Ronda

While in Cadiz I decided to take a one day trip to a town my Danish friend told me about: Ronda. Ronda is about 3 hours away by bus and well worth a short overnight trip. Ronda is filled with history, typical Andalucian culture, and scenic views.


This will be the first time I'll be at some altitude in Spain as all the other cities I've visited have been at or near sea level. I got a recommendation to stay at a great hostel just outside Ronda which had great hikes, mtn biking, and a country-like atmosphere. Unfortunately the entire hostel was booked by a group of Germans so no go. I'm sure it was a great place. Instead I stayed at a cheap hostel in town with every other tourist in the world. For it being difficult to get to, Ronda was invaded by turistas! I quickly saw all the major sites without being too wowed then waited till later in the afternoon to take the hike


down to the main attraction...the new bridge (or puente nuevo). This new bridge separated (and in a way still separates) 3 neighborhoods in Ronda. This type of separation is very common in Spain. It seems like every region you go to, they speak a different dialect and are pushing to be their own country. Anyway, it is a majestic hike down and most people usually stop far enough to take a few good pictures, however you can keep going down further until you get to the mouth of the waterfalls. I went just past the crowds and climbed on top of one of the massive rocks overlooking the


bridge and slept off my slight hangover from the night before as I listened to the waterfalls and the sound of nothing. Surprisingly there weren't a lot of people around so I really had it all to myself...score! In a way this was the solitude I was looking for in Ronda and I got it for a few hours. My hostel's WiFi was terrible so I had to find another area with free WiFi. McDonald's to the rescue...again. I ordered a McFlurry and sat there for a few hours planning my trip back to Cadiz and Skyping. McDonald's is just as popular in Spain as it is in the US but the ones I've been to here are much nicer. Just like that I booked a bus to Cadiz and a few hours later I was on my way back to the beach for the weekend. Cadiz summary coming up next...