Ronda

Ronda is one of the most picturesque destinations in Spain and the third most visited city in Andalucía. Visitors are drawn to its iconic landmarks, including the Puente Nuevo bridge, the Plaza de Toros bullring, Ronda Cathedral, and the historic Arab Baths.

Beyond the city, the surrounding Ronda Mountains are home to stunning white villages such as Grazalema, Setenil de las Bodegas, Zahara de la Sierra, and Genalguacil, offering breathtaking scenery and traditional Andalusian charm.

History of Ronda’s Arab Baths: Moorish Baths & Water System

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Arab baths in Ronda

Ronda’s Arab Baths (Baños Árabes) are one of the best-preserved medieval Islamic bath complexes in the Iberian Peninsula. Located beside the Puente Árabe in the former Muslim suburb of San Miguel, the baths give a fascinating insight into daily life in medieval Ronda and the importance of bathing, cleanliness and socialising in an Islamic city.

The baths date from the 13th and 14th centuries and retain much of their original layout and hydraulic system. The complex includes separate cold, warm and hot rooms, together with the remains of the furnace, aqueduct and water-lifting system that supplied the hammam. The surviving star-shaped skylights, horseshoe arches and water system make it one of the most interesting Moorish monuments in Ronda.

Planning to visit the Arab Baths? See our complete guide to Ronda’s Arab Baths, including current admission prices, opening times and what to expect when you visit.

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Cookery Classes in Ronda: Discover Spanish Cuisine with Marivi

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Cookery Classes in Ronda - Discover Spanish Cuisine with Marivi
Discover the Joy of Cooking in Ronda

Imagine the aroma of freshly cooked paella wafting through a 17th-century home in the heart of Ronda’s historic quarters. The lively chatter of fellow food enthusiasts fills the air as you embark on a culinary journey that promises not just delicious food, but unforgettable memories. Welcome to a cooking class with Marivi, a passionate Basque chef whose love for Spanish cuisine is as vibrant as her storytelling.

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The White Villages (Pueblos Blancos)

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Pueblos blancos

If you are staying in Ronda for a few days and have a car then you will surely want to get out and about to explore more villages in the area. The White Villages (Pueblos Blancos) encompass the north east of Cádiz and north west of Málaga provinces and this area is saturated in history with palaeolithic cave paintings, neolithic dolmens, bronze and copper age remains, Roman roads, Visigoth fountains and Moorish towers.

White village tours from Ronda
Grazalema on the route of the white villages.

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Arriving at Ronda’s Bus and Rail Stations

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Directions from bus and train station in Ronda to the bullring

Here are some quick directions to the bullring (plaza de toros), tourist office, Puente Nuevo and other main monuments. after arriving at Ronda’s bus and rail Stations. (Scroll down for more detailed descriptions and directions.)

Ronda is actually building a new bus station. I’ll post details about that as and when there is news.

How to get to the bullring from the bus station in Ronda

Exit the bus station and follow Calle San Jose to it’s end, then turn left into Calle Doctor Fleming (maps show it as Calle Jerez), and keep going till you reach the Ronda bullring. Check the map below.

How to get to the main monuments in Ronda from the train station

Exit the railway station and walk straight ahead crossing the road in front and walk along the Avenida Martinez Astein pedestrian gardens until you reach the “Carerra Espinel” (known locally as La Bola), then turn right and keep going down hill through this pedestrian shopping street till you reach the bullring. Check the map below.

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Daytrips in Andalucía from Ronda

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Self catering holiday house in Olvera, Andalusia, Spain

Daytrips in Andalucía from Ronda by car are fairly easy to most of the major tourist highlights here in Western Andalucia.

Average driving times to towns and cities from Ronda

All in all, Ronda is the great place to stay for a night or two if your holiday plans include seeing the Alhambra, the Mezquita, Malaga’s Picasso Museum, the Caminito del Rey (El Chorro), or the annual Jerez Horse Fair.

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Plaza de Toros Ronda: Bullring History, Tickets & Visiting Guide

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The bullring in Ronda

The Plaza de Toros in Ronda is one of the city’s most important historic landmarks and one of the most significant bullrings in Spain. Built in the 18th century, it is closely associated with the Romero family and the development of the Ronda style of bullfighting.

Today, visitors can explore the historic bullring and its museum to learn about Ronda’s role in Spanish culture and the history of bullfighting. You don’t need to be interested in bullfighting itself to appreciate the building, its architecture and its place in Ronda’s history.

Visiting the Plaza de Toros

A visit to the bullring includes access to the arena and museum, where you can learn more about Ronda’s bullfighting history and the Romero dynasty.

Book a tour that includes a visit to the bullring
Plaza de Toros (Bullring) in Ronda
Plaza de Toros (Bullring) in Ronda. A guided tour is highly recommended

Planning your visit to Ronda? The Plaza de Toros is one of the city’s key historic attractions. See our Top 10 places to visit in Ronda for more ideas on what to see and do during your stay.

Agatha Christie: The Seven Dials was filmed in Ronda

Ronda’s Plaza de Toros features in the Netflix miniseries Agatha Christie: The Seven Dials, an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel The Secret of Chimneys. Several scenes were filmed in Ronda in September 2024, with the Plaza de Toros among the city’s historic locations used by the production.

The bullring is particularly relevant to the story because the plot has a connection with bullfighting, and it appears in the opening scenes of the series. Other recognisable Ronda locations include the Puente Nuevo, Alameda del Tajo, Arab Baths, Casa del Rey Moro and the area around the Arco de Felipe V.

Would you like to visit a fighting bull farm in Ronda?

Reservatoro Ronda is a working breeding farm for fighting bulls and purebred Andalusian horses, located around 5 km from Ronda. Created by retired bullfighter Rafael Tejada, the farm is open to visitors who can learn about the breeding of fighting bulls and the selection process, while seeing the animals and horses at close quarters.

A visit offers a very different perspective on the traditional world surrounding Ronda’s bullfighting culture and takes you into the countryside just outside the city.

Reservatauro Ronda
Reservatauro Ronda is an active breeding farm for fighting bulls and purebred Andalusian horses, situated just 5 kilometers from Ronda.

You can book a visit over at Viator.

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Ronda’s Arab Walls and City Gates

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City gates and defensive walls of Ronda in Andalusia
A secure city

Part of the reason Ronda is so important in the history of Andalucia directly relates to how secure the city was from attack.  The city walls in combination with the gorge and rio Guadalevin made Ronda’s Arab Walls and City Gates impervious from attack until the age of the cannon.

Whilst wooden palisades existed to protect neolithic communities and their successors before the constructions of the Roman castle, the reality is that most of the stone walls around Ronda directly owe their construction to the Islamic era, a period that spanned close to 800 years from 712 until 1485.

Read this article in Spanish here…

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