Plan a trip to Ronda

The gorge separates the city’s 15th century “new town” from its “old town” which dates back to the previous centuries of Moorish rule. Ronda is surrounded by the Serrania de Ronda with beautiful countryside, landscapes, and charming villages. A narrow fissure, approximately 328 feet deep, crosses the city, and there are three bridges which connect the two sides of the city.

The Puente Nuevo Bridge, the newest and largest of the three bridges, is considered an engineering marvel. Its construction took approximately 40 years, during which dozens of people risked and lost their lives, and was completed in 1793. According to legend, the architect of the bridge, Martin de Aldehuela, fell to his death when he tried to cut through the bridge the year it was completed. The bridge has huge arches, and the chamber above the central arch, which had served at one time as the municipal jail, is now home to a museum telling the history of the bridge. The views from the bridge are breathtaking.

Ronda is the largest of Andalusia’s white cities and, as such, is known as "The White City." Its special location and character attracted artists and writers from all over the world at the end of the 19th century, including Alexander Dumas, Ernest Hemingway (who mentioned it in his book For Whom the Bell Tolled), and Orson Welles. They even had two boulevards near the central Toros Plaza named after them.

Most of Ronda’s popular sites are located in the walled old town. Its narrow alleys and streets boast magnificent Renaissance style mansions that were built after the Muslim rule and belonged to noblemen whose family symbols still appear on the front of the houses. The well-preserved 14th century Palacio de Mondragon is one of the main attractions in the old town. Built in Renaissance style, with two Modhar style towers, the mansion, its inner courtyards, and lovely gardens have been well-preserved and today serve as a municipal museum which relates the city’s history as a Roman and Muslim city.

The Iglesia de Santa Maria church, located in Ronda’s Town Hall Square, was declared a national monument due to its special design and combination of styles and ornaments. It had served as a mosque during Moorish times and then turned into a Catholic church with Renaissance and baroque style features, as well as an observation deck. The Arabic inscriptions on what was part of the mosque's Mihrab are testimony to its history.

Ronda is considered the birthplace of bullfighting, and its 18th century Bullring arena is one of the oldest and best preserved in Spain. It was in this arena that the laws and the modern fighting style were established, taking over from the equestrian games. Three generations of unique bullfighters from the Romero family laid the foundation for today's bullfights, especially the outstanding Pedro Romero. To honor him, a statue, Pedro the Star, was placed in the square. The local museum dedicated to bullfighting documents the history and culture of the ceremony and exhibits costumes, pictures, and traditions of fighters.

Once a year, Ronda hosts the traditional Féria Goyesca, a festival in which celebrities from all over the world come dressed in costumes matching Goya's paintings. They arrive in decorated carriages and watch the famous Corridas Goyesca, considered the finest bullfight with the best matadors.