A corner kick from Xavi (pronounced chahvy) found the waiting forehead of Carles Puyol, a defender from FV Barcelona, whose deft flick saw the ball rebound into the back right corner of the net, stunning Germany, and causing them to completely lose their confidence.

I was in Huskies bar, which erupted like a volcano, Spaniards and extranjeros alike could not contain their excitement, so much so we missed the next two minutes of play, but thankfully we didn’t miss much. Other bars in Ronda described similar scenes.

This morning the Policia Local told Ronda Today the evening was remarkably free of incidents, with traffic violations being the only cause for concern, ironically from parking offences instead of poor driving behaviour.

In Spain football victories are marked by fireworks, car horns, crowds gathering in the town square, with lots of shouting, singing, and general mayhem. Ronda is no different, and for a small city the residents certainly know how to raise a ruckus. Watch our video to see Ronda celebrating.

The World Cup Final will be played on Sunday at 20:30, no doubt Ronda’s bars will be packed again. Ronda Today will be around town taking more photos and video, make sure you say hi and get your photo published.

The walk to the Tajo del Abanico, named for the cave that looks like a fan (abanico), is a gentle walk measuring 3.8km from the Almocabar gate at the entrance to the medieval walls of Ronda in the Barrio de San Francisco. It is of low difficulty, and takes you to a river valley filled with wildflowers.

We start our walk from Ronda at the Almocabar gate, and exit Ronda on Calle Torrejones, this is the street that runs between the main plaza and the Bodega San Francisco, and after 300m passes a stone tower to your right with a cross on it, known locally as ‘el Predicatorio’ which is the location of a restaruant, and part of the Roman aqueduct that used to supply Arunda with water 2000 years ago.

Reaching a small traffic roundabout, we keep going straight ahead past the bar La Quadra, and turn right at the next roundabout with a pink sign point to the Ermita Virgen de la Cabeza. Around 30m around the corner the road forks, we take the left, a sign should point to the Tajo del Abanico.

Continue on this road veering left at the first intersection, you will see three blue dots and an arrow pointing to the left, and continue to the next intersection where the left fork continues alongside the cliffs to your left, whilst the fork to the right does a complete 180; we continue on the left path.

You’ll pass an abandoned tower and farmhouse which is one of many in these parts, most of them being several hundred years old having been built after the Christian reconquest to provide storage for grain, but no longer used and now falling into ruin.

At the end of the road you’ll come to a large farmhouse on your right with a huge steel cross in the driveway, but to the left of the farmhouse driveway is a small gate which should be closed. Simply pull the handle to open the gate, but please close the gate behind you, the gate keeps the dogs out of the Tajo del Abanico.

The path you travel on is the old Ronda to Algeciras road used during medieval and Roman times, and as you continue you will eventually come to sections where the cobbled stones yet exist. Unfortunately these are medieval in origin, probably 500-1000 years old, and whilst they would have been laid where Roman stones originally stood, none of the Roman road exists anymore.

At one point the path descends to the river, and you’ll need to cross the stones in the water to reach the other side, and it is only by going through that you’ll reach the cave of the fan. The cave has a rather unique history, being most importantly the place where Andy howled, then the place where Francisco Rosi filmed his bandit sequences for the 1984 film Carmen (by Georges Bizet) starring Placido Domingo and Julia Migenes.

You’ll notice also that the cave isn’t very deep and is breathtakingly beautiful despite this owing to the amazing colours in the rocks and the short stalactites hanging above the entrance. The cave is a favourite location amongst local climbers and you may encounter a small group performing some quite impressive free climbing here.

That concludes the walk, you have two options for returning to Ronda, either continue along the path until you see the current Ronda-Algeciras road, which we don’t advise since the track is degraded, or turn back the way you came.

Route Map Tajo del Abanico

Photos from the walk Ronda to Tajo del Abanico

Last Saturday the 24th April, an enthusiastic group of 21 members and guests from the Andalucían Bird Society met at Fuente de Piedra, near to Campillos for their monthly field meeting.

Organised by Peter Jones, the birding group met in the car park near the visitor centre, and with scopes and cameras in hand, made their way through the lagoon walking tracks to watch the magnificent greater flamingoes that nest at Fuente de Piedra every year.

