An Afternoon In Ronda

After our regular morning activity, walking up to the castle then going for coffee to visit Neville the cat, we decide to ride to Ronda for an afternoon visit.  Ronda is larger town located 40K north-east of Gaucin.

The road between the two towns is very scenic. It runs along the ridges and around the peaks of the mountains. There are breathtaking views all along the road and plenty of scenic viewpoint stops as well. Several other villages hang off the side of the road and the occasional restaurant. It is great motorcycle road, smooth (except for the occasional slump) and winding.  The only problem with the road is the speed limit. The maximum speed for the 40 kilometres between Gaucin and Ronda is 50 kph, with 40 kph zones at village access points.  It seems to me that the speed limit philosophy in Spain (or at least this part of Spain) is that if the appropriate speed for many of the corners is 50 the speed limit for the whole road is 50.  Luckily, it seems to be that the speed limit is generally ignored so it is still a fun road to ride.

The town of Ronda is one of the main attractions for this area. For protection, the original town site was built on an island of rock. As the town expanded an elaborate bridge was constructed across the gorge. It is one of the main tourist attraction. The bridge was completed in 1793 after 40 years of construction.

 

 Ronda is also a main centre of the bull fighting culture. The Romero family of Ronda played a principal role in the development of modern Spanish bull fighting. (Wikipedia) 

The bull ring is a grandiose structure like none other I have seen.

A panorama from old town Ronda looking north.

We had a nice afternoon looking round town and a very nice dinner in one of the many outdoor cafes.

The weather forecast is for rain for the next day or so. We have delayed our planned bicycling adventure until the weekend when the weather is forecast to be better.