A mixture of excitement and disappointment awaited us in Ronda. One of the towns we most sought to visit, Ronda is steeped in history. It stands on a towering plateau in the mountains of Malaga Province, and is famous for the plunging river gorge that divides the medieval side of the city from its 18th century counterpart. This gorge is known as El Tajo and is spanned by a stone bridge that, as I understand, once housed a prison. Peering down into the gorge is not for those who are discomforted by heights. The waters of the River Guadalevín can be seen flowing between the towering supports of this extremely tall bridge.
Despite the invasion of day-trippers to Ronda, it is a worthwhile place to visit. It is located 35 miles (about an hour's drive) from Puerto Banus where we were staying on the Coast. Riding from Puerto Banus into the Sierra towards Ronda, the terrain changes from a land of pine trees which later gives way to rolling hills and citrus fruit orchards followed by olive groves and the spectacular mountain scenery of the Sierra of Ronda itself. It would be one of the most charming and fascinating towns in Andalucia were it not for the abundance of tourists crowding the streets and avenues.
The disappointment though was our visit to the "Paradora de Ronda". Here a marvelous old structure was robbed of its Old World grace. This hotel which we had hoped to stay in that evening had no vacancies. This became still another piece of good fortune as we were sorely disappointed to find that such a magnificent structure's exterior had so brutally been reconstructed within so as to create a modern looking hotel. No apparent thought was given to keeping or restoring its original charm. The lobby and entry were garishly altered, jettisoning us from ancient times to the present day by way of a single entry.
Ronda is also famous for its bullring, the oldest, and arguably the most beautiful one in Spain. The arena itself is also the country's largest. When there are no fights, as was the case when we were there, the bullring is open to visitors. My interest lies more in other structures so I opted for meandering the streets. One of my companions did however visit this structure and happened upon a movie production in the making.
And still Ronda, dramatically perched above the narrow gorge of the Guadalevin, gave us our best opportunity to purchase the gifts we were to return home with. Along the roadways of the older section we found an abundance of stores willing to bargain with us for sale of their many wares. A day well spent but had us happily returning to Puerto Banus for a second night's stay.
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