Ronda, Spain in October
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October 20
Ronda
Chris and Deb’s flight back home was today out of Seville. Our flight home was tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. out of Malaga. We decided yesterday that we would get to Malaga by way of Ronda. So, we had coordinated bus rides to Ronda, and then to Malaga online with the Omio app, and a hotel stay at the Parador in Ronda for tonight.
We said our goodbyes to Chris and Deb, and headed for the bus station for our 10:00 a.m. bus. It was uneventful and we arrived in the beautiful white-washed city of Ronda at 12:15 p.m. The bus station in Ronda was very, very busy. We could not believe how many tourists were here. It was like a pilgrimage. Most were with tour groups, we were two of the few rogue independent tourists.
We walked to the supremely regal looking, and perfectly located Parador hotel about 15 minutes away.
Again, Parador hotels are Spanish government owned and operated. The buildings are usually re-purposed historic buildings, and usually in spectacular locations or viewpoints. This Parador hotel is located in the center of town where all tourist activity takes place. It’s actually perched right on the edge of a very high cliffside overlooking the Tajo de Ronda Gorge, and a gorgeous valley all the way to the Serrania de Ronda mountains. It was also adjacent to the main attraction in Ronda, the Puente Nuevo, a bridge that straddles two sections of the city and cliffsides, and rises over 300 feet over the gorge below. There is a waterfall flowing into the Guadalevin River through a lower archway of the stone bridge just for good measure…in case everything else wasn’t mesmerizing on its own. It’s called the new bridge because of the three bridges in Ronda, this one is only 230 years old…and in terms of Spanish historic architecture, that’s pretty new.
We were luckily able to check in 2 hours early at the Parador. We grabbed a snack and some drinks at the hotel bar and enjoyed them near the pool with a killer view of the valley below.
Then we ventured out to discover the Puente Nuevo and the gorge.
Next to the hotel there was an entrance to a portion of the bridge that allowed access to inside of it. We actually thought this entrance would allow access to the walkways that we could see people on below. Alas, for 2.5 Euros apiece we just got the limited inside access, which was cool, but disappointing considering our expectations. Also disappointing because we had to walk about two blocks to find the tourist center near the bull ring in town that was selling the tickets for this entrance, then back. Oh well…first world problems.
Across the bridge from out hotel through Old Town, we found our way to the Camino del Desfiladero del Tajo. This is a lower section of the gorge where, for a fee, we could walk a catwalk built alongside the cliff toward the base of the bridge for some cool views. Hardhats were required for this to deflect potential falling stones from the cliffs.
After about 90 minutes of gawking at the bridge, gorge, valley, mountains, and the homes and cafes perched high on the ledge we made our way back to the hotel.
The hotel front desk had coordinated a private tour for us with a local guide for 3:00 p.m.
Our tour guide Armando met us in the hotel lobby. He escorted us all over the place, enriching us with his vast knowledge of Ronda. We learned that Ronda is also known as a bullfighting mecca in Spain. There are busts of Orson Wells and Ernest Hemingway near the bullring in town, as they were huge fans of the Ronda bullfighting scene.
An advantage of a private tour guide is that they can sometimes get you into places you may not otherwise get into, or get in without paying! This was the case at the Casa Museo Don Bosco. Armando chatted with somebody he knew at the entrance and then whisked us into this historic, stately, former private mansion. The inside of the house has some beautiful examples of local craftsmanship from its period, such as tapestries, ceramic tiles and hand carved wooden furniture. But the gardens and terrace overlooking the valley were amazing.
After 3 hours with Armando, we finished the tour at the hotel. From there we headed out to eat dinner at a La Bodega Restaurante recommended by Armando as very local, very good, and reasonably priced. We probably never would have found this place otherwise. We ate outside in a square with a fountain, but way off the tourist beaten path. The food was very good, and the service friendly and efficient. Along the way to dinner, we caught a fantastic sunset view over the Serrania de Ronda mountains.
Back to the hotel and off to bed.
October 21
Our train from Ronda to Fuengirola was at 12:15 p.m. There is not bus directly to Malaga from Ronda for when we needed it. So, the plan was to get to Fuengirola by bus at 2:00 p.m., and then take an Uber to the Malaga airport, about 15 miles from there. Our flight was for 5:00 p.m. to Frankfurt.
This gave us some time in the morning to see a few more things in Ronda. We had breakfast at the hotel, as it was included in the price, whether we wanted it or not. After breakfast we checked out and with our backpacks wandered around the area of the Plaza de Toros, near the hotel. This is the bull ring in Ronda, which is an iconic Spanish landmark. We chose not to go in since there was an entrance fee, lots of people, we had our backpacks, and we didn’t really have the time to explore it adequately. In hindsight, I think we should have gone…a reason to come back! But we did get pictures with the sculptures of Orson Welles and Ernest Hemmingway next to it…they were huge fans.
We slowly made our way through town to the bus station, about a 20-minute walk. We got on the bus and headed to Fuengirola. The route took us along a stretch of the beautiful beach resort area of southern Spain called the Costa del Sol.
We got to the Malaga airport with plenty of time to spare. We had an overnight connection in Frankfurt, Germany. Then onto Detroit the following morning. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Hotel at the Frankfurt airport.