As recently as 2008 a major drought in the area saw nesting flamingoes plummet to just a few handful, but this year Peter told Ronda Today the numbers are back up to their highest levels, in excess of 30,000 birds, and in many places they can be viewed close to the edge of the lagoon which is almost full after the rains of 2010.

The Fuente de Piedra lagoon is an area of major natural significance, and has recently undergone significant renovations with a new visitor centre, carpark, and walking tracks, as well as fencing to keep people and dogs away from the birds; all in all a birders paradise.

The lagoon itself is saline, at its deepest not more than a metre deep, and is fed by fresh water springs, however the water passes through mineral salt deposits, giving the lake a low salt index. In Roman times the townsfolk from Antequera (20km away) were known to visit the lagoon to bathe and recuperate, whilst in the 16th century the city of Antequera built a renal spa on its shores.

Migratory birds frequently stop at Fuente de Piedra, including the greater flamingo for which the lagoon is the largest breeding ground in Iberia. Each year hundreds of young flamingoes are ringed as part of global conservation efforts.

Here’s the list of species seen on the day by ABS members;
Wood Sandpiper, Black winged stilt, Marsh Harrier, House sparrow, Greater Flamingo, Barn swallow, Little Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Cm Sandpiper, Spotless Starling, Mallard, Gull-billed Tern, Pochard, Moorhen, Avocet, Mongrel duck, Yellow wagtail, Coot, Ruff, Squacco Heron, Gadwall, Gt Spotted Cuckoo, Crested Lark, Sand Martin, Gt Crested Grebe, Spanish Sparrow, Lssr Kestrel, Goldfinch, Red Crested Pochard, Green Sandpiper, Reed Warbler, Little Grebe, Stonechat, Kentish Plover, Lssr Black-backed Gull, Yellow legged Gull, Black Headed Gull, Purple Heron, Montague’s Harrier (m), Little Egret, Black necked Grebe, Garganey, Bee Eater, Turtle Dove, Cm Swift, Pallid Swift, House Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Collared Dove, Corn Bunting, Shoveller, Woodchat Shrike, Greenfinch, Serin, Lapwing, Whiskered Tern, Black Tern, White Wagtail, Short Toed Eagle.

Please help support conservation and promote birdwatching in Andalucia by joining the Andalucía Bird Society

The park Dehesa del Mercadillo is a pine forest just outside Ronda on the Ronda-Sevilla road, and is very easy to get to, however the direct route doesn’t take in any of the valley below Ronda, but using the industrial area of Ronda as a starting point passes through some gorgeous countryside with mountains on the horizon, along farm roads with numerous horse studs before finally entering the forest from the north.

We start the walk in the industrial estate, follow signs pointing to the Poligono, and look for the hotel Berlanga which is very close to the Día supermarket. Directly across from the hotel Calle Genal, which looks industrial, but after 100m begins to descend out of the city to the railway line.

If you keep going straight ahead on this road you’ll come to some olive groves around 150-200 metres from the hotel, and then a little further you’ll cross the railway line before reaching an overpass for the highway. After the overpass, turn immediately left and then immediately right.

You are now on the old Ronda-Setenil road and will continue going down hill for a kilometre or thereabouts. As you descend you’ll come across a small fuente known as Don Pedro, and shortly after this, the road naturally veers to the left.

At this point you are now on the European walking track, the E-4, also known on some maps as the GR-7 and is a walk that commences in Tarifa, and terminates in Athens. You continue on this road which bends to the right near some horse stables, and then continues toward the forest park.

When you reach the next intersection you’ll see a sign pointing to the Hotel Molino de Arco. You could detour here and travel back through the Llano de la Cruz to Arriate or to Ronda Viejo and then onto Acinipo, however for this Ronda walk we are going to continue straight ahead.

Very soon you’ll pass the municipal riding school and some other stables, and immeditately after that the intersection with the Ronda-Sevilla highway. You’ll know you’ve reached the highway because on the right is a large sign showing the route of the GR-7 walk as it crosses the Serranía de Ronda.

Turn left, but avoid the highway, instead follow the dirt track for safety reasons, and then enter the park via a wide entrance. You are now at the end of the walk and have two options; the first is to follow the dirt road inside the park past the forest fire service, or take the more scenic approach and walk from the picnic and play area you find across a small fence into the forest proper.

