What to see in Ronda in one day: a walk from bridge to bridge

How Ronda is laid out

The Tajo, the gorge of the Guadalevín river, splits the town in two. To the north is El Mercadillo, the newer part with the bullring, the Alameda park and the shopping streets. To the south is La Ciudad, the walled historic quarter. Three bridges join them: the towering Puente Nuevo and, further downstream, the Puente Viejo and the Puente Árabe.

Knowing this saves you a lot of backtracking. Do the upper town and the Puente Nuevo in the morning, the heart of La Ciudad around midday, and the steeper walk down to the old bridges in the afternoon. With good shoes and no car, the whole route fits into a day.

Morning: El Mercadillo and the Puente Nuevo

Begin at the Real Maestranza bullring, one of the oldest in Spain; for visits inside, check the Real Maestranza website and our bullring guide. Next to it, the Alameda del Tajo and the Paseo de Blas Infante have balconies hanging over the valley, which give you the first sense of how deep the gorge is. The municipal tourist office is on the same promenade.

From there, Plaza de España leads straight onto the Puente Nuevo. Cross slowly and look down on both sides: once over, on the La Ciudad side, the Mirador de Aldehuela gives you the classic view of the bridge. Its history and the best spots to see it are in our Puente Nuevo guide; if views are your priority, the viewpoints walk puts them in order from north to south.

Midday: inside La Ciudad

From the bridge, Calle Armiñán leads into the old town. Along the way you will find the Palacio de Mondragón, the square of Duquesa de Parcent with the church of Santa María la Mayor and, further south, the Puerta de Almocábar gateway into the San Francisco quarter. Plaza de María Auxiliadora, on the western edge, is another balcony over the valley.

This is a good time to eat without walking back on yourself: La Pilastra is at the start of Calle Armiñán, beside the Mirador de Aldehuela, right on the way to the afternoon walk. How to plan lunch when time is tight is covered in lunch in Ronda, and which local dishes to try in what to eat in Ronda.

Afternoon: down to the old bridges

The afternoon belongs to lower Ronda. The Casa del Rey Moro has terraced gardens over the gorge and a mine with a stairway cut into the rock that goes down to the river. Carry on down the slope to the Puente Viejo and the Arco de Felipe V and, a little further, to the Arab baths beside the Puente Árabe.

Expect steps and steep lanes, and remember that the way back to the centre is uphill. If there is light left, go back to the Puente Nuevo to see it at the end of the day, or stay for dinner and carry on with Ronda at night.

• Casa del Rey Moro: gardens and the mine down to the river.
• Puente Viejo and the Arco de Felipe V.
• Arab baths and the Puente Árabe, in the San Miguel quarter.

If you only have a few hours

With two or three hours, stick to what is closest together: the balconies of the Paseo de Blas Infante, Plaza de España, the Puente Nuevo, the Mirador de Aldehuela and a stretch of Calle Armiñán up to Santa María la Mayor. Save the walk down to the old bridges for another visit, or for a weekend in Ronda, which also leaves time to walk down into the gorge.