How do you get to Ronda?

History of Ronda

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

Ronda really 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. Ronda 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 today began to take shape. 

Despite what you might think, Ronda is not a UNESCO World Heritage site but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. 

But hold on, do the kids care about any of this history when in Ronda?

That’s what you really want to know, right? 😉

They do not.

What to do in Ronda with kids

So, if the kids don’t really care about the history or Ronda, why take them? Well, honestly, there are many reasons to visit Ronda with kids, the most important being that it’s a really beautiful town with plenty to see and do for everyone.

👣 Begin your Ronda adventure with a free walking tour with a Guru Walk guide.

Check out the bridges

There are three bridges in Ronda and it’s worth checking them all out.

Puente Nuevo 

This is the primary bridge, the one you’re going to Ronda to see (photo above). 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 gorge and the Guadalevín River. 

The views over the surrounding countryside will blow your mind.

👧🏽 This bridge is not only a tourist attraction (and believe me, it is), it’s also a working bridge so keep hold of the kids and ensure they’re on the pavement/sidewalk at all times. Do check out the views on both sides of the road.

⭐️ Sunset from this bridge is just gorgeous if you can stick around long enough. If I’m totally honest, my kids were a bit bored while we waited for the sun to set. They declared that they’ve seen the sun set plenty of times so we didn’t need to wait, but they were wrong, what do they know?

→ There is a small museum about the bridge, in the bridge itself.

👧🏽 We took a long-ish hike down under the bridge to the ruined buildings (old electricity company buildings) you can see if you look down far enough. The kids absolutely adored exploring down here. We clambered over boulders, walked carefully through the ruins, found little caves and had a big old adventure.

🪂 MexicoCassie recommended family adventure: If you have bigger kids, then the Ronda via ferrata in Ronda is an incredible way to really experience the Tajo Gorge.

Puente Viejo

The second bridge is Puente Viejo (Old Bridge). It’s smaller but also really very lovely. It is reached via a short walk through town or through the Botanical Gardens, the Jardines de Cuenca (pictured above).

Puente Arabe/Romano

The third, and lowest bridge is accessed via a set of steps down from Puente Viejo. The bridge is sometimes called the Arab Bridge and sometimes the Roman Bridge. At the bottom here you’ll also find the Arab baths (just about visible in the photo above).

👧🏽 We carried on walking down, until we found the river, which is often really little more than a stream at this point. We spent ages skimming stones and jumping around on stepping stones and fallen logs.

2 excellent museums in Ronda for kids

La Casa del Rey Moro

The garden is nice enough but the point of being here is to get to the bottom of the mine, which is many, many steps down to the bottom of the gorge. Here there is a platform upon which you can sit and paddle your tired feet / take lots of photos. Most people took photos, we mainly paddled our feet. The water is numbingly cold but this was wonderfully refreshing and we all enjoyed sitting with our feet in the water.

→ Details about the museum and mine here

Museo Lara

Undoubtedly one of the more eclectic museums you’ll visit and here you can touch nigh on everything. The kids spent ages hopping in and out of old carriages, pretending to take each other for a carriage ride and fiddling with old cinema machines. They thought this was going to be the highlight of the museum, and then we went downstairs to the torture room where, you guessed it, they sat in stocks, put their heads in the guillotine, and locked themselves (and me) in cages. I drew the line at some torture instrument that would have required me to turn screws into their backs.

→ Museum details here

Plaza de Toros

I was not keen to visit this bullfighting arena, especially when I learned we had to pay for adults but the kids’ dad really wanted to see inside so in we went. The museum did not hold anyone’s attention but the ring is spectacular. It’s enormous and the views are lovely.

👧🏽 The kids will love being able to run around in the wide empty ring. 

👧🏽 Other kid friendly options

Play time

By the Plaza de la Merced is a park with incredible views over the valley below. There is also a playground for small kids here as well as space for children to run around. 

Let the kids run on the Plaza del Socorro while you enjoy a drink

Paseo de Blas Infante – here you’ll find a small playground and plenty of space to run

Shopping

Stroll along the Paseo de los Ingleses

Kids will the opportunity to explore the shops on the the main shopping street, Carrera Espinel and the main touristy street, Calle Armiñan where you’ll find enough souvenir shops selling all sorts of fun trinkets fo rthe kids.

Literature

Ok, so the kids probably won’t care but it’s interesting for the adults so see if you can find the Ernest Hemingway Sculpture and if you can persuade your kids to translate the text under it. It’s interesting. 

There are 2 roads in Ronda named after writers: Paseo de E. Hemingway and Paseo de Orson Welles, both of whom fell in love with this small mountain town.

Ronda: the details

Where to stay in Ronda

Where to eat in Ronda

In such a touristy location it can be hard to know where to eat. I highly recommend 

Gastro-Bar MK – good food, friendly service and a good ice cream selection for dessert

Restaurante Pura Cepa – great food and very friendly service

Meson Rondeño – if your kids love meat this is a good option

Restaurante Pizzeria Michelangelo – for a top notch Italian that has great pizzas

→ Use the MexicoCassie guide to kid friendly Spanish food to figure out what your kids might eat.