Ronda is located at the most northwest side of the province of Malaga (Andalusia - Spain), at a basin surrounded by mountains standing together and with a middle altitude, giving to Ronda a magical character, that, together with its climatic, hydrologic, vegetation and ground characteristics has influenced it among its rich and diverse history. 

Its origin, according to archaeological findings in the old city space belongs to the Neolithic age. Despite of this, the presence of the human being in this land can be explained at a previous time. A proof of this are the sites found at caves, being the most important the one found at the Pileta's Cave, which is one of the best cave's paintings examples of all the Paleolithic age in Andalusia. 

During the recent Prehistory a lot of human settlements are founded. This fact is proofed by the existence and conservation through the time of archaeological rests that can still be admired nowadays, being represented by some of its most relevant and monumental artistic examples, like the megalithic Necropolis: Dolmen of El Chopo and Encinas Borrachas among others. It will be also at that time when the most important human settlements of the region will be well defined: Acinipo and Ronda, but its rise and important time will arrive later. The time of Acinipo will be at the Roman Empire Age and the Ronda time will be at the Middle Age.

From the Roman conquest time of the Iberian Peninsula still remain at our region a lot of rests, being important the ones found in the same city of Ronda. But, without any kind of doubts, the most important archaeological site of the region is the Roman city of Acinipo, because of its conservation's state and also because of some of its elements belonging to a Classic Roman city, like for example, the Theater. Once    that Acinipo disappeared, and after the convulsive period which reason is the Fall of the Roman Empire, the attention was paid now to the city of Ronda. That city, although being a small settlement even during the first time of the Middle Age, became since then the main place where all the important historic events happened. 

Among these historic events, and because of its importance and its cultural legacy, still alive at the common life (town planning, gastronomy, traditions, farming systems, etc.) has to be considered the Arab Age as the most important. At that time, Ronda appears to be as one of the leading cities, arriving to the category of main city of one of the Kuras (Provinces) of Al-Andalus (the province of Ronda was named of Takurunna). Ronda even achieved to be independent as an independent Kingdom (called at that age the Taifas Kingdom) after the fall of the Cordoba Kingdom. 

The most important character played by Ronda, and the reason for being well known, arrives with the Nazari Kingdom of Granada, because of its closeness to the territories conquered by the Catholics coming from Castilla. That leads to the city of Ronda, as well to its region, to be a very important border zone. After the conquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs(1485) deep economic and cultural changes happened, which can be still seen at the structure of the city: Opening of squares not existing before, streets made broader, etc.

The 18th century, and the arrival of the Modern age, will be for Ronda the time when it will get its definitive role inside the land of Andalusia. At that time, the most relevant and known monuments of the city where built, as signs of the former aristocracy and the present Ronda: The New Bridge and the Bullring. Since that time and during the 19th century, the romantic image of the city grows, as well as the legend of its Serrania (mountains), generating the world of the bandits and the art of bullfighting a deep impression between lots of important travelers.

Both aspects have been converted since then into symbols of our culture and tradition. Despite of this, the cultural and traditional richness of Ronda is much wider and diverse that the one offered by this image, clichéd although being nice. This diversity is the current attraction of Ronda and its Serrania.

Ronda’s New Bridge

The New Bridge is, together with the bullring of the Royal Cavalry Order of Ronda, symbol and soul of the city. There were two great ideas in order to built this bridge. The first of them was thought in 1735, being king Philip V, consisting of a 35 meters diameter arch, and whose works finished only 8 months later. Unfortunately, this bridge did not work, because it collapsed, bringing to death more or less to 50 people. Few years later the building of a new bridge was begun, in 1751, and it was finished in 1793, at the same time of the celebration of the Royal May Fair of Ronda. The building took more than 40 years, being the executive chief the architect José Martín de Aldehuela, born in the Teruel's province village of Manzanera.

This master building has got a height of 98 meters, built with stone masonry which were taken from the depth of the Tajo's gorge. It allowed the connection between the modern quarter of the city, called also the market's quarter, and the old quarter of the city, which allowed also the urban development of Ronda. This majestic monument hast got inside it a modern concept of an Interpretation Centre about this great work of Engineering of the eighteen century and about the different aspects of its environment: fauna, vegetation, geology, urbanism, history, etc.

Gastronomy of Ronda and its Region

Fertile Nature...

Clean air and pure water, mielato  de quercus (Holm oaks, gall oaks and cork oaks) and tireless bees gives us its best sweet honey with an chestnut colour and a strong vegetal flavor: the forest's honey. It’s autumn time, and at the valleys of the rivers Genal and Yunquera the noble chestnut trees are dressed with its light dresses... Each leaf of each tree turns into red, deep red and ruby, gold,... It's time for the eagle's rise, time to light fire and time to toast the sweet chestnut... 

Apart from variety and riches, our humid and dense forests offers the goddess' delicacy: the mushroom. Different kinds of it, an delicious flavor born at the ground.

Other nature's products are offered as well, like the fresh and biological vegetables, legumes, fruits, wild asparagus, Spanish oyster plant, snails, hunting meat, ... being the base for a diverse and delicious traditional cooking. 

A colourful mountain range...

The characteristics of the fruits raised at a certain ecosystem are caused by the place's conditions: altitude, ground, climatology... giving to the fruits authenticity and distinction. Due to these reasons, the olive of the Serrania, at its optimal ripeness, brings to the life to its most noble essence, the olive oil, being made in Cuevas del Becerro, Atajate, Jubrique, El Burgo and Yunquera at the traditional olive-oil mills, giving us a pure olive oil, a real treasure for our health. 

In Ronda, where the best olive groves are combined with the best extraction techniques, is obtained a pure olive oil, with low acidity, with a golden with some green glances color, with an intense fragrance and a wonderful taste. A real "Dorado" for the Serrania. 

And ancient traditions... 

As a result of choosing always the best raw materials, the blond or violet pigs, raised at a natural and healthy environment consisting of Holm oaks forests, which give to them it’s necessary amount of acorns. Just the needed seasoning, a slow process ending with the cured jam due to the adequate environment and climatology... This is the way how the Iberian cold cuts of the Serrania de Ronda are offered to you: chorizo, different kind of pork spiced sausages, jam...Delicious and incomparable flavours coming from Arriate to Cortes de la Frontera, passing through Montejaque, Algatocín or Benaoján where the cold cuts tradition is a precious heritage from generation to generation. 

Territory and pure milk: capricious goats tending, over the varied region's vegetation, accuracy and love at the process of making cheese, wisdom and patience at the maturation at the dark... these are the main factors for the cheeses offering to us several flavors and tasteful sensations, from the sweetest or milky to the one with more personality, that means, more intense at its flavor, taken at any time. A walk through Ronda, Cuevas del Becerro an Arriate, will offer you the possibility of knowing our cheese patrimony.

So sweet and capricious... 

Hands full of wisdom work with love the combination of noble ingredients: flours, honey, almonds, lard, figs, chestnuts, liqueurs, spices... bringing into life a huge amount of handmade sweets: types of doughnuts, cheeses made of almonds, wine doughnuts, oil or honey cakes, sighs, egg yolk sweets... Receipts with an age of several centuries. The sweets made by the nuns of the convents of La Merced and las Franciscans are famous and delicious. 

El Burgo, Ronda, Arriate, Atajate as well as several villages of our region make in its ovens delicate pastries for our joy. To taste them without getting an stomach ache we recommend the anisettes and eaus-de-vie distilled at Ronda since centuries and made at the same way from generation to generation.