Ronda

 "El Tajo de Ronda"
A different view of the gorge

Prologue:

The town of Ronda, maybe the most famous "Pueblo Blanco" in Andalucía, is located in the heart of the mountainous region of Serranía de Ronda, at the north west side of Málaga Province. 

There is so much to write about Ronda, its architecture, its history, its traditions and legends. Situated on top of a high sandstone plateau conglomerate on both sides of a gorge, surrounded by fertile lands guarded by the mountains like the Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra de Grazalema, makes this a natural area of outstanding beauty.

The emblematic feature of Ronda is the gorge "El Tajo" which divides the town. The buildings sit alongside the sheer cliff of the gorge and the most iconic structure being the bridge "Puente Nuevo ".

Ronda's long history dates back to the Romans, to the Moors and followed by the Christians to modern age, and everybody left their traces which can be seen in its architectural buildings like the Arabic Bath, Montragón Palace, Parish church Santa Maria de Major, the house of the Moorish king La Casa del Rey Moro, as well as the 18th century the bullring "Plaza de Toros" which the writer Ernest Hemingway used in his novel "Death in the afternoon".  There are many museums to visit and one, is dedicated to the Banditry who roamed the Serranía de Ronda in the 19th - 20th century, and its lifestyle has been represented in the Museo de Bandoleros.

This time we decided to take a stroll down to the bottom of the gorge and to the river Guadalevin to be able to get a different view of El Tajo de Ronda.

• The walk Sendero Asa de la Caldera - los Molinos can be done any time of year, but my favorite time is the winter or early spring, when the countryside starts to go green and blossom and bloom.  
• The hike is approx. 4,5 km there and back, and an approx. 200 meters decent to the bottom of the gorge.

  

       Direction:

• Follow A-7 Autovia de Mediterráneo westwards and exit in San Pedro de Alcántara to A-397 to Ronda.
• The drive takes approx. 1 hour/ 60 km  when coming from Marbella.
• It is a very scenic drive on a well maintained wide mountain road, from the coast up to Ronda (739 meters above sea-level)
• We took the south entrance to Ronda, which leads you to the old town and parked the car near the square "Plaza Rueda Alameda" near to the the gate "Puerta de Almocábar".

Puerta del Almocabar an ancient 13th century stone gate, which dates back to the time of 

"Al Andalus".

From the Plaza Ruedo Alameda we walk along Calle del Prado Nuevo which is followed on by Carretera de los Molinos.

 A cobblestone path leads you down towards the lower part of the gorge. 

At the viewpoint Mirador La Hoya del Tajo and Camino de las Molinos which you find along the way, an information board give you interesting data and knowledge about this emblematic monumental gorge. 

La Hoya del Tajo is a circular depression about 1.500 meters wide (East-West) and 2.5 km long. 

The largest walls of the complex measure 120 m vertically with Asa de la Caldera standing out.

There are three bridges spanning over the ravine, the most famous one being the imposing Puente Nuevo dating back to the 18th century. In the rainy season, the river carries quite a lot of water hurtling down in successive waterfalls, with drops down to 35 meters.

On the left river bank behind the escarpment, several hydraulic devices have been built for flour and oil producing mills and hydroelectric power plant installations carried out during the course of the previous century. 

Information taken from board.

The historic claim of this space is evident in the remains of the Muralla de la Albacara and its two gates, Puerta del Cristo and Arco del Viento; it is a fortification made of rammed earth and masonry work which dates back to Muslim times and which used to protect the animal flocks within the town's inner walls.

La Hoya del Tajo has been formed by farmland landscape, with grain fields, vineyards, almond trees and olive groves planted on non irrigated land and various types of gardens along a couple of irrigation channels coming from the Guadalvin River placed at different heights on both banks of the river. 

Nowadays la Hoya del Tajo is a reference point for nature, tourism and sports. The excellent network of footpaths, with the Gran Senda de Málaga walk as a model, boasts such activities as walking, nature photography and bird-watching. There are also more challenging possibilities; canyoning in the Guadalvin River or the medium difficulty via ferrata climbing routes.

Information taken from board.

   

As we follow the cobblestone path downwards,

 on the right we see the old fortress walls and on the left the open country.

High above us the Montragón Palace.