Once in the forest take a moment to enjoy listening to the birds, their song is fantastic and definitely a highlight of this walk. Birdwatchers and nature lovers might find the forest a little pedestrian, but if you don’t have a lot of time, or only fancy a gentle stroll you won’t be disappointed.

To get back to Ronda, continue through the forest and then follow Avenida de la Legion into town. Here are a few photos of the walk, and if you enjoy this walk please return and leave a comment below for other visitors to Ronda.

Map of Route

Di and John, the hosts at Los Castanos welcomed me in Ronda, a service they often provide for guests, and we had lunch in a favourite bar on the outskirts of Ronda before heading to the hotel to settle in and get to know the area.

My first impressions of arriving at the hotel were coloured by the weather, walking to the main entrance with my head down to avoid rain drizzle hitting me in the face, and then looking up and seeing the church belfry towering over the hotel which looked quite small, yet is in fact very large.

With a handful of rooms it is easy to think of Los Castanos as a small hotel, but entering through the 18th century doors and turning to view the salon immediately impresses on you how large the hotel building is, certainly more than big enough for couples wanting to get away and relax for a spell.

Los Castanos Hotel Room

I was taken to my room by Di, with good intentions of giving me the grand tour, she showed me the facilities, the bar fridge, the tea and coffee, air conditioning, emergency procedures, then the phone rang; we were in the midst of the great Icelandic ash cloud and several of Di’s guests weren’t able to return home or were stuck in transit, so as needs must my tour of the terrace was cut short.

This worked in my favour, I had the chance to throw open the bedroom window and terrace doors, and simply stand on my own private terrace whilst I soaked up the sounds and smells of Cartajima and the Alto Genal. Nearby I heard men chatting at the Ayntamiento, and over there the sound of rushing water, I later discovered Cartajima sits on the edge of a small valley with a lively stream coursing its way through.

A keen walker I am, so a short adventure around the village was called for, and with camera in hand, I claimed my right to explore the nooks and crannies of the village, discovering places many of the locals may not even know – actually that’s a lie, but I thought a nice turn of phrase nevertheless.

Cartajima is very small, but sits in the heart of some of the Serranía’s most spectacular scenery so I understand why Los Castanos get so many walking guests. Birdwatching around these parts is a favourite activity, and you’ll often see twitchers parked on the side of the road staring at the mountains.

Several evenings Di cooks for guests, and on my night we had all decided to stay in, and what a surprise, five of us were entertained by John over pre-dinner drinks around the fireplace, and then Di called us to our places. Normally guests eat at separate tables, but as we were all enjoying the company we pushed and dragged our tables together much to Di’s amusement.

The entree was a delicious miniature red pepper filled with cheese and what I think was fish, certainly the blends of tastes made it difficult to identify individual ingredients, however they came together in spectacular fusion.

The main course was a dish I’ve never tried before, beef squares with prunes cooked in a traditional Moroccan stewing dish known as a Tajine, then served with Cous Cous and a side of green salad. Di is very modest so blushed like a school girl from our compliments, deserved as they were; her beef and prune tagine is something I’ll be requesting on my next trip.

I stayed up late talking to another guest, a chap who had recently founded a new publishing house, and I believe we stayed up till 1am sipping a rather nice red bought locally, I believe from Bodega Joaquin Fernandez.

Before breakfast the next morning I wandered the streets of the village as it started to wake, and explored parts of the valley with it’s olive groves and almond trees, all the while serenaded with bird song. I’d slept well, Los Castanos have very supportive mattresses on their beds, so I was ready for a climb and the hills above Cartajima were not going to defeat me, and I’m glad I did because the views from above looking over Cartajima toward Parauta are well worth seeing.

If you’d like to stay at Los Castanos Hotel with Di and John, here are the hotel contact details;

Los Castanos, Calle Iglesia 40, Cartajima 29452, Málaga, Spain
Tel: (+34) 952 180 778
Mob: (+34) 696 081 354
email: reservations@loscastanos.com
web: www.loscastanos.com

The cave church outside Ronda, known as the Virgen de la Cabeza, is a 10th century hermitage built sometime around 970-980AD, and is just a short walk out of Ronda. Most people should find this Ronda walk easy to do and gets you out of the city for some of the most spectacular views of the Ronda skyline you could imagine seeing.

