Ronda in Southern Spain » News

Interview with Francisco Cañestro, Councillor for Tourism

Ronda Today — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:15:29 +0000

Francisco Cañestro, Councillor for Tourism

The tourism industry is widely acknowledged to be the most important in Ronda, with the city receiving millions of visitors per year who come to admire Ronda’s many important cultural and historic monuments. Ronda Today talked to Francisco Cañestro, Councillor for Tourism about his goals over the coming year. A recent report commissioned by the town hall was quite critical of accessibility in Ronda, not only for people with disabilities, but also for the aged and holiday makers with an injury. The majority of Ronda’s monuments, hotels, restaurants and public streets will need to be renovated to bring them up to EU standards for accessibility. Cañestro recently took over as coucillor and says he was overwhelmed with how large the task is, though he is pressing ahead, and has recently officiated at the re-opening of the Arab Baths after extensive modifications. A budget of 50 million Euros has been set aside over the next 12 months for accessibility, which includes ramps and footpaths at Acinipo, rebuilding public streets and footpaths in the old city, creating wheelchair access ramps on footpaths, upgrading certain buildings to allow disabled access, including removable ramps in buildings that cannot be modified. In addition, most of the information signs scattered around Ronda are being written in Braille so that blind visitors can enjoy more of the city than previously. All in all, these efforts are intended to meet and exceed accessibility guidelines and confirms the importance of tourism in Ronda. Asked about other projects, Cañestro was quick to point out that refurbishment of the Paseo de los Ingleses and the Jardines de Cuenca are on track for completion by the end of the year, and will restore these two dilapidated parks, not just for the enjoyment of visitors, but also to improve their photographs. Taking a longer term view, the councillor confirmed to Ronda Today that the long term objective of the Office of Tourism is to promote Ronda as a destination for families wanting a 3-4 day break. This is in marked contrast to previous councillors who have intimated that day trippers will always form the bulk of visitors to the city. Whilst many would agree that day trippers are an important group of visitors to Ronda, their value to the city is minimal with most spending only a few Euros, contrasted with families who book hotel accommodation, hire cars, eat in restaurants, visit our museums, and travel to nearby villages. A single family staying in Ronda for 4 days will usually spend as much as a coach load of day trippers, and this fact is not lost on Cañestro. To further promote the city, the town hall and the Junta de Andalucía are working to ensure that Ronda is featured prominently as a quality vacation destination. To that end the Andalucían Tourist Board will be restructuring their advertising to highlight the attractions of the Serranía de Ronda. Finally, we asked Cañestro about plans for the Serranía de Ronda to be recognised as a UN World Heritage Site of Universal Importance, and as expected, the 22 town halls of the Serranía and the Málaga provincial council haven’t been able to agree on funding allocation and representation, though the Junta de Andalucía is said to be keen to submit the Serranía for consideration. Despite the apparent slow changes, Cañestro is keen to push forward with projects, and welcomes the input of tourism operators. Ronda Today isn’t able to predict what will happen after May when the next municipal election is held, though in discussions with PSOE, PP, and PA, there seems to be broad consensus that tourism promotion must focus on vacationers instead of day trippers.

Ronda Gets Bicycles for Hire On Demand

Ronda Today — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:28:58 +0000

Cycling Ronda

Easy bicycle hire around the city for residents today became a reality as 7 hiring points were opened, with a total of 70 bicycles available to the people of Ronda. Readers may remember Ronda Today announced the intention to go ahead with this bike hire project some months ago. Costing 110,000€, the system known as ENbici will enable Rondeños to ride around the city, notably to shops and sport centres, then park their hired bike at a drop off point, and negates the need for a personal bike and problems of securing a bike. The Provicial Delegate for Innovation, Pilar Serrano, hopes the 70 bicycles being installed in locations around Ronda will contribute to savings of 39,000 litres of fuel and reduce emissions of CO2 by 110 tons around Ronda. Residents wanting to make use of the bicycles will need to apply for a cycling card from one of four locations around the city, the Municipal Swimming Pool, the Tourism Office near the Plaza de Toros, or the Office of Citizens Affairs in Calle Molino. At this stage, bicycles can be picked up and dropped off at the Casa de la Juventud, the Municipal Swimming Pool, Plaza de la Merced, Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, the Central Bus Station, Plaza de San Francisco, and Paseo Blas Infante.

