Getting Here | Ronda in Southern Spain

Getting to Ronda by Car

Driving to Ronda from Andalucía’s other main cities is quite possible, with the Costa del Sol and Málaga being no more than an hour from Marbella, and a little more from Málaga, or 90 minutes from Sevilla, around 2 hours from Córdoba. Granada is around 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic and conditions.

With times like these Ronda is a day trip from all of Andalucía’s main centres, or if you prefer the comfort and quiet of staying in Ronda, then really the other main cities of Andalucía are an easy drive to experience. Many visitors to Ronda embark on day trips to see the Alhambra in Granada, either by car, or the more relaxed journey by train, and all are back in Ronda again in time for a pleasant evening dinner in one of Ronda’s many tapas bars and restaurants.

From Málaga Airport
There are two routes from Málaga airport to Ronda, which you decide to drive will depend on what you’ve heard. The route recommended by Google Maps (see below) is to drive down the coast on the motorway (N-340) to Marbella, though two options exist, the free Autovia (A-7) or the toll Autopista (AP-7). A few kilometres past Marbella take the San Pedro de Alcantara exit, at which point you follow the signs for Ronda (A-376).

This route is very scenic, but the stretch from San Pedro to Ronda has been described as one of the more challenging roads in Southern Spain. Generally the road seems safe, and driving at the recommended speed limit whilst slowing for the tight corners will see you arrive safely. The entire trip from Málaga Ronda should take around 1.5 hours if traffic isn’t congested.

The other approach is to head inland from Málaga instead of taking the coast road. This particular route has recently been upgraded in places and may take only an hour. From the airport follow the signs for the N-340 but take the A-7 until you see signs for the A-357 Guadalhorce. Keep on the A-357 until you reach Cartama, then follow the signs for the A-367 which will take you directly to Ronda, entering the city at the Campillos roundabout.

Ronda

Ronda is one of Spain's most visited cities for good reason, our little city is very compact, in fact from arriving in Ronda, to seeing the Real Maestranza bullring, the Puente Nuevo, the many beautiful churches, our museums, or the wonderful coffee shops and tapas bars, we have it all within a short 30 minute walk.

Of course, most visitors need at least 2 or 3 days to see everything because a lot can be packed into your time in Ronda. Stay in one of Ronda’s many excellent hotels, with a choice of restaurant covering tapas in a local bar, menu del dia, or a la carte menu.

A walking tour of Ronda is a pleasant and enjoyable way to spend a lazy few hours, almost everything you could want to see in Ronda is no more than 200-300 metres from the new bridge.

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Stay in Ronda

As one of the most visited cities in Spain, Ronda has a fantastic selection of hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and self-catered accommodation guaranteed to suit all tastes.

Whether it's just one night, or several weeks that you need we can help you find somewhere to rest your weary bones while you're in the city of dreams - La Ciudad Soñada.

Join great names like Orson Welles, Earnest Hemingway, Rainer Rilke, James Joyce, Jorge Luis Borges, Madonna, or Jamie Oliver who have enjoyed their time in Ronda.

Visitors who plan to make Ronda their new home should check out our property section, where we talk about some of the gotchas that can occur. Forewarned is forearmed.

Why Visit Ronda

A small city perched on a seemingly precarious platform of rock, Ronda is in fact an impregnable fortress only defeated in battle through trickery, and during the reconquest with modern (for the era) rock blasting cannon.

The mountains and valleys of the Serranía de Ronda are home to a tough breed of people, yet in Ronda these people are refined, some are gentry, some gypsies, others are just common folk, but all proudly call themselves Rondeños.

These days the population of Ronda is a little over 35,000 souls; big enough to offer all the essential services, but not big enough to suffer traffic problems or big city woes.

Rondeños have played a pivotal role in shaping Andalucía and modern Spain, and the city has hosted some of the great names of politics, the arts, education, and played her role in military events.

An hour from the Costa del Sol, Ronda is too far away to be heavily influenced by events on the coast, yet still close enough to benefit from the economic strength that tourism brings to Southern Spain. At a height of 723m, Ronda has a cooler year round temperature than the coast, making life in Ronda altogether more agreeable than other Andalucían cities.

Serranía de Ronda

Ronda is the biggest city in northern Malaga province, and the closest city to many of the smaller villages in Cadiz province, making Ronda an ideal base for exploring the Serrania.

Within a few kilometres of Ronda are some of the most visited Pueblos Blancos, the famous white villages of Andalucia, Setenil de las Bodegas, Grazalema, Gaucín, Juzcar, Benalauria, Montejaque, Teba, Cortes de la Frontera, Igualeja, the list goes on...

As well, Ronda is close to three natural parques, the Grazalema park, Alcornocales park, and the Sierra de las Nieves park. The Serranía is also home to pre-historic cave paintings at Benaojan, Neolithic dolmens at Montecorto, and of course, the Roman city of Acinipo.

The countryside of the Serranía is described as unique, in fact universally important. Many endemic species make their home here, including the pre ice age Pinsapa pine tree, and numerous orchids only found on our mountains.