Andalusia Archives - Pacific Northwest Explorer

Ronda, Spain

by Alan K. Lee

Tagus Escarpment and countryside west of Ronda

Introduction

A TV travel show about ten or twelve years ago was my first introduced to Ronda, Spain. The spectacular canyon that splits the town made a memorable and lasting impression, and I was happy that my wife and I were able to fit a day trip to Ronda into our itinerary when we visited the Andalusia region of Spain last spring. Ronda is only about 40 miles (as the crow flies) west of Malaga, and since we were flying back from Malaga at the end of our trip, it only made sense to include a side trip to Ronda. Our day trip to Ronda also included a bonus stop in Setinel de las Bodegas.

Ronda

Ronda is divided into two sections by the 400 foot deep El Tajo Canyon of the Guadalevin River. This deep, narrow, gorge is spectacular. There’s more to the city than that, of course, but El Tajo is the main tourist draw in Ronda.

If you arrive in Ronda by car, most on-street parking is free (per Rick Steves) but empty spaces may be hard to find near the New Bridge area. There is a parking garage just north of the Alameda de Tajo and an underground parking garage at the Plaza Socorro, a block east of the bullfighting ring.

Most travelers arrive in Ronda by train or bus. From the train station it is a 15 minute walk to the New Bridge. After exiting the station, turn right onto the Avenida de Andalusia. In about a quarter of a mile, you’ll see the bus station on the right. Continue straight (the street becomes the Calle San Jose at that point), then turn left on Calle Jerez. You’ll pass the Church of Our Lady of Mercy on your right in the first block. Just beyond that, look for the Alameda del Tajo on your right. You’ll want to walk through the park to the edge of the Tagus Escarpment, a 400-foot high, nearly vertical cliff, where you’ll find your first of many viewpoints.

Follow the walkway along the edge of the cliff to the Bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda (officially the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Ronda), the oldest bullring in Spain (constructed in 1793). Adult admission to the bullring and the small museum there is 9€.

View of the New Bridge from the Paseo de Kazunori Yamauchi

Past the bullring, take a right to the Mirador de Ronda, the second viewpoint you’ll encounter, and then make your way to the New Bridge. Approaching the New Bridge on the Calle Arminand, you’ll pass the Parador de Ronda, the old town hall, now a hotel, on your right. Just beyond the Parador, there is a walkway to the Paseo de Kazunori Yamauchi where you can see the west end of the El Tajo Canyon and the New Bridge. For a small fee, you can also descend a stairway into the structure of the bridge itself.

Looking down into El Tajo to the Old Bridge

Cross the street and walk across the bridge, then take a left to another spectacular viewpoint, this one looking upstream and down into the canyon. If you want to descend into the canyon, which my wife and I did and which I recommend, provided you are in good enough condition to climb the 400 feet back up to the top, take the first left on the south side of the bridge and follow Calle Cuesta de Santa Domingo steeply downhill.

Casa del Rey Moro, viewed from across the canyon

In about 300 feet you’ll come to the misnamed Casa del Rey Moro (House of the Moorish King). The house was built long after the Moors were driven out of Spain. Here you can pay a 10€ entrance fee to get to a set of 260 steps leading down to what is called the “water mine” at river level. (The house itself is closed to the public). Or do as we did, continue on the street down to the Old Bridge.

There are three bridges crossing the Guadalevin River. The lowest of the three, the Roman Bridge (Puente Romano) is almost at river level and is also the oldest. It is also called the Arab Bridge (Puente Arabe) and Puente San Miguel. The foundation of the bridge is Roman and the rebuilt structure of the current bridge dates to the Islamic era. The middle, or Old Bridge (Puente Viejo), spans the canyon about 100 feet above the river and provides good views into the canyon. Despite being called the Old Bridge, it was built in 1616, making it much newer than the Roman Bridge.

The most spectacular of the three, the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo) spans the top of the canyon, 390 feet (120 meters) above the river. The canyon here is twice as deep as it is wide. The bridge was completed in 1793, so “New Bridge” is also a bit of a misnomer.

From the Old Bridge, you can return to the New Bridge on a stairway and walkway on the opposite side of the canyon. We continued down to the Roman Bridge, though. At the bottom, you’ll find the Arab Baths to your right. Adult admission to this well-preserved archeological site is 4.50€, with discounts for students and seniors, and no charge for children under 14. We did not go in (we had four hours on our own in Ronda, but there’s a lot to see), but if you have an interest in history or architecture, it’s a cheap ticket. From the Roman Bridge, we retraced our steps, crossed the Old Bridge, and climbed back up to the top.

After having lunch at one of the many cafes in Ronda, we crossed back over the New Bridge and made our way to the Plaza de Maria Auxiliadora, where there are stairs and a paved path leading down the face of the escarpment to the New Bridge Viewpoint (Mirador de Puente Nuevo). There is a small charge to get out to the viewpoint, but you can also keep going down a steep trail to the free Giraffe Rock Viewpoint and Arab Arch. The views are well worth the effort required to climb back up.

