Going on a trip and wondering what you can see in Ronda, Spain in just one day beside the famous Puente Nuevo bridge? Here is your Ronda travel guide – with it you won’t miss any of the most important things in this charming little town.
Ronda is one of the oldest towns in Spain. It was first settled by the Celts in the 6th century BC and later inhabited by the Romans and Moors. Julius Caesar declared it a city in the 1st century AD. While wandering around Ronda you can feel that it’s full of history and mysteries. And it looks awesome in photos too!
Currently, Ronda is one of the most visited towns in Andalusia in Spain. It’s located on higher terrain (at 739 m a.s.l.) and offers spectacular views of the valley and nearby areas. You need only about an hour by car to get there from the busy Costa Del Sol and to feel like you’ve moved to a completely different world.
Ronda is quite small and very easy to get around on foot. One day is enough to discover all the most important places in town. Vamos, let’s find out what to see in Ronda in one day.
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What to see in Ronda, Spain in one day?
The Puente Nuevo
The Puente Nuevo (eng. The New Bridge) is the most characteristic part of the town, Ronda’s most famous landmark. It crosses El Tajo de Ronda Gorge and connects the old town with its modern part. Its span is 66 meters, and its height is an impressive 98 meters. Puente Nuevo for sure offers unforgettable views.
The first attempt at building the bridge in Ronda was in 1735 and it was completed very quickly. Unfortunately, the entire bridge collapsed in 1741, taking the lives of 50 people due to poor construction. After this failure, another construction began in 1759 and took 34 years to finish (1793) and it stands still today.
You can also admire the bridge from El Tajo de Ronda Gorge. In our opinion, it’s the best way to take a really good look at it and get a sense of the scale of this spectacular piece of engineering. The only thing you need to do is to walk down into the gorge. Apparently, there are several walking routes but we recommend starting in the Plaza de Maria Auxiliadora where there’s an unpaved path you can follow. Along it, you’ll find many viewpoints (like Mirador Puente Nuevo de Ronda, or Mirador del Viento) where you can admire Puerto Nuevo and the waterfall from different angles.
Plaza de Toros de Ronda
Plaza de Toros de Ronda (eng. Ronda Bullring) is the second oldest bullfight ring in Spain. It was built in 1785 by Jose Martin Aldehuela, the same architect who designed Puente Nuevo. Inside you can see the arena and museum where you can learn about the history of bullfights. Outside of the bullring statues of Antonio Ordonez (an important Ronda bullfighter) and of a life-sized fighting bull are located. Entrance to the museum and arena cost €9 (May 2023). For current prices and opening hours please visit rmcr.org website.
Bullring no longer hosts bullfights, except once a year during the Feria de Pedro Romero festival in September. The festival’s highlight is a traditional bullfight, called the Goyesca Corrida, in which matadors wear costumes like those worn by 18th-century bullfighters.
Interesting facts. Ronda was the home of the famous Romero dynasty of matadors. Francisco Romero gave bullfighting its modern-day rules. He also introduced a red cap (known as the muleta) and faced the bull on foot (before that matadors performed on horseback). His grandson, Pedro Romero, became one of Spain’s greatest bullfighters. Also, Hemingway immortalized Plaza de Toros in his novel Death in the Afternoon.
Alameda del Tajo Park
Alameda del Tajo is a beautiful and peaceful 19th-century public park, near the Plaza de Toros. It’s full of pine trees that offer a fantastic escape from the heat on hot days. From the park, you can also admire views over El Tajo de Ronda Gorge.
Viewpoint: Mirador de Ronda
Mirador de Ronda is located right next to the Plaza de Toros. It’s fairly small and can get really busy in the afternoons so we recommend visiting in the morning. Viewpoint offers great views over El Tajo de Ronda Gorge.
Paseo de Ernest Hemingway
Paseo de Ernest Hemingway begins right next to Mirador de Ronda and it goes on until Puente Nuevo bridge. On this pathway, you can admire the bridge up close, as well as the views of the gorge and the other part of the city.