We start the walk at the Almocabar Gate in the Barrio de San Francisco and walk along Calle Torrejones, passing the Bodega San francisco and further on the road the restaurant El Predicatorio which are on our right. Around 500m from the old walls of Ronda we encounter a small white roundabout in the street, and 100m further an intersection with a sign pointing to the right for the ‘Ermita Rupuestre Virgen de la Cabeza’.

From here the walk is another 2km, though one of the signs indicates the walk is 2.5km, however it is a gentle walk and by no means challenging. The road very quickly changes from paved to gravel, and remains so until we reach the church.

After a few hundred metres we see to our right the Casa Rua, a ruined manor house, and on closer inspection you’ll see a property with a belfry above the main entrance, moorish guard towers on the two front corners of the building, and to the right past an empty swimming pool you’ll see a three level tower which you can access.

The ruined house is falling apart, in fact the roof has already collapsed, and is VERY dangerous to enter, be warned that the rest of the roof or first floor could collapse at any moment so be sensible and view the house from the outside. the tower to the right is safer, and the views from the secon level are quite spectacular.

Urban legend in Ronda tells that the builder of the Villa Polo, which is the name of the ruined house was a local architect who also held a position of authority within the religious orders but led a secret life as a warlock.

The front patio and tower were reputedly used by his cabal for seances and witchcraft to encourage evil spirits to venture from Ronda to his manor, which by the way forms one of the three point of an equilateral triangle between Ronda’s Puente Nuevo bridge, and the cave church Virgen de la Cabeza. The story might not be true, but are you willing to take that risk?

After leaving the grounds of the Casa Rua we continue along the same road and eventually reach a dead end, and to the right you’ll see a chain between two posts with a very steep track that goes down to the Virgen de la Cabeza. After heavy rainfall the path can be littered with mud and debris but is otherwise passable, though people with heart conditions might consider the return climb is steep and could cause problems.

Around the time the church was built Ronda was a Muslim city under the Caliphate of Córdoba so Christians whilst tolerated, were required to worship outside the city walls. The hermitage started as a home for the monks of the area who would travel to Christian communities to administer mass and hear confessions, and then return to the hermitage where they slept.

Coincidentally, this was a rough time in Al-Andalus and a fairly powerful rebellion of Muslims, Christians, and Jews under the leadership of Omar ibn Hafsun was causing problems for the caliphate. ibn Hafsun was born very near to Ronda in Juzcar, and started his rebellion to protest high taxes and unfair conditions. At one stage ibn Hafsun’s forces controlled Ronda and may have been temporarily abandoned until forces loyal to Córdoba brought Ronda back under control.

To return to Ronda, simply head back on the same road you reached the Virgen de la Cabeza on.

Map of Route from Ronda to Virgen de la Cabeza

This is one of the walks most people want to do because of the Roman Aquaduct you see at the end of the walk, but is also one of the walks in Ronda rarely undertaken by visitors because very few people know the Roman aquaduct even exists, in fact Roman Ronda was a reality for nearly 700 years.

You’ll start the walk at the old entrance to Ronda, the Almocabar Gate which originally was used to reach the Muslim cemetery outside the city walls. In fact the plaza you walk across at the start is where the cemtery was. During the reconquest Spain’s Christian monarchs attacked Ronda from locations near the plaza.

As you walk across the plaza, look for the middle road of the three you can see leading away from Ronda, this is Calle San Francisco de Asís, and isn’t very long, you’ll know you’re on the right track when you reach the school at the top of the street, Colegio Fernando de los Rios.

Keep going out of Ronda until you cross the motorway then turn right onto a gravel track that runs parallel to the motorway, and at the end you’ll find a gate and a small gravelled street to the left. Turn left and you’ll wander down a street surrounded by olive groves, and at the end, a rather large power pole.

Continue to the left of the power pole along a walking track that runs along a fence. This once again becomes a small gravelled road the winds to the right before it reaches a t-intersection.

At the t-intersection you’ll see a sign pointing to Pilar de Cartejima (1600m). At this point, turning left will take you back to the bridge over the motorway, so we want to go right following the sign for Pilar de Cartejima.

