One of the most spectacularly located cities in Spain, Ronda sits on a huge rocky outcrop, straddling a precipitous limestone cleft. This dramatic setting seems appropriate for a place which has historically sheltered outlaws and rebels. This rich history and its spectacular location have drawn visitors for years and the city was a favourite haunt of author Ernest Hemingway and actor and director Orson Welles.
t Old and new Ronda, linked across the gorge by the Puente Nuevo
Experience Andalucía
t La Ciudad, Ronda’s whitewashed Old Town
Because of its impregnable position on the region’s rocky landscape, Ronda was one of the last Moorish bastions, finally falling to the Christians in 1485. On the south side perches La Ciudad, a classic Moorish pueblo blanco (white town) of cobbled alleys, window grilles and dazzling whitewash. Most historic sights are in this part of the city, including the Palacio Mondragón, which features an arcaded patio adorned with original Moorish mosaics and plasterwork (although much of the rest of the palace was rebuilt following the reconquista). Located in El Mercadillo, the newer district, is one of the oldest and most important bullrings in Spain – the Plaza de Toros, which was inaugurated in 1785. In September, aficionados travel from all over the country for the singular atmosphere of the Corrida Goyesca while millions watch it on television.
Did You Know?
Orson Welles, perhaps best known as the director of Citizen Kane, is buried in Ronda.
EXPERIENCE Andalucía
Bullfighting at Ronda
Ronda’s Plaza de Toros is the spiritual home of bullfighting. The sport is an integral part of southern Spanish life, but it is highly controversial due to the prolonged nature of the kill purely for entertainment. If you decide to attend a corrida, try to see a big-name matador, who is likely to make a “clean” kill.