Ronda is a combination of nature and culture, where Ernest Hemingway as well as Orson Welles used to live some years to enjoy and write about its beauty.

A place that combines nature and culture most spectacularly is the town of Ronda, where both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles resided for years and wrote of its beauty. Not far from the Costa del Sol, it is a source of inspiration for Goya and other artists, the town’s bullring is no less than the very birthplace of bullfighting. In this antique arena the royal cavalry used to practice drills which overtime became increasingly formal and exhibitionist. Sometime along the 18th century an exercise was created that consisted in the graceful taunting of a bull with a lance from horseback, in the very same manner used in modern-day bullfights to distract the bull or spur him from place to place. Eventually, the drill was enhanced and the horse-rider stepped down to confront the bull on foot. By the 18th century all attentions were focused on this aspect of the show, and you could be nothing sexier than a bullfighter.

It should be noted that formal horse-riding exhibitions remain a part of Spanish folklore, particularly in Andalusia as a whole and in Jerez in particular. The horses used are of course the pure Arab stallions introduced on the peninsula by the Moors, and they are made to step and jump or, as enthusiasts have it, ‘dance’, to adapted cavalry-type music. Traditional Andalusian horse and horse-rider dress has remained a stylish and elaborate affair, as you can witness in any annual town fair with a decent horse-show.

Ronda is perched up on high on the two sides of the Tajo canyon, a steep gorge formed by the river Guadalevin. The two sides are connected by three bridges, the Puento Romano (Roman bridge), Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), and Puente Viejo (Old Brige). At 120 meters above the stream, the Puento Nuevo is the tallest, and the Puente Viejo was built by the Moors. All three bridges offer spectacular views over the city. The town is full of historical buildings and attractions, including La Mina, a fortified tower with a secret entrance at its base and very long spiral staircase built by the Moors to access the river that proved the city’s downfall when re-conquering Catholics discovered the entrance and used it to break their siege in 1485.

Home to the Spanish fir, a prehistoric pine found only above 1,500 meters in the mountains of southern Spain and Morocco, the Serrania de Ronda has made it into history and ecology texts as well as into the novels of romantic adventurers. Spain’s famous republican bandits, the Bandoleros, famously operated from here. The Guardia Civil, Spain’s third and rural police corps, was created to eradicate them and eventually did so.

There are many areas of the park worth visiting. One of the most famous is the Sierra de las Nieves (literally ‘Mountain of the Snows’), which receives snow every winter on and below its Torecilla peak at 1919 meters. Don’t confuse this with the taller Sierra Nevada (‘Snowy Mountain’) in the province of Granada, whose snow-capped peaks are also visible on a clear day. Animals in the Serrania de Ronda include the mountain goat, common chameleon, roe deer, stork, kingfisher, and a wide variety of birds of prey including the vulture, osprey, and several owls. The flora includes the Spanish fir, a prehistoric pine found only above 1,500 meters in the mountains of southern Spain and Morocco.

Another area is the Valle del Libar, the valley through which both the Rio Guadiaro and the Algeciras-Granada train link and the Rio Guadiaro pass, and whose many of the -casares-y-estepona,villages (Benaojan, Cortes de la Frontera, etc) boast a train station. The area is famous for its forested areas as well as cave exploration. One of the most beautiful spots is the Cueva del Gato (Cat’s Cave), a cave partially flooded by a stream that can be crossed in a serious speleological expedition accompanied by professionals. The stream ends in a spectacular and enormous cavern. From here the water cascades into an open air lagoon frequented by bathers and families having a picnic. A few meters away the stream rejoins the Guadiaro, whose mouth is a few dozen kilometers downstream at Sotogrande.