William and I arrived in the town of Ronda in Andalucía and were assigned a lovely room with a Jacuzzi. The Hotel San Gabriel was our favorite lodging of the entire trip. After a short walk down a very narrow street, we had a great outdoors lunch with a view of one of the town plazas and the Cathedral.
After lunch, the hotel manager ordered a cab for us to head to Ronda Top Buggy. We were warmly greeted by our tour guide. Unfortunately, he spoke no English and our Spanish is mostly useful for restaurants. We determined we needed to follow his buggy in our own. I drove our buggy (I call it a "dune buggy," with rollover bars, no windows or doors, and automatic transmission), while another couple rode in a separate buggy. We headed to town on a public highway. (Should you try this experience, there is no windshield, so drive with a closed mouth—ask me why.)
Our route took us onto the square where we had lunched and then down a very narrow street (which passed our hotel--we waved at the hotel manager). We went through town, across the "New" Bridge, past the bullfighting arena, and took side streets to the plateau's bottom. We enjoyed bouncing along a rutted, dusty dirt road in the valley, and had amazing views of cliffs and the valley. As we neared the New Bridge, we paused for a complimentary drink at local bar with more opportunities to gaze up at the bridge and gorge. Gorgeous views! We then drove back to Top Buggy and were given a ride back to town. It was a lot of fun and very different way to see sleepy Ronda. The New Bridge is gorgeous and even more remarkable to see from the bottom.
After lunch, the hotel manager ordered a cab for us to head to Ronda Top Buggy. We were warmly greeted by our tour guide. Unfortunately, he spoke no English and our Spanish is mostly useful for restaurants. We determined we needed to follow his buggy in our own. I drove our buggy (I call it a "dune buggy," with rollover bars, no windows or doors, and automatic transmission), while another couple rode in a separate buggy. We headed to town on a public highway. (Should you try this experience, there is no windshield, so drive with a closed mouth—ask me why.)
Our route took us onto the square where we had lunched and then down a very narrow street (which passed our hotel--we waved at the hotel manager). We went through town, across the "New" Bridge, past the bullfighting arena, and took side streets to the plateau's bottom. We enjoyed bouncing along a rutted, dusty dirt road in the valley, and had amazing views of cliffs and the valley. As we neared the New Bridge, we paused for a complimentary drink at local bar with more opportunities to gaze up at the bridge and gorge. Gorgeous views! We then drove back to Top Buggy and were given a ride back to town. It was a lot of fun and very different way to see sleepy Ronda. The New Bridge is gorgeous and even more remarkable to see from the bottom.
After we returned, we walked over to the New Bridge and were equally amazed at the views of the Gorge from the top. Later in the afternoon, we then climbed down a LOT of stairs from the main streets of Ronda to visit the old (nonfunctioning) Arab Baths, built in the 12th or 13th centuries. Much of the structure still stands 800 or 900 years later!! On the way, we got to see the Old Bridge as well. Some signage for the Baths was a bit unclear, but we finally found it. We paid the small admission fee. Unfortunately, the clerk was very irritated that we didn't have any coins and he had to break 20€. We explored the few rooms of the baths. They are remarkably well preserved and we were intrigued by the way light was routed into the baths from openings in the ceiling. We also briefly explored the surrounding gardens and ruins. All told, we spent perhaps 30 to 45 minutes. It was interesting, but if someone has trouble managing stairs, they need to come via another route that takes a less direct path.
The following photos are a selection of the many beautiful views you may discover in Ronda.
At the end of the day, we sat in one of the common areas of the hotel and visited with other members of our tour group. The conversation was free-flowing, as was the wine, and we had a great time.
Day 11. We woke up to a foggy morning in Ronda. After breakfast, William and I took a sunrise walk along the edge of the plateau. It was like being in the clouds in our balloon again.
Our tour group assembled and headed to Sevilla (you may be more familiar with it as Seville). The landscape we passed was gorgeous, as were the clouds overhead.
Our tour group assembled and headed to Sevilla (you may be more familiar with it as Seville). The landscape we passed was gorgeous, as were the clouds overhead.
Why we need to go back: We would both love to return to the Hotel San Gabriel to stay for a few days. Ronda was one of the most relaxing places we visited. We would also like to walk down into the gorge along the Camino de los Molinos, to visit the Palacio de Mondragón museum and the Palacio del Rey Moro y La Mina, as well as check out the city gates.
Next up: Sevilla
Next up: Sevilla