Ronda

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

Ronda - chasm - Krista photo

1. The New Bridge is an awe-inspiring sight

2. We made a great decision to overnight in Ronda to see the city, the bridge in the night light.

3. the panorama views from the Alameda del Tajo (a public park)

4. the heart-stirring performance of a street musician, a super guitarist at Plaza Duquesa de Parcent (playing Everybody's Talkin' , the theme from Midnight Cowboy)

5. There are no tall modern buildings, so the cityscape is well protected.

6. gorgeous view from Paseo de Ernest Hemingway and El Balcón del Coño (a lookout)

7. heavenly gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp in boiling olive oil), served in a small pot and accompanied by fresh, crispy bread (pan de pueblo), in the small, cozy Santa Maria restaurant (Calle ARMIÑAN, 40 | Esq. C / González Campos 1)

8. In Daver patisseries, one or two very delicious cookies

9. Plaza del Socorro between 6 pm and 8 pm with a lot of locals a multitude of likable locals - we did not miss the tourists

Dislikes

1. Terrible tourist crowd daytime: As Ronda is close to popular seaside resorts, hundreds of tour buses come here for a day trip.

2. Expensive street parking

3. The new part of the town is boresome

4. It was tough to find a free table in the Santa Maria restaurant mentioned above in Likes' list.

5. Landscapes are beautiful when driving from the seaside to Ronda, but I couldn’t entirely enjoy that while sitting at the wheel.

6. The waiter added the bread to the cheque in the main square's pizzeria, though we did not even touch that basket, neither ordered one. We did not like the cheeky explanation of the waiter.

Opinions

Ronda - Puente Nuevo (New bridge) - Krista photo

Practicals

Transport

There are very few free parking places in Ronda. You must be fortunate to find one. You may prefer the parking garage under the Plaza del Socorro (10 Euro/day). From there, the bullring only a two minutes walk. Monitored parking garages are the safest option.
If you don't feel like driving, you can get to Ronda by bus or train from various coastal cities. Bus tickets are available for 10 € each way, depending on the starting point, train tickets are from 14 €.

Food

Shopping

Ronda - Calle La Bola (Ball Street) - Krista photo

Fun

Ronda - statue of a bullfighter - a Chinese tourist should definitely imitate the sculptures when it comes to photography - Krista photo

Ronda - cafe - Krista photo

Others

Ronda - view - Krista photo

Ronda - roofs of Ronda - Krista photo

Ronda - roofs - Krista photo

Background

Ronda - Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) - Krista photo

Destination in brief

Ronda is in the province of Malaga, at the mouth of the Rio Guadalevin, at the Andalusian mountain range called Serranía de Ronda.

Population (in 2020): 34,000

Ronda is divided into two parts by the El Tajo Gorge (120 m/393 ft deep), which rises above the Gudalevin River: the Moorish old town (La Cuidad) on one side, and the 15th-century El Mercadillo, the New Town on the other. Three bridges connect the two sides of the city: the oldest and smallest is the Moorish Roman Bridge, then there is a 16th-century Puente Viejo (old bridge) and finally an 18th-century Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), which is the most famous and most photogenic.

Ronda is easy to explore because the main attractions are within a 5-minute walk. The New Town offers more spectacular views. We emphasize that Ronda is not a city where the tourist should focus on visiting museums and churches. It is a tourist destination for hanging around and searching for lookout points (miradors).