Is Ronda Spain Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons To Visit Ronda

If you’ve asked yourself “Is Ronda Spain worth visiting?”, you’re in the right place. I’ve spent considerate time in the whitewashed town over the years and personally, I love it there.

Most people go on a day trip to Ronda to see the New Bridge and grab a bite to eat. My last visit lasted a month – just because I could (the perches of van travel). The days went by just strolling around, doing some work, and exploring the village in-depth.

There are so many reasons to visit Ronda beyond the majestic New Bridge which holds the town together across the dramatic, 100-meter-deep El Tajo Gorge.

Ronda has a spellbinding charm with a history rooted back in pre-historic times – in fact, it’s one of the oldest settlements in Spain.

The New Bridge is just one of three bridges that cross the gorge. There’s also a Roman Bridge and an Arab Bridge behind it. You can explore Arab Baths, and old city walls, as well as a wealth of palaces that most tourists don’t even get to. And don’t get me started on the natural beauty that surrounds Ronda!

Read on to find out why you should visit Ronda Spain – or why you shouldn’t. Just because I love it doesn’t mean you will, so find out for yourself.

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Is Ronda Spain worth visiting?

So, is Ronda worth visiting? The short answer is Yes! But that’s also a subjective answer from me and it also depends on the time of the year. Here are some of the pros and cons of visiting Ronda before we get deeper into the reasons to visit the town.

Pros

• Beautiful architecture
• Heaps of history
• Picturesque setting
• Lots of things to see and do
• Great shopping
• Great local food and drinks (read wine!)

Cons

• Lots of tourists (I still get upset when online publications claim Ronda is a hidden gem, it’s not!)
• Many restaurants are tourist traps – especially around the New Bridge
• Being inland, it’s (too) hot in summer
• Can be hard to find parking on weekends
• The bullring is still in use (I’m a strong advocate for not spending money even for sightseeing in a bullring facility that hosts bullfights)

Reasons to visit Ronda Spain

The New Bridge

It’s no secret that the New Bridge is the main reason most people visit Ronda. And it’s certainly a great one! Because of this, Ronda usually tops the list of best towns in Malaga.

The New Bridge was built in the late 18th century to unite the old and the new parts of town that were split by the dramatic El Tajo Gorge. The new bridge made it easier to move between the two parts of town.

While it’s wonderful to see the views from the bridge itself (I especially love the views inwards of the gorge) you must venture down to the viewpoint of the bridge itself.

Breathtaking Views

If you love a good view, Ronda is your place! There are so many epic viewpoints around the town not only from the New Bridge.

Most popularly, you’ll see sweeping views from Mirador de Ronda, but also from Mirador de María Auxiliadora which you will pass when arriving at the square of the same name on the way down to the main view of the New Bridge.

Head to the Jardines de Cuenca behind the bridge for great views of the gorge and walk the old city walls for views of the countryside.

Arab heritage

There is no shortage of Arab heritage in Ronda. Parts of the old city walls still stand strong on one end of the town and when you walk on top of them, you get sweeping views of the rolling hills beyond the town.

Close to there, you also find the best preserved Roman Baths in Spain with star-shaped holes in the ceiling to let in natural light.

Besides, the smallest of the three bridges that cross El Tajo Gorge, and the one furthest down, is of Arab origin.

While these are the most prominent features of Moorish origin, there are plenty of other Moorish details scattered around like the original arches of Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor.

It’s in the middle of wine country

Ok, so if you’re a wine lover, visiting Ronda is a must. There are several vineyards in the region and you must go on a wine tour in Ronda to fully take advantage.

If you prefer staying in town, you’ll find plenty of local wines at any bar throughout the old town.

Surrounding nature

One of the top reasons why visit Ronda is all the nature trails around the village. If you don’t want to venture far, you can enjoy the trails around the gorge, but you can also walk parts of the Gran Senda de Malaga from Ronda to Cartajima.

As a hiking addict, I think this is one of the best things to do in Ronda, but fret not. There are plenty of other things to keep you entertained that don’t involve sweating.

Not far from Ronda, you find Cueva del Gato, a lush waterfall and water hole perfect for swimming on hot days. It used to be possible to walk inside the cave, but it’s been closed for quite a few years now for safety reasons.

Great shopping

Shopping in Ronda is also pretty good for being such a small place. The main shopping street is a pedestrian street leading down to the bullring, also known as “La Bola.”

There, you’ll find plenty of shops whether you’re looking for clothes or different gadgets. Take a peek into some of the side streets too for different niche shops.

There are also some souvenir shops and handicraft shops around the New Bridge.

Easy to reach by public transport

Talking about buses, one of the reasons why Ronda is a great place to visit is that it’s beautiful AND easy to reach by public transport.

Buses take about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Marbella, 2 hours from Malaga, and 2.5 hours from Seville. There is also a train station with direct trains from Malaga.

Street art

Ronda might not be the most famous place for its street art, but there are a few nice pieces around. The most recognized is located beside the bus station, so if you arrive by bus you’ll be welcomed by local art.

Surrounded by lovely white villages

There are so many lovely white villages near Ronda that you can reach by bus or preferably by car. The villages surrounding Ronda are some of the most unique places to visit in Andalucia like the Museum village of Genalguacil, the Smurf Village of Juzcar, and the Cave village of Setenil.

You can also visit some of the prettiest villages in Andalucia like Casares, Gaucin, and Olvera. I highly recommend renting a car to get the most out of the white villages!

All the palaces

One of the top reasons to visit Ronda is all the palaces hidden throughout the old town. The 14th-century Moorish Mondragón Palace and the 18th-century Palace of the Marquis are just a couple of examples.

I also enjoyed the views of the gorge from the garden at the Casa del Rey Moro. You can also walk all the way down to the bottom of the gorge which is pretty unique!

Conclusion: Is Ronda worth visiting?

So, is Ronda Spain worth visiting? You already know what I think! That said, there are a couple of cons which I mentioned at the top.

Going in plain summerly August temperatures is not something I’d recommend, but I understand you might want to fight the heat to see Ronda if it’s your only option.

It’s also a very touristy town, so it gets busy, especially on weekends and public holidays. So if you can travel there on weekdays outside the worst tourist seasons, you’ll have a much more pleasant experience.

With tourism comes the tourist traps and from experience, most of the restaurants near the New Bridge and those with the best views around it are expensive and with terrible service.

I recommend heading up the pedestrian shopping street and the side streets from there for better food and better service.

Besides this, there are way more reasons to visit Ronda than reasons not to, so unless these things are a deal breaker for you, I guess you’re already planning your trip. Make sure you read my post about the best places to stay in Ronda Spain before you go.

Happy travels!