Trip to Ronda

Yesterday a group of us went to visit Ronda, Spain- one of the most beautiful cities in Andalucia. We woke up early, got on the bus in Málaga, and drove 2.5 hours to the very top of a mountain. Of course, no mountain climb can be done in a straight line, but rather in a hand-full of twists and turns and narrow pathways. Needless to say, I wasn't able to enjoy much of the view from the bus because I was concentrating too much on not getting sick.

Once we arrived in Ronda we spent a few moments recovering and wandering to the city's center. With tour book in hand, we made it to our first destination: El Puente Nuevo. Here, the "old city" and "new city" are connected by magnificent bridge which crosses Rio Gaudalevín (deep river). The cliffs drop hundreds of feet in an abrupt fashion to the river and waterfall, where water was collected for the city when it was under Moorish occupation.

View of Puente Nuevo from the "new city"

View of the cliffs from the bridge

Another incredible view. Oh, and the backdrop isn't so bad. This is known as the Mirador de los Viajeros Románticos (View of the romantic travelers).

Once we were able to pick our jaws off of the ground, we kept exploring Ronda's Old City. The next stop is Casa de Rey Moro (the house of the Moorish King). Unfortunately, the museum was closed, but we were still able to walk around the walls of the old castle. There are a series of 300 steps that lead down to Puente Arábe and arabic baths, as well as access to Puente Viejo which was used before Puente Nuevo was completed (makes sense...)

Stairs leading to the water below the cliffs. On the left are restored stairs and remnants of the originals stairs can be seen on the right.

Puente Viejo from Puente Arábe

Standing on la muralla (the surrounding wall) of the castle

Standing in the same spot, but this is the view to my left. The residential Ronda, filled with traditional casas blancas. 

El grupo on top of the wall! 

I hope that you enjoyed this photo tour! If you ever have a chance to visit Andalucia, Spain I strongly suggest taking a trip to Ronda. The sights are unbelievable and the history is fascinating. These pictures don't do it any justice! 

Thanks for reading!