Ronda Off The Beaten Path

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To see the famous White Villages at their absolute best it's hard to beat the A369 road from Ronda to Jimena de la Frontera.

Numerous 'Miradors' along the road are effectively viewpoints in all the best places, with a good place to pull off the road and park. The villages can be seen in all their glory, many of them are dominated by old fortifications from the Moorish times.

From the southern parts of the A369 it's possible, on a clear day, to see Gibraltar's famous rock and even across the strait to the mountains of North Africa.

Be sure to stop at the Mirador nearest to Ronda for a spectacular view of the City perched on the clifftop.

A369 Jimena de la Frontera - Ronda

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The Arab Baths are reached by rudimentary steps from the Puente Viejo (old bridge) below the Salvatierra palacio. They are said to be one of the best surviving examples of original Arabic hammams, water baths, in Spain and well worth a visit - plus on Sundays you can get in free of charge! The three main rooms – hot, medium, and cold – would have been fed with water from the two streams (one is called Arroyo de las Culebras, the Snake Stream) that meet nearby. Most notable are the star-shaped light and air vents in the domed ceilings, a common touch in Arab architecture.T he baths are believed to have been the main hammam for Moorish Ronda, although interestingly they lie outside the defensive walls and would have been used in more peaceable times.

Ronda lies high in the mountains and is surrounded by other white villages (pueblos blancos). Many of them are fortified and lie high on a hill for protection.
Make a tour around the lovely landscape and visit some of the nice white villages where time stood still.

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Our hotel in Ronda was opposite a nice park, which was the first thing we visited in the town. At the end of the park there were fantastic views across the valley to the mountains in the distance. It was a nice area to sit and have lunch, away from the crowds in the nearby streets and squares.

Orson Welles was one of the most famous visitors to Ronda. He is buried in Ronda in the grounds of the family home of Antonio Ordoñez, a famous bullfighter, with whom Welles struck up a friendship. A street near the bullring has now been named after Welles.

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South of the Old Town, beyond the Almocabar gate lies the San Francisco district of town, the third and least visited district of Ronda. There are fewer things to see in this district but perhaps that is its attraction. It seems to be a more residential area than the other areas of Ronda and with fewer tourists around you can probably see more of the real, everyday Ronda. We had a quick walk around the streets just beyond the Almocabar gate, and passed some nice looking bars and quiet streets. It would have been nice had we had more time here to explore the area properly.

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One of the things I liked about Granada And Ronda was the water fountains which you could sell all around these cities. There are still very much in use and as the locals drink from them I assume they are safe to use. The elegant Fuente de los Ocho Canos (Fountain of the 8 Spouts) in Ronda is a good example of these type of fountains. It can be found below the Iglesia de Nuestro Padre Jesus, just beyond the Puenta Viejo.

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The town walls were built by the Moors when they controlled Ronda. In medieval times, Ronda's strategic position made it difficult to attack. However, there were parts of the town that were vulnerable, especially on the lower lying Eastern and Southern sides. It was here that the town wall was constructed and much of it can still be seen today.