Top 10 Ronda sights in Andalusia near Malaga. If you want to experience more of Andalusia, you should leave Malaga and Marbella on the Costa del Sol for a day and take the roads to the west, whether through the mountains or along the coast. Just an hour’s drive from Malaga is historic Ronda, about 2 hours away is the city of Tarife with a good view of North Africa (e.g. Tangier) and the option to visit this city briefly for a coffee. Ferries make the trip several times a day at regular intervals.
Spanish countryside in Andalusia
It is also said that if you haven’t seen the sights of Ronda, you haven’t got to know Andalusia and the Andalusian town with around 35,000 inhabitants offers above all a long history and a special location.
Around 110 kilometers from Malaga and 50 kilometers from the Costa del Sol on the Mediterranean, the mountain town lies at an altitude of around 700 meters above sea level, making it the city’s first special feature. Situated on a rocky plateau, with steep cliffs and large ravines, Ronda has always been very important historically.
When you enter the city of Ronda, whose first records date back to the Roman Empire, you will see narrow streets and small mountains, as well as direct access to “Puente Nuevo” – the new bridge as the best of Ronda’s sights.
Puente Nuevo Ronda – new bridge
The name “Puente Nuevo”, the new bridge, would probably have made you think of a structure that was built a few years ago and was built in a modern way with cables or steel over the gorge, but Puente Nuevo was built in the 18th century and is over 100 meters high. Stories say that the weight of the stones decreased towards the top in order to be able to manage the height with the narrow construction method.
Even today, a view from the edge of the bridge is absolutely worth seeing and it is hard to imagine how old this Ronda landmark is. If you would also like to visit the bridge, you should do so in the morning, as this is when the light is on the bridge. First of all, you can take a photo of the bridge from one of the terraces and then treat yourself to a refreshment or a second breakfast in one of the numerous small cafés built directly into the mountain.
As you continue your walk through Ronda, you will also have the opportunity to see the historic bridges, some of which were built in the 14th and 16th centuries before they were destroyed by the severe earthquake of 1580.
Ronda historic city in transition
Due to the different besiegers, you can see both Arabic and African influences as well as European influences and so it is not unusual in the city that the building styles literally alternate in one street.
Due to its history and the great importance of Ronda in livestock farming, the town has grown over the years to become one of the most important points in Andalusia. The milder temperatures, the remoteness and yet the cultural mix have always attracted artists and creative people to Ronda, such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Ernest Hemingway.
Ronda in the present day
I had no idea beforehand, but Ronda, together with cities such as Seville, Granada, Malaga and Marbella, is one of the most important tourist destinations in southern Spain and so it is no wonder that you see Ronda sightseeing visitors from all over the world in the city, who photograph every detail and of course want to be in every photo themselves 🙂
If, like me, you are in the city for the most famous pilgrimage, you will also see many traditional costumes alongside the tourists and, with a bit of luck, a local who is using the special date for her wedding and having her wedding pictures taken in the beautifully decorated city at the Ronda sights.