Once you reach the Pilar de Cartejima feel free to drink from the constantly running tap, the water is delicious and quite safe to drink, in fact many Rondeños bring empty bottles here to fill so they have fresh drinking water in their homes.

The Roman Aquaduct isn’t too much further, keep walking past the Pilar de Cartejima along a the gravel track that runs along the river. Soon enough the track ends and becomes a walking track, now keep an eye on the rocks above you and to your right. It won’t be long until you spot the tell tale signs of Roman arches against the rock.

I’m not going to tell you exactly how far you have to walk, that would spoil the surprise, but it isn’t far, the only hint I’ll give is that if you see a bridge over the river to your left and behind a fence you’ve gone too far.

Often people get a little lost looking for the Roman Aquaduct, they can be hard to spot, in fact on my own first walk along this track I probably went about three km too far. That was also the day I ended up with a flat battery on my camera and was cursing not having bought a PowerMonkey to recharge it before heading back to Ronda, oh well, I did get a lot of exercise that day.

This Ronda walk is around 6.8 km, and is considered light up to Pilar de Cartejima and then moderate in sections near the Roman Aquaduct.

The photos below were taken over a couple of excursions to the Pilar de Cartejima. If you like the video more will be coming soon, but please leave a comment here or on YouTube if you’ve attempted this walk and have something to share. Also feel free to ask questions.

Ronda to Pilar de Cartajima and Roman Aquaduct

Rondeña Ángeles Vela is hoping to represent Spain in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Oslo during the last weeks of May. Angeles narrowly missed out last year after reaching the finals, to be beaten by Soraya whose disastrous performance in 2009 saw Spain finish the 2009 competition at the bottom of voting.

Ángeles Vela Moreno, a 21 year old girl from our own fair city believes she is better prepared this year having been through one selection contest and now understanding the voting procedures better. Support in Ronda has been encouraging, with family and fans of Ángeles actively drumming up support in anticipation of RTVE’s voting. Please vote for Ángeles, click here to vote!

This years song by Ángeles Vela is an R&B ballad with strong driving chords entitled “Tan Lejos De Ti”, which roughly translated means So far from you, and is being recorded with the intention of perhaps becoming her first single for release in the Spanish music charts. The song is composed by José María Tornay.

Towards the end of January RTVE’s Eurovision crew will open public voting for the top 50 applicants to represent Spain in Oslo, and Ronda’s Ángeles will be amongst the top five in the R&B category.

Ángeles Vela

Selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, and the release of her first single would see Ángeles follow another famous Rondeña María Villalón who has successfully entered the top echelon of popular music performers in the Spanish speaking world.

Needless to say Ronda Today endorses Ángeles Vela to represent Spain in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, we’ll keep you posted on her journey through the voting process.

Watch an Ángeles Vela interview in Spanish by Charry TV. You can follow the Eurovision Selection contests for all nations on the official Eurovision website.

Bjorn Heidenstrom in Ronda

The 28th November 2009 was an exciting day for the under thirteen Union Deportivo Ronda football team as they were treated to a visit by Bjorn Heidenstrom, former Norwegian International and first division football player who is cycling from Norway to South Africa collecting signed football shirts, and raising awareness for the world’s 45 million refugees.

Bjorn has been cycling for six months already, and arrived in Ronda at 10am after a grueling cycle up the San Pedro highway from Marbella. He certainly lived up the nickname “Crazy Norwegian”. His day in Ronda is part of an extended trip that sees him cycle to Córdoba, then Madrid, and Barcelona before catching a ferry to Italy, the Balkan nations, Greece, Turkey, and Syria.

A decision then needs to be made on the route Bjorn will take cycling to Egypt before cyclng to Cape Town via Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Southern African countries. Bjorn is hoping to be in Johannesburg in May. Then he and some volunteers will stitch all of the shirts collected together into a single large flag that FIFA and the South African Football Association have agreed will be flown at the opening game of the Soccer World Cup in June 2010.

Bjorn Collecting Ronda Football Shirts

Football shirts collected from CD Ronda and UD Ronda will be amongst the other many hundreds of signed football shirts, including those from FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, FC Valencia, Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Dynamo Moscow, and many more top teams yet to be visited.

