Ronda

With no direct route from Estepona to Ronda, we picked up a late morning bus in San Pedro.
**Tourist note - tickets need to be purchased in advance before boarding the bus - we bought ours at the little ticket booth right by the bus stop in San Pedro. If returning that day, buy those tickets at the same time….not only do the buses get sold-out, but there are only 3 or 4 of them each day. We were once on a bus that had been over-sold and a few people weren't allowed on as it was full - and they had tickets!**
The distance from San Pedro to Ronda is 47km - it takes a little over an hour….and it's quite a ride! As we left town behind and started the uphill climb, we passed fewer and fewer dwellings, and the surrounding countryside became steeper. Houses and small apartments seemed to be impossibly suspended on a shelf in the cliffs. The higher the elevation we reached, the narrower the road became - and the bends, twists and turns became "tighter." Looking down and around over this incredible scenery, we spotted huge villas, nestled in trees and surrounded by greenery. Travelling even higher the bus began to be "hemmed in" on both sides, as huge pine trees blocked all views…at this point my ever-present motion sickness ratcheted up a few notches. I closed my eyes and resorted to sucking mints! Eventually the trees thinned out and we were on a plateau at the top of the mountain.
It's quite barren up there, mostly rocky, but with a bit of scrubby grassland. There's a few scattered farm-buildings and quite a lot of goats. I noted a couple of lonely looking and empty rest-stops, plus one hostel that did have signs of life. The views across and down into the valleys are spectacular. On the outskirts of Ronda there's some industry and a few shops before entering the town itself.

Despite the town's growth in recent years, Ronda retains much of its historic charm, particularly the old town. It's famous worldwide for its dramatic escarpments, the views and for the deep El Tajo gorge that carries the Rio Guadalevín through its centre. After leaving the bus station, we walked through some attractive, narow streets in the "commercial/new" side of town - which is actually not new at all - except in comparison to the old town on the other side of the gorge. On our way we stopped in a lovely square - Plaza del Socorro, which is full of attractive buildings, cafés and the parish church, "Our Lady of Mercy." Re-built in 1956 after being burned and destroyed in the Spanish civil war in 1936, it stands on the same ground of the old chapel - previously a hospital and before that a Muslim chapel. Although free to enter and open daily to the public, hours are limited - and like many places in Spain it's closed for most of the afternoon. At the centre of this square is a lovely seating area, with a flower-covered gazebo.
We continued on past the bullring which is famed as the birthplace of modern bullfighting and deemed as second only to the one in Seville. One of the oldest in Spain it was declared a cultural heritage in 1993. Popular with visitors, it's now only used for bullfighting once a year during the Pedro Romero festival. Named after a famous bullfighter, this festival lasts for a long weekend at the end of August/beginning of September. Over the years there have been many famous people including Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, who have travelled to Ronda to watch both the regular bullfights and the events during the annual festival.
On our way to the Puente Nuevo (new bridge), we stopped at a large lookout point which gives views across the bridge and down into the gorge. It's also a great spot to see the mountains and surrounding countryside. Like all visitors, we paused before crossing the bridge to take some photos. Close by there's a shady park and an open square where horse-drawn carriage rides are on offer. The tourist information office is also there and some public toilets are available...there's a small fee for their use.
The "new bridge" was built in the 18th century, replacing the old one that also joined the 2 areas of the town. The material to build it came from the Tajo's riverbed and it seems to blend in as it rises up from the rocks and surrounding cliffs. The bridge itself is 98 meters high and 70 meters in length. Sadly the building of it resulted in the deaths of many of the workers. It's needed as a "working" road, and although narrow by today's standards, it's used by cars as well as pedestrians, so care is needed when crossing - it's easy to get distracted!
Our first stop was the large square by the 16th century Convento de Santa Domingo, which does, of course, have impressive views of the gorge. Quite a few restaurants in this part of town have terraces which take advantage of the dramatic scenery. We spent some time in this attractive plaza, listening to a talented classical guitarist. The main "high street" of the old town - Calle Espinal - has small shops for browsing, most selling local products. On one side of the street is a large tiled mural of Ronda, surrounded by smaller plaques with quotes from various people - many from the "romantic" period and "grand-tour" circuit.
We branched off onto a narrow and steep cobbled street, winding our way down to Casa del Rey Moro. Consisting of 3 parts it's one of Ronda's historical treasures. Unfortunately the 18th century house is currently undergoing restoration, but we were able to enter the grounds and make the very long trek down to see its water mine, which is a complex feat of engineering, built for military use. Actually there's not much to see down there and it's a very dimly lit and is a challenging descent. The way down is a steep and winding set of steps - some of which are damp and watery…..and there are a lot of steps! The passageway is carved vertically into the walls. Rising up from the river bed, it follows a natural crevice in the cliffs. We consider ourselves "good for our age," but it's a tough go - both up and down - but mostly back up! I would caution anyone contemplating going into this, to give it a little more thought than we did!
The third component of this historic site was our favourite - and although quite small - it's lovely. The garden of Caso del Rey Moro was commissioned in 1912, by the resident Duchess of the time. In 1912 the French landscape architect, Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, laid out this garden in the geometric French style. He combined this together with a classic Hispanic-Moorish deign. There are 3 terraces - all lovely - and they do, of course, include scenic views of the El Tajo gorge and the surrounding mountains. Peacocks wander the property and there's a water-fountain, bubbling and trickling into a pond. There's also an old well. From one side of the garden we could see a large horse-riding arena and another side looks onto a small, old church and down into the cobbled street, where the main house is situated. It's a lovely and peaceful area of town to visit. We rambled throughout the rest of the day - in and out of the many narrow and winding streets, full of art galleries, historic buildings, small boutique hotels and restaurants. We ended our time in what just may be this old town's most beautiful public space….the Plaza Duquesa de Parcent - named for that same Duchess of Caso del Rey Moro. All the winding streets seem to lead here, where there's a convent, an attractive municipal building, plus 2 churches - one of which has a lovely bell tower. A small park sits in the centre of the plaza. As we were running out of time, we decided to forgo sitting down for a cold drink at a café, instead opting for an ice-cream bar….a welcome treat on this warm and sunny day.
A brisk walk took us back over the bridge into the pedestrianized commercial area. There was just enough time before our bus left to have a leisurely stroll to the station. These streets are full of speciality shops selling cheese, Iberian ham and olive oil. There's also a few of the more popular clothing stores. Cafés and restaurants are everywhere. Our journey back down to San Pedro and on to Estepona went smoothly - I was thankful though, to see the ocean as we approached San Pedro!

When we were in Ronda a few years ago, we'd decided that if we ever returned we would stay overnight so we could see more than the daily bus schedule allowed - we didn't - and once again had quite a few regrets…..we hope to return again one day and fulfill that promise to ourselves. Ronda is a special place....to use the quote from Lady Tennyson we'd seen on the tiles in the old town:-
"Ronda is, indeed, one of those places which stands alone. I know of nothing to which it can be compared."