Ronda, Southern Spain
May 7-14, 2010

Ronda, home of Spanish Inquisition Courts, where Isabelle and Ferdinand set up camp during the 1485 siege of Ronda, and the home of bullfighting, will be our base to explore this beautiful part of Andalucia.   There are mountains here—Serrania de Ronda, the very rare Spanish fir trees—pinsapos, medieval villages, and a 9th century chapel carved in limestone rock. 

Our days will be enlivened with eagles, stonechats, wheatears and sweetened with dog roses, poppies, bee orchids and Spanish peonies.  Our hikes average about 8 miles each day, however two days are spent locally exploring the town and its surrounding area.  Temperatures should be in the 60s at night and 70s in the daytime..

Southern Spain is famous for its white villages.  Ronda is the most outstanding of the group with its setting atop the deep ravine of El Tajo.  Noted as one of the oldest cities in Europe, Ronda’s charm is in its cobble streets, Arab Baths dating from the 1200s, minarets, churches and its spectacular setting.  Everywhere in the historical area is evidence of the Moorish roots of its culture.

Our base for the week is the Hotel San Gabriel, at one time a private Andalusian house, now updated to a charming small hotel.  It is located in the historic district and only a 10-minute taxi ride from the train station.  The hotel is our meeting place and departure place.

Our Itinerary

Day 1: Ronda
We meet at our hotel—Hotel San Gabriel. Located in the heart of historic Ronda, Hotel San Gabriel will be home for our week in southern Spain. Welcoming cocktail at 7pm at our hotel and overview of the week followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Lodging: Hotel San Gabriel----Marques de Moctezuma 19; tel: 011 34 952 190 392

Day 2: Ronda Tajos
Today we have a hike in the general area of Ronda. Our route takes us to the Ronda gorge and by the old Arabic defensive walls. We visit the 9th century Mozarabic Church of the Virgen de la Cabeza, hewn into the sandstone cliffs that face Ronda across the Hoya del Tajo (basin of the Tajo). From there we walk on to the Tajo del Abanico (fan shaped cliff), a beautiful site that will interest those who like geology. If time permits we will visit the reconstructed Neolithic settlement at the Algaba center. Distance today: 7 miles; elevation change of about 500 ft.

Day 3: Llanos de Libar
Starting from the village of Montejaque where there is a street of curious dwarf size houses, we hike onto the high plain known as the Llanos de Libar (limestone plateau). The natural beauty here is outstanding and fantastic for bird-watching: Rock Buntings, Stonechats, Black-eared Wheatear, Woodchat Shrikes, & Short-toed Eagles. Our route then takes us to the Pileta Cave with its prehistoric paintings and drawings. Distance today: 8 miles; elevation change of about 1000 ft. Dinner on your own.

Day 4: Sierra de las Nieves (Snow Mountain range)
The area of the Sierra de las Nieves was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1995. From Los Quiejigales our route takes us into these mountains, passing through forests of the very rare Spanish fir. Ibex and roe deer inhabit this area. We visit the old snow wells—very large limestone sinks-- and woods of dwarf gall oaks. Spectacular views over Ronda and the Sierras are ours throughout the day. Distance today: 8 miles; elevation change of about 2000 ft.

Day 5: Ronda
Today we explore the town of Ronda with our city guide. Ronda has a splendid position perched on the top of a deep gorge. For a story referring to this gorge read Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. We will have a 2hr. tour of Ronda’s twisting streets, hidden courtyards and Berber style patios. The famous Ronda bullring (Ronda is the birthplace of bullfighting and has one of the oldest bullrings in Spain), the Santa Rosa Church and the Puento Nuevo bridge are among our stops. The afternoon is free to explore on your own. Lunch on your own.

Day 6: Sierra de Grazalema
In 1977 this area was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO due to the exceptional variety and wealth of its fauna and flora. We will visit two of the white villages in this area: Zahara and Grazalema . The white villages are so named because all the village buildings are painted white and so stand out against the darker backdrop of the hillside. Zahara and Grazalema are both picturesque villages with cobbled streets and date to Moorish times. Distance today: 10 miles; elevation change of about 1650 ft. up and 3000 ft. down. Dinner on your own.

Day 7: Upper Genal River Valley
Our hike takes us to the Village of Parauta, a medieval village of about 200 people. It is an area of not only ecological importance but of architectural interest because of the Arabic influence on its streets and houses. We walk through the chestnut woods and across the valley to the opposite village of Cartajima. The unusual white limestone formations above the town are a striking contrast to the chestnut woodland below. Farewell dinner together. Distance today: 8 miles; elevation change of about 800 ft. up.

Day 8: Departure day
After breakfast we say our “adios” and depart from Ronda.

Please Note: The above schedule is subject to change due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

Download the Day by Day Itinerary (pdf).

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When making your plans for this trip you will find that Ronda is a convenient location for extending your trip to Granada, the city of the beautiful Moorish Alhambra, Seville, Cordoba or Malaga.

This part of Spain is very fascinating with its Moorish history, its surroundings of natural beauty, and its Mediterranean climate.  You will be in good company with others who have been fascinated by the region:  Byron, Bizet, Hemingway, Velazquez, and Picasso—to name a few.
Download the Day by Day Itinerary (pdf).