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What is Ronda best known for?

The village of Ronda is one of the top destinations in southern Spain. Ronda is best known for its bridge. This is the main tourist attraction, but there are many other interesting things to see in your visit.

The Bridges

The famous Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) crosses between the steep, jarring Tajo Gorge. Part of the town is on one side of the gorge, while the other half is on the other side. The Guadalevín River runs through it. El Tajo Gorge is 328 feet (100 meters) deep. One of the best things you can do here is to view the bridge and gorge from multiple perspectives: from the top, middle, and foot of the gorge.

The New Bridge is not actually all that new though. It was completed after 40 years of construction in 1793, making it nearly as old as the U.S. Constitution (1787).

As the name New Bridge implies, there is also an Old Bridge in Ronda. This bridge dates back to 1616 and is located elsewhere in town. Furthermore, there is a third bridge: Puente Romano. This bridge dates back to the Moorish period which ranged from the 9th to 15th centuries. You can visit these two other bridges in Ronda as well.

Bullfighting

Ronda is also well known for bullfighting. Ronda is the birthplace of modern Spanish bullfighting. It was in the 18th century that a matador, Francisco Romero, faced a bull on foot for the first time, rather than from horseback. The prior style from horseback was known as Jerez style.

You can visit the historic bullring. The Plaza de Toros de Ronda is the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain. The Corrida Goyesca is an annual bullfight and festival that takes places here once a year.

Natural Landscape

Ronda is part of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. Approved in 2019, this is one of the newest national parks in Spain. It is the country’s 16th national park. Within the national park there is a great deal of biodiversity, but the Spanish fir tree forest is a hallmark feature of the territory.

The rocky landscape is also notable for its rough terrain. There are many caves throughout the region. Bandits were known hide out in the caves. Moreover, the caves provided shelter to fighters during the Civil War.

Hemingway and Welles Tribute

If you enjoy American literature and cinema, you may be interested to learn that there are two monuments to Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles in Ronda. Read more below to find out why.

Where is Ronda?

Ronda is located in the Andalucía community of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula. This is the southernmost autonomous community in Spain where you can also find the cities of Sevilla, Granada, and Málaga. Ronda can be found in the mountain terrain of the Sierra Morena and Baetric System.

Ronda is 344 miles from Madrid, 80 miles from Sevilla, and 65 miles from Málaga.

The Easiest Way to Get to Ronda from Málaga

The simplest way to visit Ronda from Málaga is to take a bus for a day trip. Buses are reliable and cheap. Ronda is also a small village, so you do not need your own car to get around. It is a very walkable town.

To get to Ronda by bus, you leave from the main Málaga bus station located at Paseo Los Tilos. The station is primarily outdoors but has plenty of shade and many benches. There is a small indoor area with lockers if you need them. You can also find snacks and refreshments at the bus station.

The ride to Ronda takes about 2 hours. Ronda is 65 miles (105 kilometers) west of Málaga. There are several bus lines that can take you there, in addition to organized tours if you prefer. Damas operates a direct service, with several stops along the way but no need to change buses. They depart frequently from early morning to late evening. This allows you to spend a whole day or even half a day in Ronda.

Another bus service is Avanza Grupo. They are usually cheaper than Damas, but they have a less frequent schedule and more stops. This means it will take you about 3 hours to get there with this bus service instead of 2 hours.

The bus station in Ronda is small. In summer 2022, there were no refreshments nor snacks sold at the Ronda bus station. There is a bathroom available for a small payment inside the station.

Related: Two Days in Malaga, Spain

Alternatively, you could take the train to Ronda. The main provider is Renfe. However, the train will cost more and is a slower than the bus in most cases. The train route has a stopover and train change in Antequera-Santa Ana.

Where to find the best view of the Ronda Bridge?

Here are the top 3 spots to see the bridge, in ranking order:

1. Mirador Puente de Ronda

Marked in blue on the map below, this is THE best view of the bridge. If you only have time to view it from one perspective, this is the spot.

2. Mirador de Cuenca

Marked in red/maroon on the map below, the second-best view is the Mirador de Cuenca. Here you are below the bridge, but there is low contrast between the the bridge and rock face behind it.

3. Mirador de Aves

Marked in yellow in the map below, the third best view is at the same elevation as the bridge. Here you peek over the edge of the railing to look downwards at the bridge.

Best Time to Go

Ronda is hottest in July and August. In the summer, temperatures are usually a high of 87 and low of 62 °F (31-17 °C). In the winter, temperatures are lowest in December and January, reaching average lows of about 39 °F (4 °C).

Spring and fall are the best time to visit Ronda as the temperatures are most comfortable. However, there is usually a good chance of rain in the spring and fall. You’ll find the lowest chance of rain in Ronda during July and August. March is the rainiest month with an average of 2.5 inches (7 centimeters) of rainfall.

If you’re willing to brave the hotter temperatures, Ronda hosts an August festival. Usually at the end of August, the Folklore Association hosts an annual festival of dance and culture in Ronda. The main shopping avenue becomes decorated hundreds of colorful paper globes.

What’s the connection between Hemingway and Ronda?

Twentieth century American author Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time in Spain. He reported on the Spanish Civil War for American News Alliance. Reporting on the war and traveling through Spain during such a time of distress influenced the basis of Hemingway’s highly regarded work, For Whom the Bell Tolls. Chapter 10 of For Whom the Bell Tolls is thought to depict actual events that occurred during the war in Ronda. The scene describes Fascist sympathizers being thrown off a cliff.

Beyond his coverage of the war, he was also known to visit Spain frequently throughout his life and attended many bullfights.

In your visit to Ronda, you can find a monument to Ernest Hemingway near the bullring.

Sitting alongside the Hemingway monument is a sister tribute to Orson Welles. Welles, a prolific American filmmaker, had his ashes laid to rest in Ronda. His tribute reads:

A man is not from where he was born but from where he chooses to die and Ronda was chosen. He wanted to be a “Rodeño” forever.

Ronda City Council 2015

Related: Around the World in 27 Books

Do you need to know Spanish in Ronda?

Spanish language skills will be very helpful in Ronda, Spain. As it is a smaller town, there are fewer English speakers. Many of the restaurants however have English menus upon request. You should not assume this will be an option though. Come prepared with your translator app already downloaded if you do not have international or local data.

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