Ronda

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Overview

Built astride a huge gash in the mountains carved out by the Río Guadalevín, Ronda is a brawny town with a dramatic history littered with outlaws, bandits, guerrilla warriors and rebels. Its spectacular location atop El Tajo gorge and its status as the largest of Andalucía’s white towns have made it hugely popular with tourists – particularly notable when you consider its relatively modest size. Modern bullfighting was practically invented here in the late 18th century, and the town’s fame was spread further by its close association with American Europhiles Ernest Hemingway (a lover of bullfighting) and Orson Welles (whose ashes are buried in the town).

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Plaza de Toros

Ronda

In existence for more than 200 years, this is one of Spain's oldest bullrings and the site of some of the most important events in bullfighting history. A…

Museo Lara

Ronda

This crazy, cluttered museum is the private collection of Juan Antonio Lara Jurado, who has been a collector since the age of 10. Now in his 80s, he still…

Casa del Rey Moro

Ronda

Several landscaped terraces give access to La Mina, an Islamic stairway of nearly two hundred steps cut into the rock all the way down to the river at the…

Puente Nuevo

Ronda

Straddling the dramatic gorge of the Río Guadalevín (Deep River) is Ronda's most recognisable sight, the towering Puente Nuevo, so named not because it's…

Plaza de España

Ronda

The town's main square was made famous by Ernest Hemingway in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Chapter 10 tells how, early in the civil war, the 'fascists' of a…

Puerta de Almocábar

Ronda

The old town is surrounded by massive fortress walls pierced by two ancient gates: the Islamic Puerta de Almocábar, which in the 13th century was the main…

Iglesia de Santa María La Mayor

Ronda

The city’s original mosque metamorphosed into this elegant church. Just inside the entrance is an arch covered with Arabic inscriptions that was part of…

Museo Joaquín Peinado

Ronda

Native Ronda artist Joaquín Peinado was an amigo and contemporary of Picasso's, a fact reflected in his work, with its strong abstract lines, flirtations…

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