Ronda

Ronda is situated about 50 kilometres from San Pedro de Alcantara, a 45 minutes’ drive by car. The road meanders first through the mountains of the Sierra Bermeja, then through the Serrania de Ronda before leading up to the town itself.

Enjoying a rich history, Ronda is among Andalusia’s most resplendent cities. It was built on top of a high outcropping in the mountains of the province of Malaga. It is famous throughout Spain for its gorge, which separates the newer parts of the city from its ancient, eighteenth century centre.
This gorge is known as El Tajo and is spanned by a beautiful bridge which connects the ancient centre and the newer parts of the city. Standing on the bridge, one can enjoy a magnificent view of the river Guadalevin.

Ronda is also famous for its arena, where bullfights are staged. The Plaza de Toros is the oldest and most beautiful arena of all Spain. When no fights are staged, the arena is open to visitors. It has a fascinating museum brimming with information and memorabilia of Spain’s most famous bullfighters.

Ronda’s festivities:
*	Fiesta de la Virgen de la Paz - patron Saint of Ronda - 24 Januari
*	Semana Santa - As in most Andalusian cities, Ronda celebrates A Sacred Week. It is celebrated in April.
*	Feria de la Reconquista - 20 till 23 May. A three days’ feast with bullfights and cattlemarkets.
*	Goyesque Fair - Feria Goyesca de Pedro Romero held in the first week of September.

The mountainous area south of Ronda is called the Serrania de Ronda. The vast natural landscape has some occasional small villages and isolated farms, but is otherwise largely uncultivated. Its highest mountaintop rises a spectacular 1900 meters.
A beautiful valley cuts through the heart of the Serrania. Through this valley runs the Rio Genal, a river that springs just outside of Ronda and finally has its outlet in the sea.

Geographically, the Serrania de Ronda is a very special area. The higher parts of the area exist of bare limestone rockfaces, while its valleys are relatively green and fertile – a stunning combination of rugged mountainsides and fertile valleys. Thus the Serrania constitutes the perfect country for hikers and bicycle-enthusiasts who like this kind of variety. The Serrania de Ronda has an abundance of large birds of prey such as vultures and eagles.
Floral life is especially exuberant in spring. Apart from olive-trees and chestnut-trees, the lower laying parts of the land have many cork oaks. These have a rich brown-red colour right after the cork is harvested, which happens once every nine years.
The Rio Genal –area offers the perfect starting point for trips to two other nature- reserves in the vicinity, the Sierra de Grazalema and the Sierra de las Nieves.
There is, however, a lot more to this region of Spain than just its spectacular landscape. Culturally, Ronda and its neighbouring villages have a lot to offer. Moreover, the area is located centrally between such famous cities as Grenada and Sevilla. Should a day at the beach have your fancy, the sea can be reached by car in less than an hour.