This
is one of Andalucia's loveliest towns, situated in the mountains and
surrounded by white villages, many of them of Arab in origin. Though its
recent past history is one of bullfighters and bandits it is more
famous today for its huge gorge, the El Tajo. The town is perched 100m
above the gorge which forms part of a 700m deep ravine created by the
Guadalevin river which divides the town in two. On one side of the gorge
is the "new town" with its bullring and bullfighting museum and on the
other the older, more intimate town with its historic sites and
buildings, including the old town hall which is now a Paradore hotel.
The gorge is spanned by a stone bridge, the Puente Nuevo, (new bridge),
which was built in the 18th century and which once housed a prison. The
story goes that the designer of the bridge fell off/threw himself off /
was pushed off during the opening ceremony, but no Spanish tourist
literature which we have read tells this story! The aforementioned
bullring is the oldest in Spain and claimed by the town to be the most
beautiful. The bullring is open to visitors on non-fight days and the
adjacent museum is fascinating. Ronda is situated 50km north of the
coastal resort of San Pedro de Alcantara, about an hours drive from
Marbella and Puerto Banus, and is connected by a twisting mountain road
used daily by day trippers who want to see this, one of the most
fascinating towns in all of Andalucia with its traditional charm.
For a more in-depth insight of this wonderful town, visit the following great website http://www.rondatoday.com/
