Ronda is Gorges

Ronda is gorges. Mostly, Ronda is known for the deep gorges that divide the community and play such an important part in the town’s history. This town in Andalusia is still my favorite small town in Spain.

Among all the hill towns in Andalusia, Ronda stands apart – both for its natural beauty as well as its history. It is one of the White Hill Towns in southern Spain. The towns are so named because of the beautiful whitewashed facades of many of their buildings – helping keep them cool in the summer sun.

This town is primarily known for its stunning Puente Nuevo bridge (or new bridge), that links the two parts of the city sitting high above a gorge. From the bridge, you can see stunning vistas of the mountains all around the town. Completed in 1793, it took over four decades to construct the bridge, which spans the nearly 400 foot deep gorge over the Guadalevin River in the center of town. It is gorges.

The Puente Nuevo also plays a critical role in the city’s history. During the Spanish Civil War, prisoners on both sides of the conflict were flung to their deaths from the bridge. The scene inspired Ernest Hemingway to include it in his book, For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemingway was one of many artists and writers who found inspiration in the city’s beauty.

For us, we discovered one of the best things to do in Ronda is simply to walk the city and take pictures. The highlight is the beautiful views of the Puente Nuevo from all sides of the gorge, but also views from the lookout of the bridge itself. The steep trail down to the Puerta de los Molinas also offers great views of the bridge.

We could spend all day photographing the city’s bridges and the beautiful Moorish architecture. This town is simply gorges.

Ronda Visiting Information

Arriving in Ronda

We visited Ronda on a day trip between Tarifa/Algeciras and Granada. This town makes a nice stopping point to get lunch and stop over for a few hours.

Luggage Storage

After arriving in town, we tried to stash our bags in lockers at the train station, only to find them out of order (and looking rather permanently out of order). We walked several blocks down the street to a bus station, where we found the last two working lockers.

Dining Options

If you come on a Ronda day trip, time will be short. There are a number of quick service restaurants on the Plaza de Espana for lunch.