The Parador and Tagus Escarpment viewed from near the New Bridge Viewpoint

That was all we had time for, so it was back to the bus station from there. All told, our half-day in Ronda was one of the highlights of our trip, but we could easily have spent a whole day, or maybe two, there and not run out of things to see and do. If you’re thinking of visiting Ronda, I’d suggest staying at least one night in the city. If nothing else, you’d have an evening and a morning without the crowds of day-trippers (like us).

Setinel de las Bodegas

Our tour included a stop at Setinel de las Bodegas on our way back to Malaga. Part of the town is built into the side of cliffs that line the Rio Trejo running through town. The cliff face overhangs the shops and parts of the street along the creek.

The ceilings and back walls of the shops are solid rock, and the overhang is wide enough that the fronts of the shops on the river side of the street extend up to the overhang in one section, making the street appear to be a tunnel through the cliff face. Quite a unique and interesting place.

Malaga

We included Malaga on our itinerary only because it has an international airport with easy connections to the US west coast through London. The chief attraction of Malaga is probably its many sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches, but we didn’t make it to any of them. We found the city had enough other attractions, though, to merit spending a couple of nights there even without dipping our toes in the Mediterranean.

The harbor front is very touristy, but there is a nice city park across the street and the ruins of a hilltop castle overlooking the harbor. We didn’t get up to the castle, but we did find a beautiful old church that we were able to explore and photograph, and the city has some interesting architecture. We found a nice cafe to get a bite to eat and a beer to quench our thirst (even in early May it was quite warm there), and a gelato shop in the downtown area.

Malaga City Hall (Ayuntamiento de Malaga)

The Parque de Malaga runs for about half a mile along the Paseo de las Curas, the main street along the harbor front. We spent an hour or so wandering the park’s paths and enjoying the flora and the many fountains and sculptures.

Conclusion

Ronda is an easy side trip from Malaga, Seville, or Cordoba, Setinel de las Bodegas is a nice addition, and Malaga has some attractions of its own beyond the Mediterranean seashore. It was a nice way to end our trip.

For more on our trip to Portugal and Spain, check out my other posts:

Lisbon

Sintra

Faro and the Algarve Coast

Seville

Cordoba

Granada and the Magnificent Alhambra

Posted December 14, 2024

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Cordoba, Spain

by Alan K. Lee

Introduction

When I was planning for the trip to Spain and Portugal that my wife and I took last spring (2024), Seville got a lot of my attention, as did Granada, Ronda, and Malaga, all for different reasons. Seville is the largest city in Andalusia, with a myriad of reasons to visit. Granada has the magnificent Alhambra. Ronda first got my attention more than a decade ago when I saw a TV travel program about the city. And Malaga is on the Mediterranean coast and has an international airport with many flights to the U.S. But Córdoba wasn’t much on my radar.

I included Córdoba in our itinerary mostly because it’s centrally located, and I couldn’t see a reason to completely bypass it. And I’m glad we didn’t, because Córdoba has a couple of gems that no one visiting Andalusia should miss, the city’s wonderful cathedral (the Mezquita) and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Palace of the Christian Kings).

A Brief History of Córdoba

Córdoba has a long and diverse history. It was first established as a Carthaginian settlement, before being conquered by the Romans in 206 BC. Roman rule of the area lasted more than 600 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Córdoba became part of the Byzantine Empire, then was conquered first by the Visigoths and later, early in the 8^th century, by the Moors. Córdoba thrived under Muslim rule, becoming the second largest city in Europe by the 10^th century. In 1236, Ferdinand III drove the Moors out in the Reconquista that brought all of the Iberian Peninsula under Christian rule. Today, little of the Roman city of Corduba remains, but Córdoba retains much of the architectural heritage of the Moors, most notably the Mezquita (meth-KEY-ta) and the Alcazar.

Climate

The climate of Córdoba is notable for its hot and dry summers. It is the hottest city in Europe, with the average high temperature in July and August a scorching 99⁰F (37⁰C). Spring and fall are more moderate and are the best times to visit. Winters are mild with mid-winter highs around 60⁰F (15-16⁰C) and lows around 40⁰F (4-5⁰C). Annual rainfall averages about 22 inches, with 2-4” per month from October to April. We were there in early May and the weather was nearly perfect.

Our Visit

We traveled from Seville to Córdoba by train, only a 45-minute ride on Renfe’s high speed AVE trains. From the train station, we strapped on our backpacks and walked the mile or so to our hotel. I had some concerns about the hotel (La Despensa de la Corredera Hostal), which my wife had booked, but it turned out to be nothing like I associate with a hostel. It was modern, clean, comfortable, and had a private, ensuite bathroom. And it was located at the historic Plaza de la Corredera.

We spent our first afternoon and evening in Córdoba just wandering around, exploring the city, with no set agenda, something we often do when visiting a city for the first time. We walked along the riverfront, stopped at a sidewalk café for a beer, and walked around the exterior of the Mezquita and its Courtyard of the Oranges, which dates to the Moorish occupation, before returning to the Plaza de la Corredera, where we had dinner at one of the many restaurants there. The Plaza caters to tourists, and the food you get in restaurants in such areas is often expensive and mediocre at best, but our dinners were both good and reasonably priced.

