Ronda walking tour & city guide

The Puente Nuevo and El Tajo

The Puente Nuevo, the New Bridge, took around 34 years to build and was completed in 1793. It spans the gorge of the Guadalevín river and links the old Moorish town, La Ciudad, with the newer Mercadillo district. Viewpoints on both sides and a path down into the valley show the bridge rising from the rocks below.

Along the edge of the cliffs, the Alameda del Tajo gardens and the Paseo de los Ingleses offer balconies over the plains and mountains, especially beautiful at sunset.

La Ciudad, the old town

South of the bridge, La Ciudad keeps its Moorish street plan, old walls and gates. The Church of Santa María la Mayor stands on the site of the former mosque, the Arab Baths by the river are among the best preserved in Spain, and the Casa del Rey Moro has a stairway cut through the rock down to the water.

In the newer part of town, the Plaza de Toros is one of the oldest bullrings in Spain and is closely linked with the history of modern bullfighting.

Visiting tips

Ronda is about 1 hour 45 minutes by road from Málaga, and the mountain road from Marbella is a scenic drive. Trains connect it with Granada, Córdoba and Madrid. Day-trippers fill the bridge area at midday; staying overnight means quiet streets in the morning and evening. The hills around Ronda are dotted with wineries and white villages.