Dames Goyesca 2010 Introduced to Media and Friends

Ronda Today — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:58:17 +0000

Dames Goyesca 2010

Today at the Santo Domingo Convent, the fifteen Dames Goyesca and their President were introduced to the media and proud family and friends in a short ceremony hosted by the mayor of Ronda Antonio Marín Lara. Ronda’s famed Dames Goyesca are chosen for their comportment and elegance, and represent the city through most of the lead up and duration of the Pedro Romero festival, as well as accompanying the bullfighters into the Plaza de Toros during the Corrida Goyesca. This year the President of the Dames Goyesca is Lola Riaza, and her charges are Alejandra Tornay, Ana Perez-Urruti, Chistina Lopez, Ava Guerrero, Fafi Clara, M Carmen Guerrero, María Dolores Molina, Maria de Lope-Diaz, María Elena Morales, Martina Serratosa, Marta Peroigones, Marta San Roman, Rosalia Galache, Victoria Martinez, and Violeta Sanchez. During the Pedro Romero Fair the ladies will be seen around Ronda wearing exquisite gowns made to resemble those of ladies painted by Francisco Goya, one of Spain’s top romantic painters of the 18 and 19th centuries, and often considered the father of the modern art movement. Aside from welcoming dignatories to Ronda, the ladies will also visit aged care facilities, children’s centres, and pose for photos at most of the major events of August and early September.

Ronda’s Arab Baths Now Accessible for People with Disabilities

Ronda Today — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:17:41 +0000

Francisco Cañestro Opens the Arab Baths

Yesterday the Councillor for Tourism Francisco Cañestro, and the Junta de Andalucía’s Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Sport, Luciano Alonso Alonso officially reopened the Arab Baths in Ronda after extensive renovations allowing wheelchair access for one of Andalucía’s most important Moorish monuments. The Arab Baths in Ronda are considered the most complete baths and in original state, but have been all but impossible to enjoy by people with disabilities, in addition the gardens and water wheel have been inaccessible to all visitors for many years. Recent accessibility renovations have opened a new entrance to the Baths nearer to the Puente Arabe which will be opened on demand for tour groups and people with disabilities, though access to the gardens and water wheel is also now provided from a side entrance to the Baths that was previously locked. Taking their que from the ruins at Acinipo, the gardens have pieces of ruined achitecture such as columns, drains, and lintels scattered around, whilst bark has been spread to give the gardens a zen-like appearance. Gently sloping paths have been created, the intention being to create a small oasis from which to admire the medieval walls of the city. Visitors to the Arab Baths will now be able to appreciate the engineering triumphs of Moorish Rondeños who created the water wheel and aqueduct to feed the baths with water from the rio Guadalevin and the Arroyo de las Culebras. Whilst the chain mechanism is long gone, the tower remains in excellent condition. The re-opening ceremony was also attended by the mayor of Ronda Antonio Marín Lara, several councillors, and the leader of the municipal opposition María Paz Fernandez.

Real Maestranza Launches Competition for Best Photo

Ronda Today — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:47:52 +0000

RMR Photo Contest

Today the Real Maestranza de Ronda, owners of the iconic bullring launched a competition to find the best photographs inside or outside the bullring which they plan to use as part of the 225 year anniversary of its construction.

A special Flickr group has been created for photographers to submit their best photos of the Plaza de Toros, which can be scenic, action photos of taurino events, even photoshopped for creativity. As long as the photo can be said to be representative of the iconology or cultural importance of the building they will be accepted into the competition.

