Sights in Ronda
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Plaza de España
Directly across the Puente Nuevo is the main square, Plaza de España , made famous by Hemingway in his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Chapter 10 tells how early in the Civil War the 'fascists' of a small town were rounded up in the ayuntamiento (town hall), clubbed and made to walk the gauntlet between two lines of townspeople before being thrown off the cliff. The episode is based on events that took place here in Plaza de España. What was the ayuntamiento is now Ronda's parador.
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Puerta de Carlos V
The Old Town is surrounded by massive fortress walls pierced by two ancient gates: the Islamic Puerta de Almocábar, which in the 13th century was the main gateway to the castle; and the 16th-century Puerta de Carlos V . Inside, the Islamic layout remains intact, and its maze of narrow streets now takes its character from the Renaissance mansions of powerful families whose predecessors accompanied Fernando el Católico in the taking of the city in 1485.
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Puerta de Almocábar
The Old Town is surrounded by massive fortress walls pierced by two ancient gates: the Islamic Puerta de Almocábar, which in the 13th century was the main gateway to the castle; and the 16th-century Puerta de Carlos V. Inside, the Islamic layout remains intact, and its maze of narrow streets now takes its character from the Renaissance mansions of powerful families whose predecessors accompanied Fernando el Católico in the taking of the city in 1485.
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Plaza de Toros & Around
Ronda’s elegant bullring is one of the oldest in Spain – it opened in 1785 – and has seen some of the most important events in bullfighting history. It was here, in the 18th and 19th centuries, that three generations of the Romero family – Francisco, Juan and Pedro – established the basics of modern bullfighting on foot. The bullring’s museum is crammed with memorabilia, spectacular costumes and photos of famous fans including Hemingway and Orson Welles.
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Palacio del Marqués de Salvatierra
Just before you reach the Old Bridge you will pass the Palacio del Marqués de Salvatierra, a huge mansion that required the demolition of 42 houses for it to be built. Owned by the descendants of the Marqués de Moctezuma, the Governor of South America, the palace is decorated on its portal with carvings of native American Indians. The palace and all its antiques are sometimes open to the public.
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Museo del Bandolero
Museo del Bandolero is dedicated to the banditry for which central Andalucía was renowned during the 19th century. One dashing mannequin vaguely resembles Bryan Ferry, and there are plenty of striped blankets flung over shoulders, together with the tools of the bandit trade, and some of their spoils. The museum is wheelchair accessible.
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Palacio de Mondragón
Palacio de Mondragón, now an engaging museum was built for Abomelic, the ruler of Ronda in 1314. Of its three courtyards, the Patio Mudéjar still preserves an Islamic character. A horseshoe arch leads into a small clifftop garden. Various displays draw you into prehistoric caves, with hilarious wax figures depicting early lifestyles.
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Museo Taurino
The Museo Taurino is crammed with bullfighting memorabilia such as blood-spattered costumes worn by Pedro Romero and 1990's star Jesulín de Ubrique. It also includes photos of famous fans such as Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway, whose novel Death in the Afternoon provides in-depth insight into the fear and tension of the bullring.
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Casa del Rey Moro
This romantically crumbling 18th-century house, supposedly built over the remains of an Islamic palace, is itself closed, but you can visit its clifftop gardens and descend the 200 dimly lit steps of La Mina, an Islamic-era stairway cut inside the rock right down to the bottom of the gorge (take care!).
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Puente Nuevo
Straddling the dramatic gorge and the Río Guadalevín (Deep River) is Ronda's most recognisable sight, the towering Puente Nuevo, best viewed from the Camino de los Molinos, which runs along the bottom of the gorge. The bridge separates the old and new towns.
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Iglesia de Santa María La Mayor
As grand as a cathedral, stands on the site of Islamic Ronda’s main mosque. The church’s tower and the handsome galleries beside it date from Islamic times, and just inside the entrance is an arch, covered with Arabic inscriptions, which was the mosque’s mihrab.
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Alameda del Tajo Park
Behind the Plaza de Toros, spectacular cliff-top views open out from Paseo de Blas Infante and the leafy Alameda del Tajo Park nearby. The park has a good play area for younger children.
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Puente Viejo
Taking the narrow Calle Marqués de Salvatierra will bring you to the small Puente Viejo, with views down onto the river as it rushes into the gorge.
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Paseo de Blas Infante
Behind the Plaza de Toros, spectacular cliff-top views open out from Paseo de Blas Infante.
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Walks
The tourist office publishes a series of brochures (€5) highlighting eight easy hikes around Ronda, all of which start in the town itself. Distances range from 2.5km to 9.1km and visit viewpoints, old hermitages and parks. One of the best is the 4.6km SL-A38, which starts at Plaza Campillos near the Palacio de Mondragón before tracking down below the gorge (for the classic bridge photo). After winding past some old mills, it loops back uphill into the New Town.
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