A panoramic view across the plains of Ronda

and towards the mountains in the west and the Nature park of Sierra de Grazalema.

Wild Irises on the wayside.

Iris planifolia

These Irises can bloom from December until February. It is a stout plant with a short perianth tube (8-18 cm) with up to 3 large lightly scented flower on each stem.

What a fantastic panorama across the fertile land

 olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields.

On the horizon to the west the mountains of Jimera de Libar and Benaoján.

We carry on following the way sign to the right

Sendero Asa de la Caldera - los Molinos (2,3 km).



This stretch is also part of the route Ronda - Jimera de Libar (SL 38) 

and the Great Málaga Trail (Grand Senda de Málaga and Grand Senda de Serranía de Ronda.

A view back towards the gate "Puerta del Viento"

High above us to the right the Parador de Ronda (Hotel) and next to it a beautiful park with fantastic views, which stretches along the cliff.



Mirador de Ronda to the left, the Parador and in the centre the bridge "Puente Nuevo".



The rock standing out at the far left is "Asa de Caldera", 

the largest cliff walls are approx. 120 meters in height.



We stand at the viewpoint "Mirador Puente Nuevo"
below on the right "Arco del Cristo" and "Arco Arabe" and "Murallas de Albacara".

We walk up a footpath to get a closer look at the canyon "El Tajo".

A view along the river valley Rio Guadalevin with various Mills along the river bank.

Below us the river Rio Guadalevin and the Hostel "Albergue los  Molinos".

El Tajo and Puente Nuevo, 

this is as close as we were able to get, safely.



What a scenery! 

What a dramatic landscape!



A panoramic view across the river valley towards the west.

Below us the Camino de Molinos as it winds towards the river.

A view across an olive grove.



An information board explaining to you the various birds which can be seen here.

This sign marks the place where dry farmland turns into irrigated farmland.

As you walk up the clay hill slopes, you begin to see grain fields interspersed with olive and almond trees and more and more grape vines. Birds which occupy these open spaces are typical steppe species, these birds find here an acceptable type of environment. Representative species are the Thekla Lark, Woodchat shrike, Little Owl, Booted Eagle, European Stonechat, Common Linnet and Goldfinch.

As the Guadalevin river leaves the ravine, it creates various waterfalls amongst large rocky areas. The water level tends to rise quite substantially during the winter season clearing away the vegetation. This habitat is ideal for the Eurasian Wren, European Dipper or the Grey and White Wagtail.

When the river valley opens up, the banks are covered with large willows and poplars mixed with an abundance of walnut and wild fig trees. Orchards and gardens flower along both river banks, where vegetables are grown together with quinces, persimmons, and Ronda's variety of small pears. Woodland birds thrive in the river groves, the most interesting of these are Western Olivacious Warblers, Cirl Buntings, Nightingales and Cetti's Warblers.

The hundreds of metres of sandstone rock face do not contain enough rock shelves or convenient openings to offer shelter for breeding spots, but fissures and chimneys are more frequently found. These are the places to look for the Red-billed Chough, Peregrine Falcon, Common and Lesser Kestrel, Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine and Pallid Swift, Black Wheatear, Rock Bunting, and Rock Sparrow.

At the foot of the rocky outcrops and uncultivated fields, a dense Mediterranean scrub develops where you can easily find the Sardinean, Subalpine and Western Orphean Warblers.

Information taken from board.

In this small hostel you can find lodging or just stop for a refreshment, but on this day we found it closed due to the winter break.

We carry on, the road which now follows is very near the river.



A small foot bridge leads across the river to another small hotel Huerta del Tajo.



This old building has seen better times.



In the autumn of 2018 the river Gadelevin recorded its highest ever water level, and where we are standing now, would have been under water.

The rains caused a lot of distraction.



A view up river and from whence we came.

As the gates were open we had a closer look at the hydro power station.

This old mill stone forms part of the wall today.




We decided to return the same way we had come.

In front of us the canyon, and high above us the town.





Two grazing sheep look casually at the passers by and 

above us the palace "Palacio Mondragón"



Back at the square we enjoyed some Tapas.

The route of the walk

Wikiloc: Sendero Asa de la Caldera - los Molinos, Ronda

How to get to Ronda