The most beautiful thing about Ronda is how it ends. An ancient city, it is spread out across both sides of a deep gorge, its bustling streets leading out to manicured parks, then iron railings, then a sudden drop over limestone cliffs. It takes my breath away every time. I have spent hours looking at this view, watching swifts play in the air between Ronda and the vineyards far below.
Tourist coaches travel to the city every day so that visitors can take photos of the gorge. But once they have walked in the hot midday sun and left again, the town is quiet. Strolling hand-in-hand with your favourite person is the best way to see the city in the golden hour, enjoying the breeze as you pass over the Puente Nuevo to La Ciudad, the Moorish old town.
The Puente Nuevo is the reason I first visited Ronda in 2014 – I am fascinated by both bridges and geology. Its massive structure, built into the fabric of the El Tajo canyon some 600 years ago, was too tempting a sight to leave unseen. My husband – then, my boyfriend – agreed that this could be our holiday for the year, forgoing a fly-and-flop for my fantasy of Hemingway’s Spanish countryside.
I wanted fir trees swaying in the dry air and oranges for breakfast. I wanted walks in shaded valley-bottoms and to drink wine while the church bells chimed. How romantic that this is exactly what I got. What a gift, what a man.
Ronda’s new town, El Mercadillo, is where most of the locals live and work, and therefore is where all the great tapas bars are. Generally speaking, the further away from the bridge you wander, the better the food and drink gets. Up near the railway station are places like Bodega las Rejas, Bodega los Caracoles and Taberna Gastronómica Los Pilares whose food ranges from traditional to contemporary.
Seafood is everywhere in Ronda, especially blushing pink prawns with their curly magenta whiskers and scallops served pale on a half shell like the goddess Venus. Do not forget, however, that this is a town in the hills of Andalusia, and many of the dishes will show it. Butter beans and chickpeas in savoury broths, snails cooked in garlic or chorizo (known locally as caracoles) and gooey potato and egg tortilla are as worth your time as all the flashy shellfish.
If you’re looking for somewhere extra special, the Entre Vinos wine bar is perfect for a date, while Michelin-starred tapas bar Bardal by chef Benito Gomez serves remarkable Andalusian cuisine. In the old town, Restaurant Albacara’s outdoor seating is in fact a balcony platform with jaw-slackening views over the river. Book your table to coincide with a wide, orange sunset and it makes for the most incredible place to pop a cork (or the question.)
If you can bear to spend a moment away from each other’s arms, Ronda has some excellent cycling routes that take you all over the countryside down below. The town has a number of reliable bike and e-bike hire shops, each with friendly staff ready to share their favourite routes with you.
Perhaps the best reason to get out on a bike ride is to visit a local vineyard for a tour, or if you’re feeling adventurous, cycle out to the pretty mountain town of Setenil de las Bodegas with its cave houses built right into the cliffs.
Strolling through Ronda’s picturesque back streets is also a fantastic pastime, and if you’re lucky, you’ll bump into a traditional religious procession too. In the old town, walk down into the Il Tajo gorge and find the Moorish baths underneath the city.
It’s a beautiful walk, perhaps best left to cooler times of the day, and the views from the river up to the bridge are spectacular. Climb back up and treat yourselves to a pair of ice cold beers in a courtyard bar, and people watch together while a busker plays classical Spanish guitar. Soon it’ll be time to dawdle off again to visit Orson Welles’ statue in the Paseo de Blas Infante park and, once again, look out over the valley.
The Austrian poet Rilke said: “I have sought everywhere the city of my dreams and I have finally found it in Ronda.” For this romantic, he couldn’t be more correct.
How to do it
Direct flights to Malaga (taking around two hours) are available from all major UK airports.
The train from Malaga to Ronda runs in the morning and evening, and takes around two hours with one change. Tickets cost around €15 (£13).
Driving is the quickest way to travel to Ronda from Malaga airport and parking around the new town is easy to find. Private transfers can also be pre-booked.
Where to stay
Hotel Palacio de Hemingway is situated in the centre of the city and is decorated in a traditional Andalusian style. From £110 per night.
