Woke up early to catch our 8am train to Ronda. By the time we got to Ronda, it was 11am, too early to check into our Airbnb. Luckily, we were able to store both our luggage at Hotel Andalusia located right across the train station for 5€ before heading into town. Ronda is small. There is one train arriving daily, and 2 departing (7am and 7pm). One can technically stop by Ronda, store the luggage at Hotel Andalusia, and explore the town for a few hours while en route between the bigger cities like Sevilla, Granada, and Malaga. We decided to stay a night to enjoy the town.
Most come to Ronda for the Puente Nuevo that spans across the El Tajo gorge and its bullring, as it is the birthplace of modern day bullfighting. Instead of riding on horseback in medieval times, fighters face the bull on foot.
Since we had already toured a bullring in Sevilla, we opted to skip this one. One interesting tidbit about the origin of the red capes that bullfighters wear – the red capes are used to camouflage all the blood, not to provoke the bulls as bulls are color blind.A church in the new town Ronda has likewise attracted famous authors the likes of Hemingway, Oren Wells, and Washington Irving over the years. The tiled mural contains quotes from famous authors professing their awe in Ronda’s beauty.We made our way to the top of the Puente Nuevo , and got a wonderful view of the gorge and Puente Viejo down below. However, in order to get a view of the Puente Nuevo, we needed to hike down to the old bridge.On our way down, we came across the Palacio del Marques de Salvatierra. The palace was gifted to the Salvatierra family when Muslim properties were divvied up after the Christian conquer in 1485. The family continues to inhabit here to this day. Interesting façade – Baroque with a touch of Peruvian aborigineViewed from Puente Viejo, Puente Arabe is the oldest and smallest of the three bridges that spans the gorge.A close up view of the Puente Viejo Finally, a full view of Puente Nuevo, completed in 1793 after 34 years of construction. The bridge separates the new and old towns, and gives Ronda a medieval feel. During the 1936-1939 civil war the chamber above the center arch served as a torture room. Prisoners of war were sometimes tossed down into the gorge 390ft below.View of Puente Viejo from Puente ArabeA scenic trail with the new town in the background
Satisfied with having seen all 3 bridges, we were ready for lunch.
Spicy caramelized chorizo
Costilla Cerdo Asada
Abanico Ibérico
The food at Las Tablas in old town was absolutely amazing! It was hands down the best I’ve had on this entire trip.The restaurant uses its own unique decanter that you can purchase.
Joe had previously spotted hot chocolate and churros in the new town, so we decided to skip dessert at the restaurant and head over for some hot chocolate on a fall day.
Making our way through the streets of old town. We felt that the houses in Ronda are better maintained than the ones in Granada. Owners seem to have more pride in ownership of their homes.Churros and hot chocolate at Churrería Alba
Finally, we made our way back to Hotel Andalusia to pick up our luggage as it was time to check in.
Here is the reason why I had booked this particular Airbnb for Ronda. The view from our balconies is unmatched.Nighttime view, which you won’t be able to see if you need to catch that 7pm train out of town.
FIRE'd @ 47 