Ronda, Spain

The drive from Gibraltar to Ronda takes you over some very hilly terrain and past a bunch of small towns called Pueblos Blancos (White Towns) due to every building being painted white.  They were dotted all over the route we took, with little turn offs to view them called miradors (lookouts).

Here is a graphic layout of the numerous Pueblos Blancos.  Note the “You are Here” arrow.

We checked into our hotel in Ronda and hit the bar for a well deserved beer and a snack.  Driving in these little towns is quite stressful!

Our hotel has an excellent view of one of the oldest bullrings in Spain.  Orson Welles and Ernest Hemmingway were big fans of bullfights in Ronda, as they are depicted everywhere around town, with plaques, hotels, restaurants and streets named after them.

We took a quick walk around the edge of a portion of the “new” town, which literally sits on a cliff.

The new town versus the old town is really not that accurate, since the new portion dates from the 1700’s.  They are both old.

Sunset from the top floor of our hotel.  This would be a very cool infinity pool if the water wasn’t about 60 degrees!

We found out there was a Michelin Star restaurant in town (Bardal) so we ate there the first night.  Sad to report it was just ok, but they were heavy handed with the wine pours so perhaps they are compensating!  I’ll spare you the photos.

We took a tour of the “old” town the next day, and it’s got some great cliff views.  As a matter of fact, in Hemminway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” he describes the execution of Nationalist sympathizers (friends of Franco) during the Spanish Civil War.  They were apparently thrown from the cliffs of Ronda at this spot.

There is a very famous spot to take a picture of Puente Nuevo (new bridge, again built in the 1700’s….guess that makes me newer!), which was blocked off with directions on how to get the same view, albeit by hiking a few miles.

Screw that!  You could pull back the left side of the fencing and walk around it.  Just a few more impediments on the way down.

I don’t speak Spanish, I have no idea what that sign says.

Dangerous path, real risk of death!!!  As you can see, there are two other people down there besides us.  One of them was certain I was a cop when he first saw me…looked like he was ready to bolt!  The view at the bottom made it worth it to convince Kim to break the law.  This wasn’t the first time…but that’s another story.

This is the same view the Nationalists got right before they hit the ground, so it wasn’t ALL bad.  The canyon the river runs through is called El Tajo, and there are gardens planted above it with great views.  Here is a view from the other side of Puente Nuevo bridge, taken by Cory and Spencer from San Francisco, who we met at this spot.  Say hi if you see this guys!

We ate at this great little restaurant in the “old” city called Santa Maria.  The food was excellent, and the staff was so welcoming and fun.  Great dinner experience.  The owner, Antonio, wanted to know what city we were from and had us spell it out.  We found out why when he brought us a free dessert after our meal.  Definitely a “must do” if you are in Ronda!

The last view of Ronda, Puente Nuevo bridge lit up at night (btw, the “old” bridge was rather boring by comparison, hence no photos).