WHAT TO DO IN RONDA

A wealth of possibilities in a privileged setting

It is no coincidence that Ronda is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and a must to visit. Surrounded by mountains and natural parks, Ronda sits on a plateau at a height of over 700 metres so the nights are pleasant even in the hot summer temperatures and allow for a restorative break. This is something you will be grateful for when you visit Ronda, since there is so much to do by day and night. Here are just some of the possibilities:

A city of great monuments

Ronda has been declared a historic and cultural site and thrills visitors whose first impression is the Puente Nuevo bridge spanning the river Guadalevín and offering stunning views of the city. We strongly recommend enjoying this view in the so-called “magic hour”, the time at sunset when the sky takes on a dark hue and the city lights turn on.

The oldest bullring in Spain

The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda is a must. It was founded by local nobility in 1572 during the reign of Philip II of Spain to practice jousting tournaments and train horses. Bullfighting was introduced in the eighteenth century. Today, it continues to be dedicated to classic dressage events and celebrates the famous “Corrida Goyesca” bullfight every year in early September. It is open to visitors to look around inside.

Arab baths

While Arab baths can be found in many parts of Spain, the best preserved ones in Europe are in Ronda. The baths are located in the former Jewish quarter, next to the old Puerta de la Puente (no longer standing) and close to the river to take advantage of its waters.

Art at Mondragón Palace

Mondragón Palace is home to the Ronda Municipal Museum but is a gem in its own right. It is a Mudéjar-Renaissance building founded in the Al-Andalus period, where King Abd Malik took up residence in the fourteenth century. A few years later, when the Catholic Monarchs took the city in 1485 (they themselves inhabited it during their time there), it passed to Melchor de Mondragón. In 2006 it opened its doors to visitors with a collection of artistic and historical works that can be toured today.

Ronda and its lookouts

Puente Nuevo is not the only spectacular vantage point in town. Ronda is full of places where you can look out and enjoy stunning views of the city: Mirador de los Viajeros Románticos, Mirador de Aldehuela, Mirador del Paseo Blas Infante, Mirador de los Reyes Católicos… thanks to its geographical position and defensive walled enclave, Ronda is packed with vertigo-inducing sites.

Nature in every corner

If you’re wondering what to do in Ronda and you love nature, there’s no shortage of options exploring the highlands and nearby areas, surrounded by rocky formations and fresh greenery. Ronda boasts three nature parks, Sierra de las Nieves, Los Alcornocales, and Grazalema, but there are also many protected natural areas with a diversity of plants and animals of great value. They include the Hidalga, Oreganal and Blanquilla mountain ranges, the Garganta del Arroyo del Cupil gorge, Sijuela Valley, the Merinos-Cancho de la Pepa range, Cueva de la Pileta, with its cave paintings (National Monument), the Sanguijuela-Salinas mountain range and the Reales de Sierra Bermeja nature area.
Among the wildlife we can find in these places is a wide variety of birds of prey such as eagles, hawks and owls, and mammal species like the wildcat, roe, Egyptian mongoose and others.

Wealth and Historical Heritage

The cultural heritage is extraordinary and ranges from traces of the first prehistoric settlers to leave us their dolmens (such as La Planilla, on the UNESCO World Heritage list) to Roman remains like the Acinipo site and the untold wealth of the Arab legacy still so strongly present. All this makes up the different architectural and monumental pieces that the passage of time has bequeathed throughout each age and which can be visited.

Ronda and sport go hand in hand

Who hasn’t heard of the 101km in 24 Hours race for the Spanish Legion? For two days in May, over 8,000 participants embark on a long-distance race by mountain bike or foot. The event has become a tradition and there is strong demand to take part (in 2019, places sold out in under a minute of going on offer, having been requested by around 25,000 people from 48 countries). On those days, Ronda’s already large number of visitors becomes a surging throng of lively crowds.

Unique Experiences

For those keen to try something new but at the same time after quality and who appreciate the traditional joys of the land, there are countless options blending culture and local produce with on-trend experiences. One example is the great diversity of wine tourism offers, where you can take a guided tour of a winery, see how wine is grown and made, learn its varieties and enjoy a tasting and pairing. This is an experience we have been providing for some time now, but which has grown to embrace a more extensive variety of activities, such as yoga in the vineyards. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, food and wine tourism alone accounted for 20 million trips in 2017, and the figures continue to climb.

LA Organic Experience

As the icing on the cake of your plans in Ronda comes this very special one: LA Organic Experience, where you can tour our organic olive grove and vineyard, as well as a veritable temple to olive oil culture to discover and marvel at the secrets of this product so heavily tied up with the land and sample the very highest quality, organic oil in a beautiful venue purpose-built for visitors: The Greenhouse.

If you’re visiting Ronda, make sure to visit this place that is full of surprises.

Reserve your place via the following link:

https://www.laorganic.es/en/oleotourism/ronda/