In the heart of Spanish Andalusia are the white washed hillside villages known as the pueblos blancos. Tucked deep into the Sierra De Grazalema mountains, with centuries old tile roofed buildings, cathedrals, and vineyards, it’s hard to imagine a more fantastical setting. Although there’s dozens of these magical communities, each holding their own unique charms, the town of Ronda is where I chose to stay for several days of galavanting for tapas, exploring history, and long countryside hikes. Described as the most romantic city in Europe by Ernest Hemingway, the city is an enchantment to the senses and one I long to return to.
Haunted by a brutal history and built up through the ages around a narrow canyon, Ronda is filled with eerie tales and superstition. Treating myself to the experience I splurged on an AirB&B overlooking the gorge and the famous Puente Nuevo bridge. Several hundred meters of rocky cliff face stood below me and my glass of wine as I gazed out over the vast rugged countryside.
On my first night Spain’s premier stunt magician Victor Cerro had come to town for an impromptu televised stunt on the Puente Nuevo bridge next to my apartment. Crowds gathered around the bridge as I sat on the balcony chair sipping wine and watching the crew set the magician into place. Dangling from an iron contraption held open by a flimsy rope, Victor Cerro can be seen struggling to get his stray jacket off as his metal cage was set aflame. Before the rope holding the toothed metal burned through and the sharp jaws snapped shut he narrowly loosened his stray jacket in time to bungy down safely under the bridge seconds before being impaled. As the crowds left and the TV crews dismantled I continued drinking wine and dreamily gazed at the Puente Nuevo until I retired for the night in my 19th century room, eagerly awaiting the next day’s exploration.
Ronda is a two hour drive from Seville and is easily accessed by train or bus. Once inside the city you can get anywhere on foot. Ronda makes the perfect home-base for renting a car and exploring the surrounding Pueblos Blancos. If I could do it again I’d spend an entire week or more here, roaming the countryside and getting lost on its narrow country roads.
The town is small but full of historic monuments, hiking trails, wineries, restaurants, and cafes. Its famous charm and photogenic city scape is characterized by its three distinct bridges that span across the deep Tajo gorge. Throughout the town’s history the inhabitants have used the natural defensive barrier to keep invaders out and relegate any potential conquest to the defendable hills and city walls.
Defense is the main reason the town exists in the first place, most likely thanks to the Greeks and Romans who built the first settlements here. After the empire collapsed a succession of conquerers settled in Ronda starting with the Visigoths and eventually the Moores who ruled Southern Andalusia for centuries.
The long struggles between the Southern Muslim kingdoms and the Christian North are made for legends. Ronda, being one of the farthest outposts of last Moorish kingdom, saw plenty of battles between the armies of the crescent and the cross until the unified Christian Kingdom of Spain took the city after a long and bloody siege.
The history of Ronda’s ambitious rulers is best represented by the architectural landmarks they left behind, namely the town’s bridges which span the 100 meter chasm. The largest and most photographed is the Puente Nuevo, built in the late 18th century by architect Jose Martin de Aldehuela. There are few manmade landmarks in Europe as frighteningly extreme yet beautiful. During the bloody Spanish Civil War Puente Nuevo served as both a prison and an execution site for prisoners thrown to their doom.
The first bridge built across the turquoise waters of the Guadalevin River was completed by the Romans after 300 AD. Today only the base stones survive near the Puente Viejo, the middle of the town’s three bridges. The Moores, after conquering the town, built the Puente Arabe after the town became a center of trade in Andalusia. Just across the river lies the ruins of the Moorish Baths which were once filled with tired travelers, soldiers, and aristocrats washing themselves before entering the fortified city.
Moorish landmarks are plentiful including the main entrance into the city walls. Old town Ronda is full of narrow streets, centuries old fountains, and a quiet stillness that takes you back to antiquity. Getting lost inside this maze you can discover several historic sites, museums, and beautiful landmarks, not to mention casually observing the daily life of the people who call this town home.
Just a short walk from the Moorish city gates stands the 18th century palace of la casa del rey morro. Inside it are a series of hidden mines going deep inside the gorge and exiting at the clear blue waters of the Guadalevin river. The stairs going down into the dank caverns were carved centuries ago to secretly access the city’s main water supply. Here at “La Mina de Agua” the Moorish nobility is said to have escaped Ronda during the 15th century Christian conquest and was one of the last strongholds for the Moorish military. There is still a dock at the base of the caves, giving you an idea of what it must have been like escaping during the medieval war.