Ernest Hemingway wrote two non-fiction books about this town: Death in the Afternoon and The Dangerous Summer. Ernest’s most popular quote about Ronda:
“Ronda is the place where to go, if you are planning to travel to Spain for a honeymoon or being with a girlfriend. The whole city and its surroundings are a romantic set. Nice promenades, good wine, excellent food, nothing to do… “- Ernest Hemingway
Viewpoint: Mirador de Aldehuela
Go to the other side of the bridge and you’ll find Mirador de Aldehuela, one of the most popular viewpoints in Ronda. Here some other views are waiting – of the other part of El Tajo de Ronda Gorge. The viewpoint has been named in honor of the architect José Martín de Aldehuela. Be sure to add this viewpoint to your list of places to see in Ronda in one day – you won’t regret this.
Mirador de los Viajeros Románticos
Mirador de Los Viajeros Románticos (eng. Viewpoint of the Romantic Travelers) isn’t really a viewpoint – it’s a wall full of azulejos (ceramic tilework). It’s a tribute to the romantic travelers who visited Ronda and left testimony of their visit.
Who are romantic travelers? Artists and writers like Alexander Dumas, Ernest Hemingway, or Orson Welles who searched for inspiration in Europe’s most unspoiled destinations.
…and Ronda with the old windows of the houses, the eyes which spy out hidden behind the latticework so that their lover might kiss the iron bars and the taverns with half-closed doors in the night and the castanets and the night… – James Joyce
Baños Árabes
Banos Arabes (eng. Arab Baths) in Ronda is considered the best-preserved Moorish Baths in Spain. The baths were built in the 13th century, along Arroyo de las Culebras (Snakes’ Stream), which was a source of spring water. The design is similar to Roman baths – the complex has cold, warm, and hot rooms, where people would gather and socialize.
Banos Arabes are no longer in use (as baths of course) but the site is open to the public for visits. The entrance costs €4.5 (May 2023). Tickets can be also bought online.
Walls of Ronda and Puerta de Almocabar
Walls of Ronda and Puerta de Almocábar provide a unique glimpse into Ronda’s past. It’s a series of city walls and gates which were built by the Moors throughout the Islamic era in order to protect the town from the invaders. Puerta de Almocábar was the largest and most protected city gate.
The Murallas del Carmen is a particularly picturesque part of the walls and recently has been reformed. The best place to watch the walls is around Baños Árabes, on the outside of the walls. You can also walk on the top of some sections of the walls and feel like a warrior, looking out for incoming enemies. If you like that idea, put this place among other places worth seeing in Ronda in one day.
Near Puerta de Almocábar there is also the first church built after Ronda was retaken in the 15th century – Iglesia del Espíritu Santo. Construction began in 1485 and was completed 20 years later.
Plaza Duquesa de Parcent
Plaza Duquesa de Parcent (eng. Duchess of Parcent Square) houses buildings like Ayuntamiento de Ronda (Ronda’s Town Hall), Iglesia de Santa María La Mayor (Church of Santa María la Mayor), or Convento de Clarisas de Santa Isabel de los Ángeles (Convent of Santa Isabel de Los Ángeles). There is also a small, green square in the middle of it, where you can rest for a moment.
Iglesia de Santa Maria La Mayor
Iglesia Santa María la Mayor (eng. Church of Santa María la Mayor) has long been a place of worship. It was a pre-Christian Roman altar, Visigoth church, Muslim mosque built in the 14th century, and then converted to a cathedral in the late 15th century. Most of what remains today was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1580.
The church is open for visits, entrance costs €4.5 (May 2023). For current prices and opening hours please visit colegiataronda.com website.
La Casa del Rey Moro
La Casa del Rey Moro (eng. House of the Moorish King) was, contrary to its name, built in the 18th century on the site of a former Moorish castle. It was only named after a tile on its facade which portrays a Moorish King, but no king lived there. It consists of 3 elements: water mine of the Muslim period, palace of Neo-Mudéjar style designed by the Duchess of Parcent at the beginning of the 20th century, and the gardens designed by Jean Nicolas Forestier in 1912 on behalf of the Duchess.
Currently, the palace is undergoing renovations and is not open to the public. But you can visit the gardens and water mine. Opening times vary due to the summer and winter timetables. Entrance costs €8 (May 2023). For current prices and opening hours visit casadelreymoro.org website.