This is a contest for all levels and abilities, their only request is that the best quality you have be submitted for the contest. Residents and visitors to the city are all eligible to enter submissions, and there is no limit to the number of photos that can be added to the Flickr group, though photos showing identifiable faces will need a model release form before the photos can be used by the RMR in their publicity.

Prizes will be awarded every month until the 15th December 2010, with the top photographer each month receiving 200€, and a final prize of 400€ for the grand finale to be announced after the competition has closed. You can read the complete terms and conditions of the contest here.

So, dig out your best photos and get submitting on the official competition page on Flickr this is a unique opportunity to have your Plaza de Toros photos accepted into a Ronda exhibition that will be open to the public to see. Good luck.

Embarrassment for Town Council Regarding Illegal Works in the Tajo

Ronda Today — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:04:20 +0000

Proposed Youth Hostel and 3 Star Hotel

The Ayuntamiento of Ronda has unwittingly started construction on a youth hostel and 3 star hotel in old mill buildings close to the Guadelevin river below the Puente Nuevo in buildings not owned by the council, leaving red faces as the rightful owners agree not to seek legal remedies. Two old mill buildings previously owned by the Sevillana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Spain’s electrical supply company Endesa, though in 1994 they were donated to the Asociación Promoción y Desarrollo de la Serranía de Ronda who undertook to prevent their use in a way that could harm the landscape of the tajo. Local employment workshops (Taller de Empleo) have renovated the two buildings over several years, including new roofs, structural repairs, and internal construction that would allow one of the buildings to be used as a dormitory type building for youths, whilst the other would be converted into a 3 star hotel. The works are not yet complete, some estimates say around 75% of construction is complete, however the set aside legal action does not automatically entitle the town hall to resume renovations until an agreement can be reached with the association. Both buildings were formally in a state of ruin, so renovations and conversion to accommodation are not considered disadvantages, however ownership of the buildings and surrounding land, and the revenue to be generated from them will now be the responsibility of the association. Officers of the association were today unavailable for comment.

Corrida Goyesca 2010, and Plaza de Toros Celebrates 225 Years

Ronda Today — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:08:38 +0000

Presentation of the Corrida Goyesca Poster

2010 is a special year for the annual Corrida Goyesca and the Real Maestranza de Ronda as both celebrate the 225th anniversary of the construction of Ronda’s Plaza de Toros, a nationally protected monument with a fascinating history. Yesterday the president of the RMR, Rafael Atienza Marquis de Salvatierra officially presented the posters for the 54th Corrida Goyesca and the 225th anniversary of the Plaza de Toros. He was joined by Pedro Romero de Solís, a historian who explained the significance of Ronda’s bullring, and Francisco Rivera Ordóñez and Sebastián Castella, the two headline toreros for the Corrida Goyesca. This year’s poster for the event has been designed by Din Matamoro, an informalist artist hailing from Vigo whose particular style is often described as minimalist. Speaking about the poster, Matamoro described his inspiration as the lighting inside the Plaza de Toros, which is “magnificent, like looking at a great Velázquez painting.” To celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Plaza de Toros, the RMR has created a series of events, including the RMR Week of Music, an exhibition on the history of the bullring which will open in September, and a photography competition that will use the Flickr online photo sharing website to help select winning entries. Originally created by Cayetano Ordóñez, the event was cemented in Ronda tradition by his son, Antonio Ordóñez, ‘el maestro’, and is now considered one of the premier tourist attractions in Ronda, as well as one of only a handful of truly important taurino exhibitions in the world. The 54th Corrida Goyesca, traditionally held during the week of the Pedro Romero Festival in the first week of September, this year features the same format as afficionados have come to love, three days of bullfighting on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of September, followed by the Horse and Carriage competition hosted by the RMR on the 6th. As per previous years, the bullfighting will see novice toreros fighting on the first day against 4 year old bulls, then on the second the masters of the Rondeño style of bullfighting will enter the ring against fighting bulls, whilst on the third day the event showcases bullfighting by horseback and lance, the Sevilla style. Pricing in Euros for the three bullfights are listed below;

