



Drink
Near Ronda, high quality wines are produced in small wineries. Also you can find "Anis del Tajo".



Sleep
There are plenty of hotels in the area of town tourists are likely to want to stay, on some streets it looks like more of the buildings are hotels than are not.

Go next
Ronda is a district hub for the bus services to other pueblo blanco towns and villages such as Montejaque, Benaojan and Zahara la Sierra. Most of these villages have at least one weekday service, while others have up to three services a day.