Spain’s Hidden Gem

In his classic work, “Death in the Afternoon,” Ernest Hemingway described Ronda as the perfect place to go if you don't want to be found.

Spain’s Little Gem

This small Andalusian town, set high above a gorge, enchants all who behold it

By Fred J. Eckert

It's a dazzling setting. Perched at an isolated point in the sierra upon a lofty shelf 2,460 feet above sea level—with a commanding vista of the wide, barren plains below and the circle of dark, jagged mountains in the distance—the town of Ronda is cut into two unequal parts by a spectacular gorge formed by the Guadalevin River.

The town is a natural, almost impregnable, fortress. First the Celts then the Romans held it, but it was the Moors who did the most masterful job of fortifying it. They ruled here until just a few years before the fall of Granada. It finally fell to the Christian forces of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1485 after a strenuous siege that required 25,000 infantrymen and 13,000 cavalry and marked the Spanish army’s first recorded use of iron cannonballs.

The gorge, El Tajo de Ronda, is breathtaking— around 400 feet deep, more than 1,600 feet long, and 220 feet wide at its widest point. Picturesque whitewashed homes cling to its cliffs. Some of them have narrow steps that trail down the sheer edges to the river far below. A bunch of birds—rock doves, choughs, and crag martins—whirl around it.

The old town, known as Ciudad, stands on the south side of the deep gorge and clings atop precipitous cliffs on its other three sides as well. It's joined to the newer (post-1485) part of town at the narrowest point of the gorge by the spectacular 18th-century Puente Nuevo arched bridge.

Besides the Puente Nuevo (“New Bridge”) that was built in 1761—the only bridge that spans the gorge—two other, even older bridges are landmarks of old Ronda. One is a 17th-century work, which, like the Puente Nuevo, still carries vehicular traffic. The lowest and oldest bridge, which the Moors built in the 14th century, is used only for pedestrian traffic. MADRID

SPAIN

SEVILLE

RONDA

COSTA DEL SOL

Ronda is only

one hour from the beaches of the Costa del Sol and two hours from Seville.

During the Spanish Civil War, both sides took a fancy to throwing enemy supporters off the Puente Nuevo alive into the gorge. Hemingway wrote of that in "For Whom the Bell Tolls," but without mentioning Ronda by name.

A Moorish Maze

Old town Ronda is small—only about a halfmile long and a quarter-mile wide—and yet one could easily get lost here. That's because its streets still follow their original Moorish design. They're a maze—a labyrinth of winding narrow cobbled alleyways, often steep, usually following an irregular path and only now and then widening onto small courtyards.

Moorish homes and buildings still stand, including old mosques that were long ago converted into churches. Interspersed among the Moorish structures are striking Renaissance mansions with their characteristic wroughtiron balconies and whitewashed small homes that glisten in the sunshine.

The gates to the city have been magnificently restored, as have its southern walls. Almost at the center of old Ronda, looking out on Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, the town’s most beautiful square, lies the Catholic cathedral of Santa Maria la Mayor.

In Ronda, as in most Spanish towns, one of the delights is walking about and constantly catching glimpses of window boxes and balconies teeming with flowers—images that to us always look like objects posing for fine paintings.

And of course there’s the shopping. Ronda is full of lovely little shops well-stocked with fine-quality ceramics, pottery, wickerwork, leather goods—it’s known for its fine footwear—and all sorts of other gift items.

The Gate of Philip V, constructed in 1742 during the reign of the first Bourbon king of Spain, Philip V, still carries vehicular traffic. The breathtaking gorge of Ronda. The “New Bridge” (which was completed in 1793) spans the gorge that divides the town. The older part of town is to the right. The building at top left is the Parador de Ronda, one of the finest hotels in Spain.

Plaza de Toros

Ronda’s best-known monument lies in the more modern part of town known as the Mercadillo. Opened in 1785, the Plaza de Toros is Spain’s second-oldest (after Seville), largest (in ring diameter, not seating capacity), and probably most revered bullring.

It’s an impressive structure—an elegant neoclassic design with double arches supported by 176 Tuscan columns—that can hold 5,000 spectators. You may have seen it; it was the setting for the film "Carmen."

It was here during its early years that Ronda native son Pedro Romero achieved Spanish immortality by establishing the techniques for fighting bulls on foot using a sword and a red cape, as opposed to the prior practice of fighting them from horseback. This father of modern bullfighting lived until age 85 and killed more than 5,000 bulls in his lifetime, without ever being gored.

Romero and Ronda’s Plaza de Toros were the inspiration for a number of artist Francisco Goya’s paintings.

Death in the Afternoon

Hemingway was right about Ronda. Much as I admire Hemingway’s writing, I had always taken a pass on "Death in the Afternoon." Now I decide to read it.

In it, he says of Ronda: “The entire town and as far as you can see in any direction is romantic background.”

Ronda, writes Hemingway, “is where you should go if you ever go to Spain on a honeymoon or if you ever bolt with anyone.”

Good advice. 

Fred J. Eckert is a retired U.S. ambassador and former member of Congress.

Take a DAY TRIP

to Jerez de la Frontera, famous for its sherry and equestrian ballet.

If You Go

When to Go:

Spring and fall are generally considered the best times to visit Ronda. Attending a Ronda festival is a special experience.

Getting There:

Fly to Malaga on Spain’s Costa del Sol, where you can rent a car or take a one-hour train trip to Ronda.

Accommodations:

The Parador of Ronda is an excellent modern hotel behind the facade of Ronda’s 18thcentury City Hall. Its views of the gorge and countryside are incredible. Side Trips: Ronda is a good base for touring the “white towns” of Andalusia.