"Ronda - Home For A Week, May 04 - Flowers!" Ronda by scotlandscotour

Ronda Travel Guide: 507 reviews and 1,367 photos

Houses Clinging to The Gorge, Ronda, Andalucia, Sp

Ronda - Surprisingly Beautiful

This is the view across the gorge, towards Old Ronda - impregnable and vulnerable only to siege.

Most people photograph the "New" Bridge - so here is a different perspective.
To dampen your enthusiasm - the Gorge smells a little of sewage - glad we went in Spring before flies, no rain and heat were factors. Very impressive though - see Must See Tips!

Our Finca or Cottage - by Arriate (Ronda)

Our Home For A Week, Finca

Happy Memories!!!
This place served us well - but was fine because we haggled the price down by email before booking. Facilities struggled, broke and limped to the end of our week.

Our first two nights coincided with a local Fiesta - which provided trumpets, loudspeakers and fire crackers until 4am. We could only laugh - too tired to move or join in.

The remaining nights were quieter, allowing the many barking dogs and howling motor scooters to shatter the tranquility. Its not so much a case of "the Spanish know how to party" - more they don't seem to like being quiet.

This was the only building brightly painted - all else is white. We chose it for its location, availability last minute, booking over the internet - and we liked it having a wood stove! We found the wood stove blocked - sending smoke into the room 'til we resembled the local ham - and then there was no source of firewood - and the only bits I picked up turned out to be cork oak. Cork doesn't burn - its a great insulator!!! The portable gas heater would go out more often than a teenager - and it was cold at night - colder than Scotland, oddly.

The swimming pool was blocked with leaves - too early in the season, I guess, and the barbecue overgrown. A hire car was essential - distances are exacerbated by no pavements, a lot of fast traffic and a lot of small hills.

And the bed! - creaked and threatened collapse - I didn't dare fart - but was glad of the noises outside. The whole week my hearing aid must have been turned "full up".

But I had my wife, Rachel with me - and nothing else mattered.

Surrounding Area - A Vultures Eye View

A Bird's Eye View of Andalucia Countryside, Spain

The countryside around Ronda is beautiful, wild, rough and scattered with crumbling buildings (going up as well as down). Spring time meant a riot of colour with wild flowers everywhere - in between cacti, olive orchards, and orderly farmed plots.

The rural houses looked to fear burglars and fences littered the roadsides - metal fences more suited to a city centre - and open ended - so their purpose eluded us.

Houses have windows barred by black metal grids - even modern ones - a characteristic left over from the Civil war (1930's) - and possibly good for ventilation with security.

The over all effect of fences, barbed wire, rubbish and concrete, high revving motorbikes and dogs, is to give the feeling of a rural area colonised by nervous, paranoid city dwellers, not at one with the country. I don't know the true reason.

Property seemed expensive near Ronda - and many Estate Agents were targeting English Speakers. Few locals spoke english which was refreshing - adding to the sense of "take it or leave it" tourism.

The Costa del Sol, 50 km away beside the sea looked very gaudy, insensitive and sunk under a tide of golf courses, hotels and ugliness. But thats a very precious 50 kms. Ronda hides behind mountains of pine and rock - and though the access road is vastly upgraded it remains a riculously windy route. Thankfully. May it long remain so. One week in Ronda soon passed - and we ventured back to Malaga airport - too soon.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Wild Flowers, Ronda, History and Good Food
Cons:Noise, Fiestas, Scooters, Dogs and more noise
In a nutshell:Quite an amazing place - but Spain isn't Quiet

Last visit to Ronda: May 2004
Intro Updated Jun 13, 2004
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (12)

Rural Self-Catering Apartments Hotels (1)

A Finca For A Week With a hire car, this is a very pleasant combination ... just so long as you don't have a Fiesta,... more travel advice

Grazalema in Grazalema National Park - Ronda

The Wettest Place In Spain - Good Idea... Things to Do (11)

Grazalema So - it rained in Spain - where? - in the Plain. Ha ha - trust a Welsh / Scotsman to find the wettest place... more travel advice

Black Iberian Pig - Supermarket Display - Ronda

Black Iberian Pig - Supermarket Display! Things to Do (11)

A typical display in the supermarket. This is the local delicacy and a big part of the diet. Very common. Well worth... more travel advice

Remains Of The Roman Town Things to Do (11)

Acinipo - or also called Ronda la Vieja 20km north west of Ronda - this is the remains of a roman town - abandoned... more travel advice

Comments (16)

Reply
- Report abuse
blint Feb 1, 2008 at 2:25 PM

Great page filled with lots of 5 star tips about Ronda!
Reply
- Report abuse
oceania26 Aug 17, 2007 at 9:59 AM

Great info on Ronda...thanks!
Reply
- Report abuse
newyorkerman Apr 27, 2007 at 12:19 PM

I got to drive the entire Costa del Sol in 1980. It was an almost unspoiled landscape. Eleven years later, I returned, and found an unbroken stretch of condos along the coast, from one end of the country to the other.
Reply
- Report abuse
iwys May 2, 2006 at 8:33 AM

Interesting page. Places with houses clinging precariously to the side of gorges always appeal to me. About those bars on windows: yes, people in Spain really do fear burglars.
Reply
- Report abuse
barryg23 Apr 26, 2006 at 11:48 AM

Nice page on Ronda, we'll have a day and a half here over the weekend, very little time to see what looks like a lovely town.
Reply
- Report abuse
aussirose Jun 17, 2005 at 9:25 AM

G'day Malcolm. Well that looks like a lovely place for a holiday!! That pic of the buildings cut out of the overhanging rock is awesome!! Also love the view out off the cave. Lovely countryside!! Cheers, Ann :o)
Reply
- Report abuse
frank_delargy Jan 20, 2005 at 6:28 PM

I never knew much about Ronda at all. Great pages Malcom! We will need to put this on our list of places to visit, and we will take your advise and add extra time. Frank
Reply
- Report abuse
JetlagCity Sep 16, 2004 at 2:56 PM

Your page really does Ronda justice - I've long wanted to see some of these whitewashed towns in Andalucia. Super picture of the gate at La Cueva de la Pileta!
Reply
- Report abuse
deecat Aug 19, 2004 at 7:47 AM

It was such a pleasure to read your wonderful account of your stay in Ronda ( afavorite of mine). Your wit is charming; I smiled so often. You are so on target with you vivid descriptions. Honest, creative, and enticing work.
Reply
- Report abuse
ncfg Aug 17, 2004 at 12:53 PM

What a special place to explore! Houses in caves, must be different :-)