Hiking (senderismo)

The scenic landscapes around Ronda offer both short and long hiking trails, many of which are well maintained and well-marked.

There are a few short and easy hiking trails starting from Ronda. We have a map available where you can see these trails. Here are short descriptions of some of these shorter walks:

West of Ronda: This is an easy 6.5 km trail in the area west of Ronda with beautiful views on the way. It is best doing it in the afternoon to have the sun shining directly onto Puente Nuevo and the Ronda town cliff. You will pass “Mirador Hoya del Tajo” after 1 km and from here you have a superb view of Puente Nuevo. For the next 2 km you will pass by some farms, olive plantations, a small wine yard and a horse-riding school. Then the route follows a dirt track going uphill along the top of the cliff and you have magnificent views of the valley along this stretch. Later on you will pass the wine yard Descalzos Viejos before the route takes you back through Ronda to La Escondida. We have a detailed description of this route available.

Ermita de la Virgen de la Cabeza: This is an easy 3.2 km (6.4 km return) trail from Barrio de San Francisco, which is situated adjacent to the old town across the old gate. This walk offers a spectacular panoramic view of Ronda, the cliff and the topographical features of the historical city. The walk ends at the small church Ermita de la Virgen de la Cabeza which is carved into the sandstone rock. We have a detailed description of this route available.

Tajo del Abanico: This is an easy/medium 5 km (10 km return) trail to the gorge called Tajo del Abanico which is located a little outside Ronda. The gorge is smaller than the one in Ronda town, but you can walk along the bottom, so it is quite impressive and quiet – you will probably only meet a few people on this walk. The route starts taking you through Barrio San Francisco, which is the southern part of Ronda, then you will follow a small road for about 2 km before you arrive to the gorge area. A dirt track will lead you to the bottom of the gorge passing through an oak forest, walking on old cobble stone tracks and further ahead you will reach a fan shaped cave (abanico means fan). We have a detailed description of this route available.

South of Ronda: This is an easy 7.7 km trail in the area south of Ronda with beautiful views on the way. The hike takes you first through the outskirts of Ronda where you pass by small farms and olive plantations. Further ahead there are beautiful views of the mountains south of Ronda and later of Ronda. Afterwards you follow a small path through a forest area and on the way back to Ronda you will pass by more small farms olive plantations. We have a detailed description of this route available.

You can also find longer walks if you want to go on a day trip and we have a map where you can see the trails.

Ronda – Jimera de Libar: This 22.5 km trail is one of the longer hiking trails. It a passes Montejache and Benaojan and ends at Jimera de Libar. There is also a direct train connection between Ronda and Benaojan / Jimera Libar, and it is therefore possible to walk one way and return via train for a day trip. This route is one of the 6 stages in the Gran Senda de la Serranía de Ronda which totals at 113km. For more information, please consult e.g. http://www.fedamon.com/index.php/home-6/2013-04-16-17-25-48/11-federacion/1231-sendero-gr-141 - you will also find a very good description of the Ronda – Jimera de Libar trail here http://www.fedamon.com/senderos/grs/traks/malaga/gr141/etapa-1-gr141sronda-opt.pdf

Cycling tours around and close to Ronda

Ronda is located in the mountain area called Serranía de Ronda which is located in between the two natural parks Sierra de Grazalema and Sierra de las Nieves. The area around Ronda is therefore ideal for cycling day trips both for road and mountain biking. There are many possibilities for going on 30 – 100 km trips and enjoy the beautiful nature. A good option is to start from Ronda in the morning, take lunch in one of the small villages around Ronda and return to Ronda in the afternoon.

Here are short descriptions of some very nice day trips:

Ronda-Alpandeire-Faraján-Júzcar-Cartajima-Ronda, 43 km: This is a lovely route going through a nice mountain area with forests and small villages. The total ascent is approx. 900 m. The route begins with an ascent of 400 m for the first 10 km followed by a descent through some small villages until you reach Júzcar (km 23). Júzcar is the only village in Andalusia where all the buildings are painted blue as it was used for a Smurf movie in 2011 and it is a good place for a short break. The route then ascents again for the next 10 km passing by Cartajima till the descent towards Ronda begins. The asphalt is in very good condition nearly all the way.

