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June 02, 2026

Spectacular Ronda

The city of Ronda is located on top of a massive limestone plateau at about 750m above sea level, and split in half by the 120 meter deep El tajo gorge, carved by the Guadalevin river.



Since end of the 18th century the iconic Puente Nuevo spans the canyon and connects the two town sides. Its construction took 34 years. And this bridge looks like straight from a fantasy movie. 





Further down another - older - bridge can be found, which was used before to cross the river. 


While strolling through the medieval town core we came by a 14th century Moorish fortress with a subterranean hydraulic system - La Mina de Agua - with was carved into the limestone and used to mine water from the river, a true masterpiece of engineering. 








While down in the valley we visited a Moorish Arab bath house offering a glimpse into the Islamic Andalusian live back in the 13th century. 






What goes down, must get up, and so we climbed back up into the city. Since the region has called out a "Museum Day" most venues where free of charge. so we visited the Palacio de Mondragon, another Moorish heritage featuring a serene courtyard and the city's municipal museum with historic artefact from stone-age to the present day.








And some excellent views overlooking the valley:




Some more impressions while exploring the old town core:







Tuna and steak for dinner, which included some wine, sherry and martini testing, plus a sampling of local cheeses. Mmm... Life's too short for bad food, eh!?!



June 01, 2026

Along the Ruta de los Pueblos blancos


We pick up our car, a brand-new Citroen C3 Sixt at the central bus station and head towards Arcos de la Frontera, which marks the beginning of the picturesque road trip. We frequently stop in awe when spotting one of those white walled villages.

Arcos de la Frontera






Zahara de la Sierra












Olvera





Setenil




On arrival in the old city core of Ronda the temperature gauge hits 32°C, but it's a dry heat, and we cope well. After check-in into the lovely Hotel Palacio de Hemingway (so named in honour of the famous writer and his affectionate love with Spain) we venture out to stretch our legs, enjoy some excellent tapas and admire the sunset.