Ronda is a stunningly beautiful pueblo blanco, or white town in Andalucia, in southern Spain. It’s most well known for the bridge over the plunging El Tajo gorge that splits the town in half but Ronda is so much more than one view. It’s a beautiful old town with so much culture and history. It’s actually one of Spain’s oldest towns. Ronda may be a small town but its one Andalucía’s big name destinations and handily for you, it makes for a perfect day trip.  Let’s take a look now at the very best things to do with 1 day in Ronda.

Ronda Highlights

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Why do people visit Ronda?

Most people make their Ronda day trip from either Seville or Malaga. Our first trip was made from the nearby small town of Osuna. Ronda is a perfect day trip from Seville or Malaga.

El Tajo Gorge and the three bridges: Despite its location inland, away from the popular tourist city of Malaga, tourists love the historic town of Ronda. It’s famous for being a mountain-top city that traverses a magnificent gorge, El Tajo, which is around 160m deep. The two halves of the city are linked by bridges and it is these bridges that people come to see. The bridges separate the new town from the old but, in true European style the new town is really not new. In fact it dates from the 15th century more or less and the old town dates from when this region of Spain was under Moorish rule. There is also, of course, an actual modern area of town but most visitors don’t spend much time there.

When deciding whether to visit Valencia or Seville, if you’re interested in seeing Ronda then you’ll really want to be based in Seville.

Where is Ronda?

Ronda is a small town in the mountains of Malaga Province, Andalucia, in southern Spain. Despite being a mountain town, the roads in and out are good, like most roads in southern Spain. 

📌 Ronda is a great option for a day trip from Sevilla or Malaga. (If you’re wondering about whether to stay in Malaga or Seville, by the way, I have an article dedicated to helping you solve this conundrum)

📌 The mountain town of Mijas Pueblo, one of the famous white villages, is an easy day trip from Ronda.

Brief History of Ronda

Ronda is one of the oldest towns in Spain along with nearby Cordoba and the magnificent Antequera. Remains have been found that date back to the Neolithic period but it’s believed that humans were living in the area even earlier than this. 

Ronda rose to importance during the Middle Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire when it was the capital of Takurunna, one of the provinces of Al-Andalus. It was an important border area and was conquered by the Catholic Castilians from the Moors in 1485. It was at this point that the blending of the two cultures in Ronda, began and the incredible city beloved by visitors began to take shape. 

Neolithic remains have also been found in Zuheros, a gorgeous mountain town in Córdoba province  andancient remains have also been found near Alcalá de Guadaíra, just outside Sevilla. It surprised me when I learnt that Gibraltar is thought to have been home to Neanderthals longer than anywhere else in Europe.

What to Do With 1 Day in Ronda

Whether you’re taking public transport or driving yourself to Ronda there are a number of sights you really won’t want to miss in the gorgeous city so let’s look now at a great Ronda itinerary for your day trip.

⭐️ If you’re wondering about whether you should take the kids to Ronda, the answer is yes. Like so much of Andalucía, it is excellent for kids.

​Puente Nuevo 

Start your day on the Puente Nuevo. This is really the most famous bridge in Ronda and the one you’re driving to Ronda to see. It’s big, it’s impressive and you’ll come home with dozens of photos of it from various angles. This ‘new’ bridge was built in the 18th century to span the deep gorge and the Guadalevín River. It is not only a tourist attraction (and believe me, it is), it’s also a working bridge so ensure you’re on the pavement/sidewalk at all times. Do not wander into the road without looking.

Do check out the views on both sides of the road. Once you’ve walked over the bridge in both directions, I recommend considering a view point or two.

Where to Find the Best Views of the Puente Nuevo

• Mirador de Ronda by the bull ring on the Alameda del Tajo
• Mirador Puente Nuevo de Ronda – this is a little bit of a trek down perfectly decent paths. The entrance is on Plaza de María Auxiliadora. There are a couple of good spots for views. You can also park in the carpark below and walk up, if you are so inclined (walk up – inclined, hahahahahaha I’m funny).
• Mirador de Aldehuela
• Walk along the Paseo de los Ingleses or the Balcon del Coño for wonderful views

If you fancy your view with a coffee or a beer/glass of wine, there are three great options I can recommend to you:

Hotel don Miguel – the views from here are great (photo above) and the prices are reasonable enough

Parador de Ronda – part of a national chain of hotels in historic buildings, this hotel has a lovely balcony where you can have coffee, drinks and cake

Casa Museo don Bosco – it’s possible to have a coffee in the gardens here (but you have to pay to get in)

Other Bridges and Important Sights in Ronda

If you’re in this beautiful town for the bridges then you may wish to walk down to Puente Viejo through the beautiful small park, the Jardines de Cuenca, and then further down to the Puente Arabe/Romano.