Ronda-Acinipo-Setenil de las Bodegas-Arriate-Ronda, 48 km: The route will take you through a relatively open mountain area used for farming and you will visit 2 important tourist attractions on the way. The first one is the ruins of the old Roman city Acinipo (km 20) where the main attraction is a big and well-preserved amphitheatre located on top of a mountain. There is a spectacular view from here, so it is certainly worth making a stop at Acinipo. Now it is time for a descent before you arrive to Setenil de las Bodegas (km 28), which is located along a narrow gorge with houses built into the rocky sides of the gorge by making use of natural rock caves. It is a good place to make a stop for lunch and explore the village before cycling back to Ronda. The total ascent is approx. 900 m.

Ronda-El Burgo-Ronda, 57 km: You will pass through impressive mountain landscapes all the way from Ronda to El Burgo along this route. The route begins with an ascent of 400 m for the first 15 km up to Puerto del Viento followed by a long descent more or less all the way to El Burgo. You will pass by a very nice viewpoint where you can see the national park Sierra de las Nieves (km 23). It is convenient to stop for lunch in El Burgo (km 28) before cycling back to Ronda along the same road, as there is a 500 m ascent from El Burgo to Puerto del Viento. You can also do the shorter version of the route and turn around at Puerto del Viento – it will be approx. 30 km. The asphalt is in very good condition nearly all the way.

Ronda-Zahara de la Sierra-Grazalema-Ronda, 84 km: This route is longer than the others, it is also more demanding, but you will be rewarded with a ride over the spectacular mountain pass Puerto de las Palomas (km 45). You will pass through a very impressive mountain landscape on the way to the top with many nice viewpoints. The total ascent is approx. 1500 m and 800 of those are in the mountain pass. It is worth stopping in both Zahara de la Sierra (km 34) and Grazalema (km 50) on the way – they are both nice white villages. On the way back to Ronda you will just after Grazalema pass through a forest area with many cork oaks.

These web sites will give you an idea about other possibilities for cycling trails around Ronda:

https://www.mapmyride.com/es/ronda-andalusia/

https://www.bikemap.net/en/l/2511730/

Further, we have some books available describing various trips around Ronda and can also guide you a little based on our own experience.

Your bicycle can stay in our locked garden overnight, so it is safe.

There are a few shops in Ronda where you can rent a bike if you are not bringing your own bike. Furthermore, there are also various local cycling tour agents.

Bird watching tours around and close to Ronda

The 3 national parks Sierra de Grazalema, Sierra de las Nieves and Alcornocales are ideal for bird watching. You can also easily see many birds just by walking in the parks of Ronda and the miradors along the Tajo Gorge. Further, we have a map showing shorter bird watching trails just outside Ronda where you also will be able to watch the birds.

There are also some local tour agents in Ronda that organize bird watching tours.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.turismoderonda.es/en/nature/nature-activities/birdwatching-tourism

http://www.wildandalucia.com/

http://www.pangeacentral.com/

Horseback riding

You can also enjoy the beautiful nature in Serranía de Ronda by going on horseback riding tours. These web sites are some examples providing you with information about price, time, routes, location etc.:

Paddock Paradise: https://www.paddockparadiseronda.com/

Caballos y Vino: https://caballosyvino.wixsite.com/horseridingronda

Flying

What could be better than flying across Ronda to see the town and its landscape from above?

Hot air balloon

There are more agents that organise hot air balloon tours, among others are:

http://www.balloonflightsspain.com/Spain/Ronda.aspx

http://www.rondatoday.com/balloon-flights-over-ronda/

Paragliding

There are also more agents that do paragliding, some of them are:

https://zero-gravity.es/cursos-escuelas/trafico-en-ronda-la-vieja

http://en.volar-andalucia.com/?noredirect=en_GB

More adventure activities

For those who are looking for more adventure activities such as rock climbing, canyoning etc. these are among the couple agents that you can contact:

http://aventuraronda.com/

http://www.pangeacentral.com/