Refugees are one of the world’s greatest tragedies, and are a group of people with the least ability to represent themselves, with the overwhelming majority forced into camps for displaced people, or taken into care by charitable groups. Refugees don’t have the ability to work to make a living, they aren’t able to provide for their families, and they exist in a sort of half legal half outcast situation.

Ronda Today is proud to be one of the many supporters and sponsors of Bjorn Heidenstrom as he cycles from Norway to South Africa to give the world’s many refugees a voice. His approach is proving successful, over 50 million people have watched Bjorn’s travels on television or in his YouTube channel, and sponsors are lining up to offer funds to the Refugee Council and UNHCR.

With Bjorn’s enthusiasm and our support we can make a difference, and we can put the plight of refugees firmly where it belongs, in the news and in front of prime ministers and presidents of the world’s family of nations.

Bjorn Heidenstrom at Hotel Ronda

Bjorn would like to thank Carlos Mirasol García, councillor for sport for his active encouragement and allowing Bjorn to meet the future football stars of Ronda, Hotel Ronda for providing Bjorn with a room and hot shower for the night, Bar La Bola on Carrera Espinel for graciously providing Bjorn with lunch, Restaurant El Predicatorio for graciously providing Bjorn with breakfast. Charlotte Wilmot and Alonso Jiménez González were invaluable friends who worked tirelessly to ensure Bjorn’s trip to Ronda was a success. Thank you all.

So, what happens now? Bjorn is on his way, and the plight of refugees could be forgotten now that we’ve had our fun. But Ronda Today cannot let this happen. We’ll be following Bjorn’s travels as he makes his way to South Africa, and we’ll be helping to organise workshops and fund raising activities to let Bjorn and the Refugee Council know that Rondeños want to help make a difference. Please join us. Send us an email (admin@rondatoday.com) and tell us if you can help Bjorn collect signed football shirts, or if you’d like write Bjorn a message of support.

We’re not asking for money, we’ll find sponsors for that, what we are asking for is your good wishes. You can read about Bjorn’s travels directly on his website, theshirt2010.net, or follow him on Twitter, @heidenstrom.

Here’s a selection of photos taken of Bjorn in Ronda.

Canal Charry Interview with Bjorn in Ronda

Feria Attractions 2009

The Pedro Romero Feria in Ronda is the biggest carnival event in Ronda’s social calendar, a week of partying, of live shows, of fairground rides and attractions, and of course culminating in the Corrida Goyesca, the only bullfight to occur in Ronda’s famous Plaza de Toros.

Wednesday the 2nd of September 2009 was a special day, this was the day of the feria parade, a 3 hour extravaganza that departed from Alameda and the Plaza de Toros, and then snaked it’s way up La Bola, onto Avenida de Málaga, before turning down into the fair grounds near the hospital.

Carnival atmosphere reigned in Ronda, well before the parade began balloon sellers were offering large silver balloons in the shape of animals, aeroplanes and other things for 5€, and woe betide any child who let go, the balloon quickly ascended, and reached the heavens, never to be seen again.

2009 was my first year seeing the parade, though I’ve seen other parades in bigger cities in the UK, Germany, the USA, but little Ronda put on a show worthy of the biggest of cities. One can only speculate at the amount of money invested in giving Rondeños such a spectacle, but it was worth it. Despite the gloomy economy, on parade day everyone wore a smile.

Just as the sun set over Ronda the parade reached Avenida de Málaga, a great shout rang around the crowd who had been waiting for an hour or more, and then the first sign that something was happening. The Policia Local quickly cleared the road of balloon and sweet sellers, and leading the parade, a group of riders on horseback, looking resplendent in period costume from the late 18th century.

It wasn’t long till the great big animals, Tigger the Tiger, and his Disney friends appeared along with 100 children in colourful outfits, then dancers, acrobats, larger than life insects that attacked the crowd, Ronda’s brass bands, and too many other floats to mention.

At last, the moment everyone had been waiting the longest for, the Goyesca Ladies on their float that looked like the Palace of Versaille on wheels, the President atop her thrown, and the other dames waving from balconies below her.

What a parade! Incredible effort must have been expended, and all this in a small town in Southern Spain. 2010 will be a must see parade, and if you have the chance to book a hotel room in anticipation of being in Ronda for the feria, do it now, there is not time to waste.