In pretty much every American big-budget disaster movie, there's always a few brief scenes dedicated to how 'the rest of the world' is coping with the alien invaders/natural disasters/war/famine. And in these scenes, it’s always the usual suspects: 'Look, there's Big Ben getting blown up – England has been hit! The Eiffel Tower has just toppled over – France has fallen! The Sydney Opera House has been swallowed up by the ocean – bye bye Australia! And those tribal people on those dusty plains are unsure what that thing is in the sky – trepidation reigns over A.N. Other African country!' See how it's never Spain, though. The country's lack of an internationally recognisable landmark or monument has seemingly spared it from decades of disaster.
Hollywood's directors could do worse, however, than to cast their beady eyes toward Ronda, where the iconic Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) has long been a symbol of Spain's beauty – both architecturally and naturally – and its rich history. Spanning the plunging El Tajo gorge, the fast white waters of the River Guadalevín rush through the valley some 97 metres below, delivering some of the most spectacular views available anywhere in Spain, be it from the top of the bridge or the bottom of the valley – both vistas are awe-inspiring.
And it's not as though Ronda hasn't attracted its fair share of American creative types in the past, either. Revered novelist Ernest Hemingway fell in love with the city in the 1930s while reporting on the Spanish Civil War, spending a couple of summers in the old quarter of town soaking up the lifestyle, immersing himself in the struggles of the city's people and, eventually, penning his 'Death in the Afternoon' novel and basing a number of chapters of his 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' novel on the alleged Republican murders of the Civil War. Orson Welles was also enthralled by Ronda, going so far as to have his ashes scattered across the city's Bull Ring, along with his epitaph that ran: 'A man is not from where he is born, but where he chooses to die'. High praise indeed.
So why such reverence for such a little city that is tucked away in the mountains behind the Costa del Sol? Well, the Sierra de Grazalema that surrounds Ronda plays a huge part in setting the scene. The road journey to Ronda from the coast is a winding, gently escalating joy; the lush, lower terrain is home to some of the region's most exclusive gated developments, nicely juxtaposed by the intermittent presence of goat herders transiting their livestock from one valley to the next. As you get higher, the Mediterranean disappears from view, the kamikaze motorcyclists become fewer and fewer, and the landscape turns almost lunar as you approach the heart of the Serranía de Ronda mountains and, eventually, the stunning Sierra de Grazalema.
The city of Ronda lies 750 metres above sea level and is approximately 100km from Málaga. The journey from San Pedro de Alcántara takes about an hour due to the extremely winding nature of the road; if it were a straight line, the journey time would be halved. Ringing the western and northern fringes of the city is the Sierra de Grazalema, which was Spain's first UNESCO recognised biosphere and one of its largest and most rugged regions.
Ronda's wild location is thanks to its founding by the early Celts, who were renowned lovers of rugged, windswept terrain. And while Ronda itself might boast a hot and dry climate, the microclimate experienced by the Sierra de Grazalema is the wettest on Iberia, experiencing 2,200mm of rainfall every year. By comparison, London receives just under 600mm per year.
The Romans and then the Moors, as with most Spanish cities, came and went, leaving behind tangible remnants of their time there, most notably in Ronda's street makeup and impressive architecture. In 1485, the city came under the control of Catholic Spain during the famous Reconquista, and has since been an important halfway house for travellers tackling the mountains of Southern Spain that lie between Seville to the west and the Mediterranean coast to the east.
The Puente Nuevo Bridge was completed in 1793 and proves a huge draw for tourists all year round. The vertiginous views of the gorge are not for the faint-hearted, while the cafés and restaurants that dot the plunging valley have evidently jostled for the very best views, each boasting their own terraces where finding a free seat proves particularly difficult on those extremely frequent sunny days. There are a couple of other important bridges in the city – the Puente Viejo (which means 'Old Bridge') and the Puente Romano ('Roman Bridge') – but neither are as majestic or breathtaking as the 'New Bridge'.
Pre-dating the Puente Nuevo is the Plaza de Toros de Ronda, which is the oldest functioning bullring in Spain and a beautiful example of neo-classical architecture. While the spectacles that take place within the ring may be far from beautiful, the cliffside setting and authentic stone rings combine to create a truly captivating setting that is as Spanish as they come.
Straddling the chasm that is cut by the Guadelevín River and perched atop sheer cliffs, Ronda's location is spectacular and dramatic, and made all the more special by the wonderful climate that it enjoys: not quite as hot as the Costa del Sol, but drier, and even experiencing the odd dusting of snow in the winter.
THE PUENTE NUEVO: This wonderfully iconic bridge connects the two sections of Ronda across the 120 metre chasm that was carved centuries ago by the fast-flowing waters of the Guadalevín River. Built over a period of 42 years (between 1751 and 1793), the scale and ambition of the project is mesmerising even today, but back then it was something of a necessity to connect the two towns, and this point of crossing was soon identified as the best place to do so. Despite the bridge's beauty and importance to Ronda, it also hides a murky past too – during the Spanish Civil War, both sides are alleged to have imprisoned opponents and dissenters in its chambers, where torture and murder was commonplace. Today, tourists can take a wander around these very chambers, learning all about the bridge's construction and enjoying yet more awe-inspiring views.
THE BULLRING: There are infrequent bullfights held throughout the season at Ronda's bullring, so if you fancy witnessing one of Spain's more controversial pastimes, there are few better places to do so than here. However, Andalucia's larger bullrings – such as the ones found in Seville and Málaga – are generally more active in the bullfighting calendar, leaving Ronda's free to entertain visitors, who are free to roam around the ring, thankfully bull-free. There's a museum, the chance to catch a glimpse of the cattle-holding pens and a number of superb photo opportunities.
THE SIERRA DE GRAZALEMA: There's 52,000 hectares of lush, lurid, rugged and varied terrain to traverse at the Sierra de Grazalema, which is the fertile land that rings the city of Ronda and divides the highlands of the southern Andalusian plateau between Seville, Ronda and El Bosque.
Reaching heights of 1,600 metres above sea-level, this wild and undulating terrain is home to very few humans, but plenty of varied flora and fauna, including some of the most impressive examples of birds of prey found anywhere in Europe. Soaring and circling high above the Sierra de Grazalema are Lion Buzzards, Black Vulture, Osprey and Eagles. Blanketing the hills and mountains is a patchwork covering of dense vegetation, including elms and poplars, lending the vistas a tangible alpine look and feel, far removed from the typically dustier scrubland that is found elsewhere in Andalucia.
For The Trip itself – The transformation in landscape as you turn off the coast road down at San Pedro de Alcántara and head for the heights of Ronda is gradual, but stark. Navigational sense should dictate that there's no direct route from here to Ronda – the mountains that lie in the way are too steep, too massive and too imposing to make it a comfortable trek. But the road's there and the route's there; all you have to do is drive carefully, fix your eyes on the road and not the wonderful views, and keep a sharp look out for errant goats, impatient boy racers overtaking on blind corners and motorcyclists with a death wish. Sound appealing? In actual fact, the journey is quite sedate; the enjoyment is derived from the beauty of the scenery and the views, and the feeling of discovering that there's more to the Costa del Sol than sandy beaches and tumultuous tourist resorts.
For the Views – Ronda's location makes it a paradise city for sightseers, but something of a nightmare for those afraid of heights. Aside from the cavernous El Tajo gorge that lies below the Puente Nuevo, Ronda has a number of brilliant viewing platforms that deliver dramatic views of the surrounding plains and distant mountains, so bring the binoculars and long-lens camera and prepare yourself for breathless vistas.