​If you do make it all the way down to the Arab Bridge then you could now either visit the 

📍 Arab Baths (Baños Arabes) – this is not a working bath but a 13th century bathhouse with a small museum. 

or make your way up the other side and visit 

📍 La Casa del Rey Moro – here you’ll explore the gardens and then walk all the way down to the bottom of the gorge via the steps in the mine. The steps are perfectly safe to descend and at the bottom is a platform on the river on which you can sit and paddle your feet / take lots of photos. 

Details about the museum and mine here

⭐️ There are a myriad of excellent reasons to visit Spain, keep reading to learn more about this magnificent country ⭐️

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Lunch Break on Your 1 Day in Ronda

​I have two highly recommended restaurants for you:

​Pura Cepa Ronda – this restaurant is attached to the Hotel Palacio de Hemingway and despite the small menu, I absolutely love everything about this place. Don’t miss the croquetas de rabo de toro (oxtail). They are honestly the best croquetas I’ve ever eaten.

Gastro-Bar MK – despite the English name, the food here is incredible.

Plaza de Toros and Alameda del Tajo

After lunch it’s time to stroll around the Plaza de Toros and the main shopping streets and the Plaza de Socorro.

➡️ Whether you choose to visit Ronda’s ancient bull ring (apparently the oldest bullring in Spain) or not, you will want to head to the Plaza de Toros as you’ll find a lot going on here. There’s a tourist office, musicians and there’s a park full of beautiful trees, a small playground, great views of the valley and the Puente Nuevo Bridge. Be sure to find the statue of Ernest Hemingway as you walk around the gardens. 

​Other Activities in for Your 1 Day in Ronda

Shopping – Ronda has a number of very good leather shops

Visit the city’s small museums including Museo Lara, Palacio de Mondragon (Mondragon Palace), Centro de Interpretación del Puente Nuevo or, check out the old city walls

⭐️ Take a walking tour of Ronda

⭐️ Taste wines on a wine tasting tour – this tour goes to Doña Felisa Bodega, I’ve both toured here and I love the wines. I highly recommend visiting.

⭐️ Taste olive oil on an olive oil tour

⭐️ Have a via ferrata adventure in Ronda

⭐️ Take a tour to the Roman ruins at Acinipo and prehistoric caves (with cave paintings)

What else to do near Ronda

Oh, there is so much to do in this gorgeous region. Check out Osuna, the ruinas de Acinipo, Olvera, Antequera, and Setenil de las Bodegas and so, so much more. In nearby Extremadura is the fascinating Roman city of Mérida, the Costa del Sol, Sevilla, Cordoba, and of course, incredible beaches.

📌 Find out how to make the most of Seville whether you have 1 day, 3 days or 5 days.

📌 In the summer months, take a dip in the gorgeous waters of Cueva del Gato

A Final Word on Spending 1 Day in Ronda

1 Day in Ronda is enough to marvel at the beauty of this small town but if you want to really get to know it, I highly recommend spending the night in Ronda. There are multiple excellent hotels in town to pick from. Staying in Ronda overnight would give you the opportunity to see either sunrise or sunset (or both!) from the bridges, or to take a trek down under the Puente Nuevo.

However you choose to visit Ronda, I hope you love it as much as I do.

Other fabulous day trips from Seville

One of the fabulous things about Seville is its location. It is so easy to explore much of the region as day trips from Seville.

⭐️ Malaga Province

➡️ Check out Malaga city, the surprisingly cultural city that is also the birthplace of Picasso

➡️ Explore Antequera and its magnificent Torcal

⭐️ Cádiz Province

➡️ Head to Cádiz, one of the oldest cities in Spain

➡️ Explore Jerez and the pueblos blancos of Cádiz

➡️ Enjoy the beach towns including gorgeous Tarifa (from where you can take a trip to Morocco and where the Mediterranean and Atlantic meet)

➡️ Take a day trip to Gibraltar, the weird slice of England on the edge of Spain

⭐️ Huelva Province

➡️ Enjoy Huelva City with its wonderful museum and great iron muelle

➡️ Explore the mountain towns of Aracena and Almonaster la Real

➡️ Marvel at the weird red river and castle in Niebla

➡️ Spend the day romping on the gorgeous beaches of Huelva and check out the fascinatingly weird pilgrimage town of El Rocío

⭐️ Sevilla Province

➡️ Walk along the forested river in Alcalá de Guadaíra

➡️ Visit the beautiful small town of Carmona

➡️ And, of course, take a day trip to Córdoba