"Day Trip to Ronda" a Ronda Travel Page by Hopkid

We had a weekend between the two weeks of work in Rota. The hardest part of the trip was getting out of Jerez. I swear that driving there is a total nightmare as the roads/highways are not clearly marked and the directional signs aren't always the best. At any rate, our trip out took us through Arcos de la Frontera and then down along A372 on the Camino de los Pueblos Blancos. The route is very scenic, taking you through the mountainous and forested Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema. Along this route you also drive through the charming Pueblos Blancos of El Bosque, Benamahoma, and Grazalema. Unfortunately we did not have time to stop and linger at these villages, instead pushing on to check out the underground rock formations of the Cueva de la Pileta just outside Benaojan.

But the highlight of the trip was Ronda. Sure it has a lot of touristy shops but the afternoon and early evening we spent there was rewarding because of the lack of hordes of tourists and the friendly feeling we got from the locals we met. We even got to spend some time after dinner with a helado during the evening stroll among the locals along Calle Carrera del Espinel and in the Plaza Socorro. Ronda has several interesting historic sites, including a wonderful bullring, and a charming old town. And I haven't even mentioned the spectacular Puente Nuevo which connects the old part of town with the new and straddles the very deep gorge through which the Rio Guadalevin flows.

I'll definitely go back to Ronda and spend more time exploring this inviting town. Tips and more photos to come!