Cool piece of history. The measure is full of memorabilia…read more I bought the tickets in advance but I would buy them there. There was no wait times.

Ronda is considered one of the cradles of modern bullfighting, which emerged in the 18th century…read more Territorial defense requirements led Felipe II in 1572 to establish the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda (Royal Riding School) where people could learn how to handle horses. With this in mind, this institution prepared a venue in the city of equestrian exercises that included games involving skill with bulls, which as had been traditional in Spain since the Middle Ages. We went inside the museum gift store and they had great quality souvenirs in here. The prices were not bad for a tourist spot. Inside the Plaza de Toros de Ronda you can visit the Bullfighting Museum, the Royal Saddlery of the Casa de Orleans and a Collection of antique firearms.

At the time of this review, Sierra de las Nieves ("range of the snows") is about to become a…read moreNational Park (it became a Natural Park in 1989). In 1995, it became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. We drove along the western border of the park, on our way from Marbella to Ronda. The views are breathtaking, and I got to see a lot of what my research on the park described of its terrain. Here is a summary about the park, from my research of various sources: The park surrounds the Sierra de las Nieves mountain range in the Málaga province, in Andalucia. La Torrecilla (1,919 m) is the highest point in the range. It also hosts one of the deepest shafts in Europe (named "GESM"). Lots of limestone in this region gives the park white cliffs, spotted with reddish iron deposits. Sierra de las Nieves has numerous caves, the most well-known are Hoyos del Pilar, Hoyos de Lifa, and Cuevas del Moro. Apparently, the name of the Park came from its snowy peaks, which used to be more plentiful than in our current (warmer) global climate. Back when, the locals stored the snow in "snowfields" and carted it down to the local towns for water. The park harbors Spanish fir forests, and the Mediterranean spruce, that dates to the glacial period in Iberia. One is 500yo, named the Escalereta, a Natural Monument. The forests also contain oaks, cork trees, wild olive trees, ash trees, junipers, carob trees and chestnut trees. **Local black pigs survive on acorns from these trees, and their cured ham (pata negra) is a local delicacy. Fauna here are typical of southern Spain, and include mountain goats, muflons, meloncillo (a kind of mongoose), roe deer, and otters. This is a destination for bird watching tours, with Griffin vultures, golden eagles, eagle owls, royal owls, goshawks and hawks. This pristine park has never been inhabited except for a smattering of villages, hence it is very unspoiled terrain. Camping is no longer permitted in the park. Park activities include, hiking, bird watching, mountain biking (with tours such as Monda-Istán), mountain climbing, and horseback-riding.

Large, beautiful park in Marbella. It runs along a huge boulevard (Avda. Ramón y Cajal), is near a…read moretourism office, and abuts the boundary of the old town, so it is hard to miss. Alameda (sometimes written Alhameda) has a very late-19thC/early-20thC look to it. There are botanical gardens in the park (another mania of the era mentioned). This made sense when I read the history of the park, which dates to the 18thC, but had a major rehaul in the late 19thC, to give it its present look. During the reno, they got rid of former attractions, like a pond, a niche for the Christ of the Alameda, and the Cross of the Mentidero. The foliage in this park is really lush, with a lot of banana palms, rubber plants, Ficus Pandurata, and sandy pines. Tons of places to sit and people-watch. There are gorgeous tiled areas in the squares formed within the grid of the park, and then sandy-gravely walking paths to ramble from point to point. Many benches are concrete forms, clad in hand-painted tiles, in an Andalusian style. The Fuente Virgen del Rocio, shown in my photo, is in the center of the park, and is the pièce de résistance, however, I thought watching people go by, particularly school groups of Spanish kids touring, was the most fun. There are a bunch of cafes surrounding the park, many were extremely cheesy and touristy, but some had a lot of Spanish locals eating there, and appeared to be good for authentic tapas.

Beautiful just beautiful…read more Take the trail down to see the bridge from to bottom. Lots of nice restaurants around with great views.

The Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) is the most emblematic monument of the Malaga city of Ronda…read more Built between 1751 and 1793, until 1839 it was the highest bridge in the world with a height of 98 meters (about 300 feet). It unites the historic and modern areas of the city by crossing the Ronda tajo, a gorge excavated by the Guadalevín River. The Puente Nuevo constitutes, together with the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, the symbol and soul of the city. That is why it has been declared a Natural Monument of Andalusia in April 2019. We walked across it and also down the gorge to take some of the most iconic pictures of the bridge. The trek is tough with a steep uphill, but worth every minute.

We were taking a walking tour of Ronda, just us and a map our guide gave us. It was fun to discover…read moresights (and there are so many beautiful ones in Ronda) step by step, following the map, the road or stumbling into things and be amazed by its majestic sight. And Arco de Felipe V is like that! It might be nothing "special" for locals, but seeing it while walking around it's a treat. The views around are amazing! Exquisite, simple, standing there against time! Nice texture and architecture! If you walk around Ronda (and there are many things to see), put the Old Arch de Felipe V on your list. Not a long walk, bring water along. The only complaint? I wish we had more time to admire the sights! It's never enough in a pretty place like Ronda!

This lookout point is at the top of the main trail that takes you down the gorge, where you can…read moretake the famous Ronda's Puente Nuevo pictures. The hike is not easy...there is a Desfiladero lookout about a third down, that charges to get and to look at the bridge, but the best view of the full bridge and the waterfall is about 2/3 more of a hike downhill, where you can see the whole view for FREE. Wear comfortable shoes that have a good hiking sole. It's paved, but still, it is not easy on your feet.

Beautiful plaza (like everything else in Ronda) that you'll pass through on your way to Puente…read moreNuevo. It can get crowded, I was lucky enough to witness a cool flamenco festival the day I visited the area so having a lot of people around wasn't an issue, it made the place more fun and memorable. Also, regular traffic - cars, etc couldn't pass, it was a road closure for the event, so it was great, very pedestrian friendly. Plaza de Espana is a cool spot in Ronda, on the newer side (even if this area is far from being new, still full of history), you can see the cool cliffs from here, outstanding views. It takes your breath away!

Amazing view. Come here for the bridge. Both side show a view into the valley across the land…read more Would recommend everyone to visit ronda to see this. Tour the town as well, the oldest bull fighting arena is located here. Buy a few bottle of wines, drink it along the way or enjoy it in the park.

Beautiful square in Marbella's old town. The name comes from 1941, when the town removed the palm…read moretrees that used to populate this square, and planted orange trees (prior to the palms, there had been chestnut trees). This is one of the most well-known spots along the Costa del Sol. Beautiful place to sit and enjoy the breathtaking architecture and horticulture. Public benches surround the inner part of the square, with cafes along the perimeter. Interesting aesthetic details are all over the place, even the pebble mosaics on the paved ground. Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square) is in a walkable zone, so do not try to drive to it. Best to park in a nearby garage and walk through the old town to get there. Worth the walk and the parking fee just to see this lovely square... and the adjacent Plaza De la Iglesia, a very short walk away.