Seating	Novillada (3rd)	Goyesca (4th)	Rejones (5th)	Season Ticket
Sombra Baja	33	145	92	270
Sombra Alta Fila 1ª	33	145	92	270
Sombra Alta Filas 2ª y 3ª	33	135	82	250
Sombra Alta Filas 4ª y 6ª	33	112	69	214
Sol y Sombra Baja	28	108	69	205
Sol y Sombra Alta Fila 1ª	28	108	69	205
Sol y Sombra Alta Filas 2ª y 3ª	28	92	64	184
Sol y Sombra Alta Filas 4ª y 6ª	28	87	59	174
Sol Baja	22	87	59	168
Sol Alta Fila 1ª	22	87	59	168
Sol Alta Filas 2ª y 3ª	22	82	54	158
Sol Alta Filas 4ª y 6ª	22	77	48	147

Poster for the 225th Anniversary of the Plaza de Toros

Montecorto and Serrato to get Independence from Ronda

Ronda Today — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:10:23 +0000

Main Street in Montecorto

The two small villages of Montecorto and Serrato, currently part of the city of Ronda for administrative purposes will soon be incorporated as independent municipalities within Málaga province. Andalucía’s local autonomy law was recently overhauled removing the minimum requirement of 2500 residents before a community could be incorporated, and will become law during July 2010, meaning that Montecorto and Serrato now have the opportunity to manage their own affairs. Both villages and their surrounding neighbourhoods have been autonomous within Ronda for several years, 8 in the case of Montecorto, and 11 in the case of Serrato, and each has its own mayor. In 2009 each village was granted the maximum possible rights to determine their own affairs by the city of Ronda, however this falls far short of their stated objectives. Full incorporation gives a municipality some revenue raising powers, control over education and health services, local police, planning, water and sewage, and of course the environment. Currently these functions are split between local councillors in Montecorto and Serrato, and the relevant councillors in Ronda. The mayors of Montecorto (Juan Antonio Ganzález) and Serrato (Francisco López Arana) have stated their intention to begin the final negotiations for incorporation as soon as the new law comes into force, which could see both villages incorporated by 2012 or 2013.

Charlotte Wilmot, Ronda’s New Councillor for Extranjeros and Commerce

Ronda Today — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:17:38 +0000

Pilar Rubio (L), Charlotte Wilmot (R)

Ronda’s newest councillor, Charlotte Wilmot, who takes on Extranjeros and Commerce, recently spoke exclusively to Ronda Today about her role and hopes for the next year until the 2011 municipal elections. Charlotte is a British born foreign resident, and the first non-Spaniard to be elected to Ronda’s town council.

Following the resignation of Maribel Morales, councillor for tourism in April after disputes with the mayor Antonio Marin Lara, Charlotte Wilmot was informed that as next on the PSOE list she would be called up to head a delegation.

Politics in Spain doesn’t work quickly, and Charlotte wasn’t confirmed as councillor until the monthly meeting of the full council in May. The role of councillor for extranjeros and commerce creates a new delegation for foreigners of all nationalities in Ronda, and adds a lesser known delegation of commerce to Charlotte’s workload.

Charlotte is well known amongst both the expatriate and Spanish communities, having moved to Ronda 8 years ago, and married a Rondeño with whom she has two children. Charlotte learned Spanish at the School for Extranjeros (PIEE) and met her husband Jaime there, he was her teacher.

Last year Charlotte was selected amongst a handful of extranjeros in Andalucía to be featured on the show ‘Extranjeros en Andalucía’ hosted by one of Spain’s most popular TV presenters Pilar Rubio. However Charlotte says her proudest achievement is being a mum to Danielle and Santiago, and whose future is the reason she entered politics as a member of Ronda’s PSOE party.

In her new role as councillor Charlotte will be responsible for improving the integration efforts of the Ayuntamiento, between Rondeños and extranjeros, a process Charlotte describes as a two way project, helping extranjeros to understand Spanish bureaucracy and feel comfortable filling in forms, and at the same time encourage the learning of Spanish.

