5 Tips For Spending One Day in Ronda, Spain

One of Spain’s most breathtaking regions, Andalusia has no shortage of wonderful destinations to visit. Among them, the small city of Ronda still stands out in my mind. Many of Andalusia’s best destinations, like Seville and Granada, are big places where it takes days to see all their highlights. Whereas, one day in Ronda and you’ll feel like you really know the place.

With it sitting squarely between several big name destinations, visiting Ronda couldn’t be easier to do as during your trip to southern Spain. Best of all, there’s no way you’ve seen anywhere else like it on that or any other trip, so there’s no question Ronda is worth visiting. Here are my tips for spending 24 hours in Ronda, so that you feel confident that you haven’t missed anything about this special and unique place.

See the Puente Nuevo from Below

There’s no question what the most famous sight in Ronda is. Many people, including myself, visit Ronda purely to see the city’s famous bridge, the Puente Nuevo. Spanning across El Tajo gorge that divides Ronda, crossing and admiring the “New Bridge” is number one on the list of things to do in Ronda. If you’re wondering, its name comes from the fact that the bridge was only started to be built in 1759. That’s “new” by Andalusian standards.

Although standing on top of the bridge and gazing out is quite a special view, that’s not the best place to view Puente Nuevo. The best viewpoint of this iconic bridge is really from somewhere below the bridge level to the south. It’s only from this vantage point that you can fully appreciate just how tall and striking the Puente Nuevo bridge is. That you can properly see the waterfall of the Guadelevin River below is just the cherry on top.

To get this view, first head for the Mirador de María Auxiliadora along the south side of the gorge. The path down into the gorge should then become obvious, with natural stopping points presenting themselves quite frequently. Just keep walking down, because you’ll know you’ve found the right view-point when you see it. Even though it’s a long walk down and a longer one up, if you want the best of Ronda’s most famous attraction, that’s how you get it.

Find Ronda’s Other Bridges

When it comes to what people know about Ronda, most of it revolves around Puente Nuevo. It so overwhelmingly pulls focus that they may not even realise there are two other bridges across the El Tajo gorge. And they’re actually both older than Puente Nuevo. The two bridges, Puente Viejo and Puente Arabe, are both definitely worth walking down and around to.

Standing on these two bridges, brings you much lower into the gorge and offers a fresh perspective on that impressive natural landmark. The same, I suppose, could be said of the layered stone terraces of the Jardines De Cuenca. But if you actually want to visit the bottom of El Tajo gorge, head to La Casa del Rey Moro on the far side. These beautiful palace gardens feature a series of stairs down to the Guadelevin river, which are known as the “Water Mine”.

To me what’s cool about visiting the other bridges and La Casa del Rey Moro is how they feature El Tajo gorge. Puente Nuevo is no longer hogging the spotlight and you get to admire just how beautiful other parts of this city are.

Explore the Rest of the Old Town

For that matter, there are plenty of other sights to see in Ronda that you should seek out. Sure, Ronda’s Old Town is modest in comparison to that of Granada or Seville, but you’ll enjoy exploring it nonetheless. One thing to know is that only the part of Ronda south of El Tajo gorge is the city’s Moorish Old Town. The northern side, with attractions like the renowned Plaza de Toros bullring, is considerably newer.

Even with only one day in Ronda, you should feel confident that you can explore both parts of the city on foot. I’d say the Old Town is more interesting, with its architecture and whitewashed buildings. This typical Andalusian look is found all over the region but why not enjoy it here too, right? Then there’s the also palaces and museums to be visited, not to mention the gates and walls of Ronda’s ancient fortifications.

Make Sure to See the Sunset

With its position on a hilltop, surrounded by the Sierra de las Nieves, the Sierra de Grazalema and serene rustic countryside, there’s a lot to look at in Ronda. It almost seems as if everywhere is a viewpoint in Ronda.

Then there’s the Mirador de Ronda, literally the “viewpoint of Ronda”. With its floating platform and little rotunda, you’re treated to some unparalleled landscape views. Or so I thought until I walked a little along the path back towards Puente Nuevo so that I was able to include the mirador in my photos as well.

But the real point is that most of Ronda’s viewpoints face off to the west, creating lots of perfect sunset spots. Whether it’s from Mirador de Ronda, on top of the Puente Nuevo or over at Mirador de María Auxiliadora, you’ve got good odds of watching the Spanish sun set over rolling hills and behind distant mountains. As you can see above, it’s pretty damn magical. Just because it’s not the most insightful of these Ronda tips, doesn’t mean it’s any less true.

Visiting Ronda Spain

Much like getting anywhere in Andalusia, you have options open to you when it comes to getting to Ronda. First of all there’s arriving by train on Spain’s quality train network. Both Cordoba and Granada have direct trains, while trains from Seville and Malaga require changing trains. Alternatively, you can take the bus, as I did. Often the bus is cheaper but slower, making it the more budget-friendly mode of transport.

And yet, I do wish that I had rented a car when I was in Ronda, as I only got to see the beautiful countryside nearby on the bus ride. Driving those windy roads up through national parks would have been a whole lot of fun.

Turning to places to stay, Ronda has got you covered. You’ll find mostly hotels and apartments available, with the occasional guesthouses and the like. It’s worth noting that staying in the Old Town tends to come with a price tag, while accommodation north of Puente Nuevo tends to be cheaper.

Would you be interested in spending one day in Ronda Spain? Where else in Andalusia would you recommend people visit? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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