Ronda - The White Pearl of Andalusia

Hello friends, our next stop on our Andalusia trip was the town of Ronda. Ronda is one of the white towns of Andalusia, known as the "White city". All the houses here are white and these small white houses are scattered across the Serrano de Ronda mountains. The city is particularly famous for its Puente Nuevo or New bridge. However, its history dates back much further. The Celts first established a settlement here, followed by the Romans. Later the Moors ruled the area for a period before it was finally taken over by the Spaniards.

The main attraction of the city, Puente Nuevo, although called "new" was actually built in the 18th century and connects the old part of the city to the new part. It is the second bridge built on the same site. After the failure of the first bridge, a more robust one was constructed. This second, more permanent bridge was named "New bridge" due to the previous unsuccessful attempt. The bridge offers a impressive view. From Puente Nuevo, we could also see the Old bridge, which is just as beautiful.

Another interesting feature of Ronda is that it hosts one of the oldest bullfighting arenas in Spain. In fact Ronda is considered the cradle of the bullfighting tradition in Spain. The arena is located in the heart of the city, very close to Puente Nuevo. The architect of this arena was the same person who designed the bridge.

Although Ronda is a small town, it is not without its Royal Palace. The palace is called Mondragon Palace. Of course, it is not as impressive as the Alhambra Palace I mentioned in a previous post, but it is still notable. Construction of the palace began in the 14th century. It was originally built by the Muslims. But later, when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand visited Ronda, they used it as a temporary residence.

Ronda was rebuilt in the 15th century and now houses a local history museum. This is quite an interesting detail, but what is remarkable is that despite its location, Ronda is surprisingly green and a pleasant town. There are gardens and squares everywhere. During our visit, we went to one of Ronda's most beautiful squares, known as Plaza Duquesa de Parcent. In this square, there are two monasteries and Ronda's main church, the Church of Saint Mary or Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor.

The Church of Saint Mary, like most buildings, was constructed in several stages, a process that took quite a long time. The square itself is also quite impressive, especially with the wonderful arched windows of the town hall, which offer a lovely view.

Ronda also has well-preserved city walls, which have made the town quite defensible. A historian friend of mine shared an interesting fact about the white houses and the "white city" tradition: it was believed that painting houses white was a method of fighting the plague. The white paint was thought to prevent the plague from entering a house or quickly drive it away. I'm not sure if this is true, but I have no reason to doubt my friend's historical knowledge.

Ronda being once under Muslim control, is a city that would be unthinkable without its hammams. Therefore, there are a few hammams here as well. You can visit them or just look at them from the outside. However, it's hard to say that there's something particularly special or striking about these hammams. If you’ve seen more impressive ones, like the Arab baths in Girona, these might not seem as impressive.

In addition to Mondragon Palace, Ronda also has another palace: the Andalusian Palace, Casa del Rey Moro, located on a high bank and built at the edge of the Guadalevín River. The location of the palace offers the best panoramic view, especially because it's right above the canyon. This view was as impressive as the one seen from the New Bridge.

Another interesting point is that many rivers in Spain start with "Guadi". For example, the "Guadalquivir" River in Córdoba and Seville, the "Guadiana" River in Mérida and here, the name of the Levín River also starts with "Guadi". There are many such long rivers that divide Spain and Portugal. However, I don’t know what the meaning of the word "Guadi" is.

We continued exploring Ronda a bit more. You can walk around Socorro Square, where you’ll find the Nuestra Señora del Socorro Church, also known as the Church of Saint Mary. There’s also a Hercules statue and a fountain here. The square and its surroundings are quite pleasant.

The most important things in Ronda are the views, walks, small streets and white houses. The city is beautiful and peaceful in every way. If you're on the Costa del Sol, it's definitely worth taking an hour to come here, spend a few hours walking and enjoy lunch. While it might not be a huge discovery compared to previous cities like Málaga, Granada and Córdoba, the views and serene atmosphere that Ronda offers are delightful.

I will continue to share other cities from our Andalusia trip, as this place is very beautiful and worth visiting.