After the town was conquered by the Spanish crown a new sport developed and took root in Ronda. Bullfighting is so synonymous with the town that it is considered by many the birthplace of the sport. Originally developed for military combat training centuries ago, it became a modern gladiatorial spectacle with strict rules and traditions that have since become controversially representative of Spain. The museum, which is housed inside the 18th century Plaza de Toros de Ronda bullring, is full of artifacts and artwork dedicated to the sport and its heroes, namely Pedro Romero Martínez. Pedro was not only the most notable influencer of modern bullfighting style but the inspiration behind Ernest Hemingway’s romanticized characterization of the bullfighter in the classic novel “The Sun Also Rises.”
Hiking the el tajo gorge is one of the best ways to enjoy the beautiful town and its dramatic landscape. The narrow trail that winds inside the gorge is one of my favorite hikes in Spain. You can see all kinds of beautiful plant life along this trail including massive fig trees which produce beautiful fruit in the summer.
On the way down I was passed by a woman who shared the same enthusiasm for pausing at the most naturally and scenically brilliant spots along the way. Her youthfulness couldn’t be contained and a natural curiosity radiated from her. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she said she travels the world every year, choosing a new country or region to explore. When the trails split up we exchanged our names and wished each other safe travels before going our separate ways but not before she casually mentioned how fun it is to travel at the age of 72.
Down at the bottom fork there is another trail that you can follow deeper into the gorge. Here, the Guadalevin river cascades into waterfalls below canopies of centuries old fig trees. The noise of the town above is all but drowned out by the sound of rushing water and birds making their nests in the crevices of the cliff. Towering above is the Puente Nuevo bridge and the surrounding white washed buildings perched precariously on the side. Ronda is one of those places where humanity’s desire to tame nature has forced an uncomfortable truce.
When you follow the trail under the Puente Nuevo you come to the steepest part of the river. I don’t consider myself a superstitious person but there’s a weird energy down here. Maybe it was the wine I drank the night before or just me succumbing to something I read in a novel about Andalusian omens and curses. Whatever it was I got chills down my spine. Especially after people started talking about the executions that have taken place here since the Roman days. The thought of people falling to their deaths into water this beautiful and inviting felt sinister.
Ronda is a hikers paradise meant to be enjoyed at a slower pace. The next day, with this in mind, I packed thinly sliced Iberico jamon, quieso manchego, some figs, and a fresh baguette into my bag and set off exploring the countryside. Without time constraints or any particular destination in mind I stopped for lunch on top of what I assumed were the old city walls built when Ronda and the entire southern portion of Spain and Portugal were part of the powerful Caliphate of Cordoba.
After lunch I walked towards the east, where the Ermita Rupestre de la Virgen de la cabeza church lies on the hillside. A famous hiking destination it’s also one of the creepiest places in Spain. Rumor has it that a priest turned warlock resided in the ruined mansion near the church and used magic to lure evil spirits from the center of town into his manor. Regardless of local superstitions, the palace is beautiful and has some of the best views of the town.
Only a portion of time in Ronda should be spent sightseeing and hiking. The majority of anyone’s visit to Spain and especially the Pueblos Blancos should be spent eating. Ronda is famous for its food and wine and is home to some of Andalusia’s best cuisine. Bars and restaurants are scattered throughout the city, sometimes in unassuming corners of town, away from the tourist trail. Look for places packed with locals around lunch time at 2pm, congregating around a packed bar.
Tragata Tapas bar located inside the old city became my favorite spot for sampling the best tapas in town. Here a wide range of small dishes came out one by one, accompanied by some of the finest wine produced in the famous Sierras de Malaga wine region surrounding the town. Wine is so central to Ronda’s culture that an annual wine festival takes place here along with tours and tasting rooms that have popped up throughout the region.
Andalusia and its Pueblos Blancos are magical gateways into history and lore. Romanticized in classic adventure novels, movies, and songs these communities cast a spell on their visitors that brings people back for more and often holds them for eternity. Ronda, the defended jewel of the Muslim Caliphate and home of bullfighting is one of those romantic places everyone must visit at least once in their lives.