The Mezquita

The Mezquita was constructed in 756 as the Great Mosque, possibly on the site of a Catholic Basilica built by the Visigoths. The mosque was expanded several times over the next two centuries, including construction of the minaret in 958. After the Reconquista, the Mezquita was converted to a Christian cathedral, but the name was retained. (Mezquita is Spanish for mosque, and today’s cathedral is also called the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, or Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba).

The Mezquita was modified a number of times after the Reconquista, most notably in the 16^th and early 17^th centuries when the central nave and transept of the Capilla Mayor, which rises in the center of the structure, were built. The minaret was also rebuilt into a Renaissance-style bell tower.

The Mezquita is an attractive structure, but the exterior does not make a grand statement. It’s neither tall nor particularly interesting from an architectural perspective. But the expansive interior, with hundreds of the original mosque’s two-tiered arches supporting the roof, the 13^th century Royal Chapel, the 15^th century Gothic-style nave of the Villaviciosa Chapel, and the Capilla Mayor are all stunning and make for a truly unique structure that blends many architectural styles into a magnificent whole.

General admission tickets to the Mezquita cost 13€, discounts are available to seniors, children, students, large groups, and the disabled, and children under 10 get in free. Tickets are available online from the Mezquita-Catedral Córdoba website or can be purchased at vending machines in the Courtyard of the Oranges on the north side of the cathedral. Entry is free from 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning, Monday through Saturday. Night tours are available for 20€ and entrance to the bell tower is 3€.

The Mezquita was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984, and that designation was expanded to the entire historic city center in 1994.

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

The site of the Alcazar was the Governor’s Residence during Roman rule and later a Visigoth fortress before Córdoba was conquered by the Moors. The original Alcazar was built by the Moors as the official residence and seat of power of Al-Andalus. After the Reconquista, King Alfonso XI of Castile began construction of the present-day Alcazar, which appears Moorish in style but in fact incorporates little of the original structure. There are four towers, one at each corner of the palace, and several large, enclosed courtyards, as well as two main halls, the Hall of Mosaics, and the Reception Hall. Like the Mezquita, the Alcazar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

We did not initially plan to tour the Alcazar (largely because Rick Steves panned it), but we did want to see the surrounding gardens. We found that entry to the gardens is only through the Alcazar, though, so we stood in line (in the sun) for 15 or 20 minutes to get tickets, then in another line for half an hour to get into the palace. Then we had to wait another 30 minutes to get into the towers. But the Alcazar is interesting enough (though no match for the Real Alcazar in Seville) that it was worth the long waits to see it all.

General admission is 4.91€ (as of October 2024), with a 2.25€ discount for family groups (the official website says “large family members”) and students. Admission is free for Córdoba residents, children under 14, seniors (65+), and the disabled.

You enter the Alcazar through the Courtyard of the Women (Patio de las Mujeres), which gets its name from the fact that this was once the site of a women’s prison. The courtyard is an archaeological site with ruins of the original Alcazar and the remains of part of the Roman structure that predated it.

The four towers give views of the Mezquita to the northeast and the Alcazar Gardens (Jardines del Alcazar) adjacent to the southwest. The Courtyard of the Moriscos (Patio Morisco) is a tree filled rectangular courtyard with small ponds on each end and a central fountain.

While the palace was worth the wait, we spent more time in the gardens than in the palace itself. There have been gardens here since at least the 10^th century, but the present gardens are much more recent.

There are a number of ponds, fountains, and statues scattered throughout the 14-acre gardens. The gardens are dotted with palms and lemon, orange, and cypress trees. There are acres of shrubs and flowering plants. And there are plenty of shaded places to get out of the sun and sit for a while.

Other Attractions

One of the things Córdoba is noted for is its many private and public courtyards, called patios. Many of the residences in Córdoba are built around a central courtyard. Often there is a fountain in the center and the courtyards are often full of colorful flowering plants.

Each May, during the Córdoba Patios Festival, many of the patios are opened to the public for free viewing and competitions are held for traditional courtyard designs (1970s and earlier) and for more modern designs. Some of the patios are open year-round (except July and August) for a small entry fee. The Patios Festival has been designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage event by UNESCO.

There are also streets and alleys throughout the city that feature colorful flower displays, the Calleja de las Flores, near the Mezquita, being probably the best known.

Another feature of the city is the Guadalquivir River and the 2100-year-old Puente Romano (Roman Bridge). Just downstream of the bridge are the ruins of a number of ancient mills. Across the pedestrian only bridge, the Torre de la Calahorra, a medieval gate-tower, has a small museum, and there are walking paths on both sides of the river.

Conclusion

I have no doubt that there are many other sights worth seeing and things worth doing in Córdoba that my wife and I didn’t discover or just didn’t have time to experience during our stay. Seville and Granada may get the spotlight when it comes to tourist destinations in the Andalusia region of Spain, but visitors should not overlook Córdoba. It’s a beautiful, charming, and historic city. I am more than happy that we included it on our itinerary and if you’re planning a trip to Andalusia, you should definitely plan to spend a day or two in Córdoba. I don’t think you will regret it.

Posted October 15, 2024