Puente Nuevo is arguably the main attraction in Ronda, and the dramatic reason this town is so visibly recognizable in photos. Called "new bridge" it was actually completed over 200 years ago in 1793, after taking 42 years to build. The bridge spans el Tajo (the ravine) to join the old Moorish town, to the south, and the newer, El Mercadillo part of the city, to the north.
If you are driving through Ronda from the south, as we did, you will inevitably need to drive over this cobblestone-paved bridge to get to most lodging in Ronda. You cannot see much from a vehicle on the bridge, it is best left to an on-foot visit.
According to Wiki, this bridge is 98 meters (321.5 feet) high, and 66 meters (216.5 feet) long. Hence, it is visually stunning and unforgettable. For American examples, it is a good 100' higher than the clearance below the GW Bridge in NYC (which has 213' to the water), or the Golden Gate Bridge in SF (220'). But at the base of this bridge is a sizable waterfall cliff, so the ravine floor is even farther beneath the foundation of Puente Nuevo!
I have never had a fear of heights, but after driving through the nearby mountains the day before, with speeding Spanish drivers passing us on twisty cliffside roads, at 90 MPH (and more), something happened to me, and I totally freaked out about the view from Puente Nuevo! The view is extremely dramatic, and while they have iron gates on the bridge to keep you safe, and high-ish railings at the nearby lookouts, it is still a very long way down to the rocky floor!
We didn't have the time, but you can walk down into the gorge along the Camino de los Molinos. In Spring the whole valley floor is in bloom with flowers.
There is a chamber in the center arch of the bridge, that was used as a prison during the Spanish civil war. Both sides used the prison as a torture chamber for POWs, killing some by throwing them out into the Tajo. (Similar anecdotes are written about in Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls.") The chamber can be accessed through the former guard house, but it now hosts an exhibition about the bridge's history.
There was a previous bridge on this site, single arch design, by architects Jose Garcia and Juan Camacho, but it was poorly built, and in 1741 it collapsed, killing 50 people.
Puente Nuevo is definitely a bucket list must-see type of place. There is so much rich history in Ronda, you can easily spend a week there, and still not do everything. Ronda also has amazing tapas restaurants, and great hotels. I could not recommend this place more! Put it at the top of your list for upcoming vacations! read more