The Serranía de Ronda is a marvellous place to walk, with grades from easy to challenging, and many suitable for all fitness levels. Some of our favourite walks take in spectacular scenery, or pass by historical monuments, or if nature is what you want to see, will allow you to explore the flora and fauna of the district. The Ronda mountains are amongst the most popular in Spain for British walkers, and several companies have regularly scheduled walking holidays that spend a few days passing through.
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 to the Virgen de la Cabeza Cave Church easy to do and it 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‘.
In 2010, Michelle Obama, the wife of President Barrack Obama, and First Lady of the United States visited Ronda as part of a 5 day holiday in Spain, and Ronda Today is proud to provide her complete itinerary.
Arriving in Ronda, Mrs Obama first enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the Casco Antiguo, Ronda’s old Moorish city, where she visited the Casa Don Bosco and admired their view of the Puente Nuevo, Ronda’s most iconic monument.
The Ronda-Pilar de Coca loop (PR-A 71) is a wonderful walk for exercise junkies and visitors to Ronda alike, it’s a circular route that takes us about 9km out of Ronda, past vineyards, oak groves, an old aqueduct that supplied Ronda with water, the Pilar de Coca spring, and finally the mountains of the Sierra de las Nieves and the Serranía de Ronda.
“I took a stroll out of Ronda this evening, and was going to follow both parts of the Virgen de la Cabeza walk. Unfortunately the path for the start of part two is now blocked. There’s a fairly official looking sign and the gate is well and truly locked. “
Thanks Julian for the update what a shame this path is closed.
To complete this walk you need to of average fitness. This walk is not suitable for people with heart conditions as the ascent at the end is steep.
Almost every keen walker who visits Ronda also walks to the Virgen de la Cabeza cave church across the valley from the Puente Nuevo, but most then turn back and return the way they came, yet the walk through the valley below is fantastic and for those game to try it should be a must do activity.
The walk to the Tajo del Abanico, named for the cave that looks like a fan (abanico), is a gentle walk measuring about 4.5km 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 in the spring and summer. (very hot in the summer months) Continue reading Walk from Ronda, Tajo del Abanico→
Planning on visiting Ronda, Spain? English tourist Information – Hotel booking – Activities – Events . Guided tours in Ronda, Spain
