Ronda, Espanha
HolaToday we go to Ronda, and boy is she sweet! We walk downhill from campground and realise why camp reception said several times that you should catch a taxi home - its a steep walk! Straight after walking through the old town gate there is a church (of course there is). It’s only 1€ so in we go, quite pleasant but not huge, and Bob treks up the winding skinny slippery stone staircase to the bell tower and he has just started on his way down when the bell tolls (lucky or he would have been deafened).
Archway through old walls
Entrance to old town in Ronda
Old walls around Castle in Ronda
Inside Church in Ronda
Another shot of lovely arched ceilings in Church in Ronda
Beautiful arches in Church
Front of Church - needs a bit of a clean
Looking up walls of Church in Ronda
Onwards up the hill past some nice sights and buildings and stop for morning tea in a lovely square. We are intrigued by the comings and goings at a building across the square which we think is a government building and something important is happening there. As we wander off though we walk past there and realise that the policeman who is there is really just the gatekeeper and directing traffic - simply telling everyone the carpark inside the gates is ‘completo’ and you must go somewhere else to park (so no intrigue at all). Continuing our wander we find more lovely old buildings and decide that Ronda is simply a lovely place and it is very clean and well looked after.
Kerrie in lovely park in Ronda
Statute in lovely park in Ronda
Old building in distance
And then we come across the main attraction - "Puente Nuevo", the "New Bridge" across El Tajo Gorge. Well it's "new" in the sense that it’s the newest of three old bridges. Construction began in 1735 but the first bridge collapsed in 1741, killing 50 people. The current bridge was completed after 34 years in 1793 after a new design was implemented. The bridge connects the old and new parts of the city. It also has a chamber above the central arch that was used for a variety of purposes, including as a prison. Back in the civil war, they used the prison as a torture chamber for captured opponents, often killing them by throwing them from the windows to the rocks at the bottom of the gorge! It stands at about 98 meters (322 feet) high and 66 metres across. Wow, it is amazing. And "jeez Louise" - how on earth did they build that bridge back in the 1700s - it's huge and enormously high - across a gorge no less.
Good shot of new bridge
New Bridge
And New Bridge again
Another shot down the gorge - with walking trail on the side
Another view of gorge
Down gorge again
Another view of gorge
Building/dwellings built down gorge
Kerrie looking over edge of new bridge down to gorge
Bob contemplating life in retirement while overlooking new bridge down gorge
Bob and Kerrie overlooking valley from Ronda
We walk across and back and take numerous shots. We decide not to do the walk to the bottom of the gorge (which they say can take an hour) and we can see a carpark down below and the Tourist Office lady says you can drive down to there and walk up part of the way to get your classic shots from below (and walking up a short way and back down sounds more appealing than going all the way down and having to walk back up all the way) - so tune in for the next days trip to the carpark at the bottom of the gorge.
After some time in the park beside the gorge and an outside look at the Bull Ring (another place deemed too expensive for us ), we eat lunch to rest up. Because we then walk down to the old bridge which is much easier for some great shots of the new bridge and the gorge, although completing the circuit back up is challenging.
So what's the story about the old bridges. The first "oldest" bridge was called the "Puente Romano Bridge" (or Arab Bridge) built in 713. But the Arab Bridge was no longer wide enough for horse-drawn carts, so they decided to build another bridge. This second old bridge, "Puente Viejo" was built in the 17th century. Just a single-arch structure as it's situated in a narrower part of the gorge. Then came along King Ferninand VI who said "hang on, that bridge is a bit out of town and I'd like a bridge a bit closer that connects the older town to the new town - so build me a new bridge, OK!". So they built the "New Bridge". OK, short history lesson over.
First "oldest" bridge in background - the Arab Bridge
First "oldest" bridge again
Down the gorge to the second oldest bridge - the single arch bridge (in background)
Arch of second oldest bridge
View of plains from top of Ronda
Laneway in Ronda
Steep cliffs in Ronda
Tree lined streets
We decide we have had a really great couple of days (and Jerez just days ago was one of them) but this is a highlight so far. We do get that taxi home as all the up and down stairs and paths today has worn us out and the step count is high enough! We round out the day by going to the restaurant at the campground for an excellent Paella. Before I say good night, a word about the 50+ year old Maitre D/Waiter/Barman/cleaner upperer/bill taker/whatever at the campsite restaurant - he single handedly ran a busy full restaurant by himself (inside and outside tables) - and boy did he move! Something for the young folk of today who think you need 8-10 people to work a room.
Look at that delicious seafood Paella
Kerrie about to enjoy well deserved seafood Paella
Adious for now
This featured blog entry was written by Bob and Kerrie from the blog Portugal and Spain - 2025.
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