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.
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.
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.
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.
Daytrips in Andalucía from Ronda by car are fairly easy to most of the major tourist highlights here in Western Andalucia.
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.
Even if, like me, you don’t agree with bullfighting, it is undeniable that the Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Ronda occupies a very special place in modern Spanish culture and history as the home of the Rondeño style of bullfighting and also of the Real Maestranza De Caballería De Ronda. A guided tour of Ronda and the bullring is well worth the small expense. The bullring was built entirely of stone in the 18th century, during the golden years of Pedro Romero’s reign as a champion bullfighter.
Reservatoro Ronda is a working breeding farm of fighting bulls and pure Andalusian horses, located just 5 km from Ronda. It was created by the now retired bullfighter Rafael Tejada. It is open to the public, giving visitors the opportunity to share in the lives of these animals throughout all their breeding stages and their fascinating selection process, as well as interact with them.
