Ronda - Day 29

Picking up a car for hire is not a two minute transaction in Spain more like two hours. We arrived at Avis near the main train station in Servilla and waited and waited and then when we finally were told where to find the car it wasn't there. With very little assistance we had to go along pressing the unlock button on the remote until one opened. Then the car( a Citroen) was sooooo different to anything we know we had to find out numerous things before we could even leave the area. 

Off on our journey to Ronda.

Ronda is a mountain top city in Spain's Malaga province.

    Beautiful countryside along the way, with the roads not too busy which is good for us. Strange country, wrong side of the road driving and mountain climbing windy roads.

   Lots of olive groves, orange orchards and fields and fields of sunflowers all sunning themselves in the heat.

   And of course the many small castles dotting the landscape.

   View coming up to Ronda.

We found the hotel with ease, thank heavens, and we're lucky to have parking underneath the hotel(at a cost) but well worth it as many of these old towns are car free and there is no parking.

Our hotel, La Maetranza Hotel, is in the historic and commercial centre, just opposite to Plaza de Toros which is the legendary 18th Century bullring and is one of the city's most recognised landmarks.

Didn't have much time to waste as we are only here for one night, so we started exploring the city.

  Beautiful day again, we have been sooooo lucky with the weather.

   Just behind the bullring is a lovely square that has fantastic views of the surrounding hills and valley.

This area is literally 1 minutes from the hotel.

Either side of the walkway to see the panoramic views are two monuments from two very famous people from our history. Two people that you would not expect to see in this small mountainous town in Spain. 

Ernest Hemingway spent many summers in Ronda and wrote about its beauty and traditions. He thought that Ronda was the most romantic town in Spain.

Orson Welles' ashes are buried at the country property of bullfighter, Antonio Ordonez as he also loved the beauty of Ronda. The inscription on his monument says- ' A man is not from where he was born but where he chooses to die'.

   Just a very short walk along we come to Puente Nuevo(new bridge) which was started in 1759 and was completed 34 yrs later. It is called new bridge as it is the newest and largest of the three bridges spanning the gorge. It is a must see if in Spain and has a very interesting history attached. They used to use the room that you can see in the middle as a prison at one time and throw prisoners to their death into the gorge from the window, very gruesome.

   El Tajo Gorge separates the city's 15th century new town from its old town dating back to Moorish times.

   It is approximately 120 metres deep and carries the Guadalevin River.

   Having only a short time here we explored and even got to the bottom of the gorge only to have to walk the hundreds and hundreds of steps back to the top.

 And of course many churches and convents with their amazing doors.

   Ronda is also known as the queen of the white towns. Everywhere you look around the countryside in Spain are clusters of white buildings. No need to procrastinate over colour choice here, it's white or white. Great restaurants perched on the side of the gorge.

No matter how much time you have to spend here it is a must see.