RONDA

The Puente Nuevo and the Tajo gorge are Ronda’s main attractions. The striking bridge looks like something you would expect to find at the entrance to some fantasy kingdom in Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. To say it looks “sturdy” or “heavy-duty” would be an understatement.

But this brute of a bridge was not the first bridge to span the Tajo Gorge. In 1735 a single-arc bridge was constructed. But only 6 years later, it came crashing down into the gorge below, killing 50 people.

The response was to build a new bridge and make sure that it could withstand the weight from passing traffic. When work began on the new mammoth structure, a sophisticated set of pulleys and lifting equipment had to be developed to raise the quarried stones from the gorge below. In 1793, the 98m tall bridge was opened, 34 years after its construction began.

WHERE CAN YOU TAKE THE BEST PHOTOS OF RONDA'S PUENTE NUEVO?

There are many great vantage points to view the bridge and the surroundings. There are three main spots from the top and one from the bottom. These are our favorite spots from the top:

• Walkway around Ronda’s parador hotel / Balcón del Coño
• Aldehuela lookout area, next to Ronda’s congress hall
• Cuenca Garden

If you want to see the entire bridge and take a nice photos then go to this view point at the bottom of the gorge. To get there, you have two options:

• The quickest path starts at the Plaza de María Auxiliadora and zig-zags rapidly to the bottom of the gorge.
• The other option is to drive or walk through the Moorish old town and then stay to the right once you leave the walled city through the Almocábar Gate.

Ronda has a long history. It dates back to at least the 6^th century when it was settled by Celtiberians who called it Arunda. Later the Romans took over Ronda and it received the title of city from Julius Caesar.

But it wasn’t until 713 when the Moors arrived that the city as we know it today began to be formed. The Moors called the city Hisn Ar-Rundah (Castle of Rundah). They built walls on the eastern and southern sides of the city. These walls together with the sheer cliff drops found to the North and West created an impenetrable castle of a city.

This old Moorish medina, known locally as “la ciudad” (the city), is full of winding alleyways with whitewashed buildings. Most of this area is quite austere in appearance but there are a couple of Moorish ruins dotted throughout. There are a few places of interest that are worth visiting.

PLACES OF INTEREST IN "LA CIUDAD"

• Puente Viejo (Old Bridge) – A bridge from the 1300’s that crosses the river at the bottom of the gorge.
• Arab baths – Some of Spain’s best preserved Arab baths that date back to the 13th & 14th centuries. Located right next to the Puente Viejo. Entrance fee is 3.5€.
• Casa del Rey Moro – The house of the Moorish King is a Neo-mudéjar palace with a secret tunnel that descends to the river below. It was used to secure access to water, even with Ronda under siege. Admission for the gardens and tunnel visit is 7€.
• Palacio de Mondragón – A Mudéjar style palace from the 14th century with 3 beautiful patios, a garden and great views of Ronda’s countryside. Today it houses the city’s museum. Admission is 3.5€.
• Plaza Duquesa de Parcent – The main square in “la ciudad.” The center is a green park and surrounding it you will find the Church of Santa María la Mayor (4.5€ entrance fee) and the town hall.

Even though the medina is known as “la ciudad,” only a very small portion of Ronda’s 35,000 inhabitants actually live here. Most live on the other side of the Tajo Gorge in an area that is known as “el mercadillo” (street market). This is the new part of the city that was built after the Christian Reconquest and once a bridge was built over the gorge.

Most of the buildings in el mercadillo date from the 18^th and 19^th century and they have a more typical Spanish style. The most important sight on this side of the city is the bullring and calvary school known as the Real Maestranza de Caballería (8€ entrance fee) which was established in 1572.