If we visit Ronda, we can’t miss out on a tourist route around the city and its monuments. The middle ages is characterised by a strong religious fundamentalism, which is why it’s not strange to see abundant buildings of this type. Continue reading to learn more about the places you can visit and where they are located:
A symbol of the city of Ronda, the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo) suffered two phases during its construction, the first one in 1735 with a building work that went on for 8 months, but collapsed shortly after. In 1751, they began to build the new bridge again which was finished in 1793, this time 42 years of building works on a bridge that still stands today.
The new bridge holds in its interior the interpretation centre, a former cell, that today exhibits the history of the bridge from the beginnings of its construction using carved rocks from the bottom of the gauge.
Located near an old 5th century Paleo-Christian basilica and situated upon an old mosque of which the only thing remaining is the arch and a piece of its wall.
A gothic style church that an earthquake mostly destroyed in 1580.
Opening hours: From 10am to 7pm, Mon-Sat. And on Sundays from 10am to 12:30pm and then from 2pm to 7pm.
Price: 4€ per person, 3€ for groups and 2€ for Spanish pensioners. Ronda citizens and children under 10 years old for free. Others: 1,50€.
According to a legend, in this palace lived a great Arab king and the last Muslim governor of the Granada Kingdom. The palace was totally reformed after the Christian conquest and in the 18th century they built the exterior part of the facade.
Plaza de Mondragón.
Tel: +34 952 878 450
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 7 pm and 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Ronda’s situation has given it a privileged defensive location over the centuries, surrounded by walls in the past, today several parts still remain like the 13th century Almocabar gate, which was the main entrance during the Arab dominion.
While some walls intended to defend the entrance to the city, other defended the mills and the cattle.
On the map you’ll see the situation of the Arab walls in Ronda:
Well-known as one of the oldest in Spain, it’s a monumental bullring. Ronda was a city of a great cavalry tradition, so they built the bullring to carry out equestrian exercises of skill with horses amongst which, as it were traditional during the middle ages, they included the bullfighting, a medieval tradition that still remains today.
The construction of the bullring lasted 6 years and was inaugurated in 1785, where in its interior one can visit a museum with the history of the art of bullfighting and a collection of old firearms.
A small park with trees situated next to the bullring and on the edge of the gauge which is why it offers some beautiful views of the area. It’s from the 19th century and is made up of 5 parallel avenues with a wide variety of species of plants and trees that are over 200 years old.
These Arab baths are the best preserved in the whole country. Built by the Stream of the Serpents, the water travelled due to a system created for such which still remains today. After the Christian conquest the premises was used to work with leather. It has beautiful star-shaped skylights.
Tel: +34 952 873 889
Oppening hours: Tuesday 9:30 am to 1:30 pm amd 4 pm to 6 pm. Wendsday to Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm.
In the same year in which the city was invaded by the Christian armies, they began the construction of this church, finishing 20 years later with a semblance of a fortress.
Opening hours: From 10am to 2pm, Mon-Sat.
Price: 1€ per person. Groups + 10 people= 0.60€. Children under 10 years old for free.
This palace-house of Arab origins has suffered restructurings caused by the changes of owners over the history. In the past, some of the rooms were used for storage, nowadays closed to the public although certain parts can be visited like the mine and the gardens.
Built during the 16th century in the middle of a religious expansion, this is another of the old churches that Ronda hosts.
After the collapse of the first new bridge and before the construction of the one we can see today, the entrance to the city was reformed due to the great influx of people that crossed it. The old Arab gate that was there was replaced in 1742 according to the inscription situated near the gate.
Another one of the abundant religious buildings in the area that show us the great power of the church from the middle ages.
Its name comes from the great reliefs of Phoenician origin that decorated the corners of the building. It’s an Arab house from in between the 14th and 15th century, one of the best miniature palaces that remain and that after being rehabilitated it is now open to the public since the year 2004.
Another religious building from the middle ages, this time it’s a convent built in 1585. It still preserves jewels that show the luxury and the ostentation of the church; amongst these jewels we can highlight a silver hand with rings and jewels and oil paintings from the 17th century.
A small tower that was part of one of Ronda’s mosques during the Arab domination. It was declared as a historical monument in 1931 and was remodelled during the Christian period.
The minaret is a representative element of the Islamic culture throughout all of the territories in which the Arab dominion extended and is from where they would call the faithful to pray.
The Palace of the Marquis of Salvatierra
A palace-house in Ronda built during the 17th and 18th century with the family heraldry emblem on the facade.
Currently it’s the town hall of Ronda and was built during the year 1734.
Built in 1734, it’s another religious building in Ronda. It’s a chapel, a place of religious worship according to the beliefs of back then, which is adjacent to to a house.
A chael of Arab origins and excavated in the rock where one can distinguish 3 areas, the one for religious worship, the one used as a house and the one used to store food and cattle.
This place was occupied until the 18th century, when it was finally abandoned although it was recovered again in the 20th century and restored so it can be visited.
Ctra de Algeciras, km.2
Tel: 649 665 772
Opening hours: autumm and winter 10 am to 6 pm.
Spring and Summer 10 am to 7 pm. Saturday ,Sunday and public holidays till 3 pm winter.
An early 20th century building with tapestries from the 19th century. It belonged to a family from Granada who handed it over to a religious order to take in the elderly and the ill.
Tenorio, 20
Tel: +34 952 871 683
Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm.
One of the oldest religious buildings in Ronda, ordered to be built by the Catholic Kings in 1485 although it wasn’t built until the early 16th century.
In the late 20th century it ended up in the hands of the town hall and it can currently be visited during the week.
Opening hours: From 11am to 2pm then from 4pm to 8pm, Mon-Sat. And on Sundays from 11am to 2pm.
Price: 1€ per person. Ronda citizens for free.
Currently it’s the Joaquin Peinado Museum. This building is a palace that shows us the stay in the city of the last inheritors of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II (1502-1520), where his remains are buried.
Currently the museum belongs to the Unicaja foundation of the painter Joaquin Peinado (1898-1975).
Discovered in 1905 and situated in Benaojan, it was declared as a national monument in 1924. It contains prehistoric cave paintings, and was an important spot for hunters-harvesters during the Palaeolithic period.
22km. Benaoján.
Tel: +34 952 213 640
Opening hours: 10 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm.
Groups of 25.
Acinipo is an archaeological site with prehistoric and roman remains. It had certain importance due to the fertility of its lands since the Neolithic period; later on the area was occupied by the romans that left us numerous constructions like the roman theatre, public baths and temples, of which one of them remained standing until the early 20th century.
As from the third century it declined until it was finally abandoned, transferring all the importance to Arunda (Ronda).
12 km. ctra .Sevilla
Tel: +34 952 213 640
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Credit cards accepted