The approach sounds simplistic, and when asked, Charlotte admitted at this stage she just doesn’t know how the office of extranjeros will eventually shape up, this is a new experiment in Ronda, though it has been successfully trialed in other cities such as Mijas, Coin, or Marbella.

Foreign residents in Ronda of all nationalities, including British, Irish, German, French, Moroccan, and Central and South American nationalities will all be given equal preference for services, so Charlotte is keen to point out that whilst she is originally English, the integration of other nationalities is also her responsibility.

We asked what the new office for extranjeros plans to do in its first few months, and realistically what it can achieve before the next election when the possibility of a change of local government to the PP or a PP/PA coalition is a distinct possibility, Charlotte stated that the PSOE fully intends to retain the office if re-elected so the mayor is keen to see the office develop regardless of possible political changes.

The first two objectives of the office will be a survey to determine the needs of extranjeros of all nationalities, whilst the second priority is the compilation of a guide for extranjeros relating to essential services which it is hoped will be available in English and Spanish.

Regular readers of Ronda Today will know we have campaigned quietly within the Ayuntamiento for an office of foreigners, so Charlotte’s appointment is an exciting development, though of course foreign residents share some responsibility for helping to push for extra services such as original language films in local cinemas, cultural events for foreigners, and translation of essential information into the most common foreign resident languages.

Regarding the commerce portfolio, we asked Charlotte to explain her role, however this is more difficult for her because the role is clearly not perfectly understood within council crossing over several delegations as it does. This aside, the commerce delegation seems to have at its heart the growth of the central commercial district of Ronda, which at this stage primarily seems to be the promotion of Calle La Bola as Ronda’s main shopping street.

It seems moot to point out that Calle La Bola is Ronda’s only shopping street, and Charlotte is quick to point out that obvious observations aside, there is much work to do supporting the retailers of the central commercial district, and one plan calls for promotion of the street outside of Ronda, whilst her initial discussion with retailers suggests some would be receptive to council funded training of staff to improve customer care.

Time will tell if the new office for extranjeros and commerce will have time to be effective before the next municipal elections, and we’d be interested to know how PP or PA intend to handle extranjero integration, but as several Rondeños and long term foreign residents have pointed out, if the extranjero community doesn’t get behind the new office nothing will be achieved.

Ronda Today will continue campaigning for recognition from all political parties of the need for a strong office of extranjeros, and in the interim we ask that all our readers, both foreign resident and Rondeño please contact Charlotte with ideas or questions.

Ronda Escuela de Idiomas Recently Visited Kingston upon Thames

Ronda Today — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:06:16 +0000

Out of Order Sculpture

Teachers and students of Ronda’s Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI) recently visited Kingston upon Thames in London as part of an EU sponsored program that brings together teachers and students of language schools for an interchange of culture and language.

The recent trip to London was led by the director of EOI, Eugenio Bermudez, and the head of English language studies, Piluca Gomez, whilst the students all work with the English language in their daily activities, including teaching in local schools. The group stayed in Kingston, and participated in workshops organised at the North Kingston School which was officiated by the mayor of the royal borough.

The main objective of the trip to Kingston was to participate in English language classes and workshops along with students from other EU nations under the umbrella of the EU Pathfinder language project that encourages groups of students to visit the native country of the language they are learning.

However, there was plenty of time for siteseeing as well, with memorable excursions into London to see the city of Westminster, though the night time cruise on the Thames was considered a highlight. Ronda’s contingent also visited nearby Richmond, the National Trust’s Ham House, and of course, no visit to Kingston would be complete without also posing in front of David Mach’s sculpture ‘Out of Order’.

The only sour note to the trip was a 12 hour wait for ash clouds to disperse and London’s airspace to be reopened.

EOI is the Junta de Andalucía’s official government owned language academy offering heavily subsidised language courses of up to 5 years and diploma level, and are part of a state initiative to improve the language skills of Spaniards in the global economy.