Jardines de Cuenca
Opposite to La Casa del Rey Moro Jardines de Cuenca (eng. Cuenca Gardens) are located. The gardens were created in 1975 to celebrate the partnership of Ronda with the city of Cuenca. It’s a series of terraces at different heights that offer a fantastic and unique look at the town, the old bridge (Puente Viejo), and the gorge.
Streets of Old and New Town
While visiting all of the above places, you’ll stroll through the charming, narrow cobbled streets. Take time to admire beautiful houses, small shops and hidden alleys.
Also, have a look at Plaza del Socorro with Statue of Hercules and Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Socorro, and Plaza España (right next to the Puente Nuevo and Mirador de Aldehuela) which now is home to Centro de Interpretación del Puente Nuevo (New Bridge Interpretation Center) and… oldschool McDonald.
What else to see in Ronda in one day
If you still don’t have enough, and you have strengths for more, here are two more places you can see in Ronda:
Museo Lara
Museo Lara is located inside Casa Palacio de los Condes de las Conquistas. Museum is named after its founder, Juan Antonio Lara Jurado. It’s a private collection of historic weapons, clocks, scientific instruments & witchcraft-related items. Entrance price: €4 (May 2023).
Museo Arqueológico Municipal
The Museo Arqueológico Municipal (Municipal Museum of Archaeology) is located in the Palacio de Mondaragón. The museum contains exhibits from prehistory to Roman times, focusing on the discoveries made in the region.
How to get to Ronda, Spain?
Ronda is located about 100km from Malaga, 65km from Marbella, and 95km from Mijas. As always, the fastest way to get there is by car.
A-397 road is very picturesque (because part of it almost leads through the mountain peaks) so we recommend that you have your camera with you.
Where to park in Ronda?
Ronda’s offers several paid underground car parks in the town center, but we left the car a little further, on free parking 1km (15min walk) from the Plaza de Toros.
To Ronda by bus
You can also get to town by bus. For example, a journey from Malaga takes about 2.5hours and costs about 11E.
To Ronda by train
The third option is by train. For example, a journey from Malaga takes about 2.5hours and costs about €15 – €36.
Summing up
Now you know what to see in Ronda beside the bridge in one day. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the visit as we did. Maybe you’ll stay a bit longer and the magic of the place will inspire your next artistic creation? Next Hemingway… where are you?
Restaurants, accommodations, and map
Check out various recommended places below.
Where to eat in Ronda?
Here are your best, high-rated options in Ronda:
Where to sleep in Ronda?
Hotel Arunda II
Hotel Arunda II is a modern and comfortable hotel located in the heart of Ronda. It offers spacious and well-equipped rooms, decorated in a contemporary style, with air conditioning, flat-screen TV, and private bathroom. The hotel also features a restaurant serving local cuisine, a bar, and a 24-hour front desk.
Hotel El Tajo & SPA
Hotel El Tajo & SPA is a luxurious hotel located in Ronda offering stunning views of the Tajo River and the surrounding mountains. The hotel features an elegant spa with an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, as well as a rooftop terrace where guests can enjoy the picturesque views. The rooms are spacious and elegantly decorated, offering modern amenities such as air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs.
Apartamentos Avanel
Apartamentos Avanel is a charming accommodation situated in the heart of Ronda. The apartments are fully equipped with all the necessary amenities, including a kitchenette and free Wi-Fi. The property also features a beautiful terrace with stunning views of the city and the surrounding countryside.
Hotel Acinipo
Hotel Acinipo is located in the center of Ronda, just a short walk from the famous Puente Nuevo Bridge. The hotel features comfortable rooms with modern amenities and a rooftop terrace with stunning views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Guests can enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet and a range of local and international dishes at the on-site restaurant.
Espinel Apartments
Espinel Apartments in Ronda offers comfortable and modern accommodation for travelers who want to stay in the heart of the city. The apartments are located in a historic building and feature a contemporary design with all the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, living room, and private bathroom.
Apartamentos Rondacentro
Apartamentos Rondacentro is a charming apartment complex located in the heart of Ronda. The apartments are equipped with modern amenities, including free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and flat-screen TVs. They offer a variety of room types, from studios to family apartments, making it an ideal choice for travelers of all types.
Accommodations photos source: booking.com
What to see in Ronda in one day - Map of places
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