A picturesque bridge and a town built under cliffs, Ronda and Setenil are truly unique.
When one has a rental car in southern Spain, they must get distracted along the way. One of the many reasons I got a rental car in Spain was to explore the countryside and all those smaller towns that are harder to reach by public transportation. I was heading to Granada from Gibraltar. Instead of taking the fastest way along the coast, I took a detour instead. I was not disappointed.
Ronda is a city divided in two. The city is perched on a raised, almost mesa like feature divided into two by the Guadalevín River. Three bridges of different eras connect the two sides of the city. Ronda is hard to explain but you probably have seen Ronda before.
This bridge has been featured in many a desktop wallpaper.
The Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) spans a 120 m (390 ft) deep chasm in which the Guadalevín River flows. The bridge was finished in 1793, taking 34 years to build.
This very impressive bridge connects the old Moorish town with the 15th century “New Town.”
Before the Puente Nuevo was constructed, villagers had walk downhill, cross a smaller bridge, and then go back up. Getting to the Puente Viejo (Old Bridge) required several tight turns and steep slopes. That must have been annoying to deal with.
The Puente Viejo from the Puente Nuevo, which is also perched above the chasm.
The first turn in old town.
Navigating that on a downhill must have been a pain.
A super tight turn right here.
Still a ways downhill to get to the bridge.
This street is not easy to navigate with wheels.
That’s quite a chasm to have in the middle of your town.
Finally across the bridge.
The Puente Romano (a.k.a. Puente Arabe) has Ancient Roman foundations and was rebuilt during the Moorish period.
Imagine trying to steer a carriage going down this street.
Ronda is super cute.
There was a bunch of peacocks roaming about for some reason.
Definitely cute.
Bottom of the chasm now. That’s the Puente Viejo.
Also cute down here.
At the bottom of the chasm by the Puente Romano are the ruins of a Moorish bathhouse.
A cold room with a plunge pool.
Warm room.
There is so much more to Ronda, but we must move on to Setenil, technically Setenil de las Bodegas. Setenil is another Spanish town featuring a gorge, but the villagers of Setenil built into the cliffs making a very unique town.
Who needs a roof when you can have a cliff covering your house?
Reminds me of the cliff houses of the American Southwest.
Now this town is getting adorable.
A narrow river passes through the middle of town. Cliff houses can be found on either side.
The Cuevas de la Sombra (Caves of the Shade). I swear this isn’t Photoshoped.
The Cuevas del Sol (Caves of the Sun).
I’m not sure why they chose to build buildings down here but it sure is cool.
Such a neat town.
Ronda and Setenil are located in a gorgeous mountainous area of Spain. There are so many other little towns in the area to explore as well. I wish I had the time to stay longer.
Check out my next update where I will be exploring the fantastic city of Granada!
or
Start at the beginning of my travels around Spain!
