We have to admit we knew little about Ronda before our trip. Yes, mention of ancient bull rings and the inspiration of Hemingway lingered somewhere in the subconscious, but we were ill prepared for the sheer beauty of this wonderful town.
The Parador is sited right in the middle of the town close to the Punte Nuevo (new bridge), beside the spectacular drop into the 100m+ gorge on which this ancient fortified town was built. The hotel makes a fine base for visiting the old town, with its narrow streets, shady courtyards, and truly beautiful churches and abbeys. The Spanish somehow manage to maintain their civic areas so well. The people own the streets wherever you travel, from Seville to Madrid, and the warm evenings are spent walking the streets with the locals of all ages.
The inside of the hotel is well appointed in a fresh, modern style, with good open areas and service--particularly in the restaurant, at above-average standards for southern Europe. The rooms were very clean and well appointed. All the nice touches are here: large and spotless bathrooms, lots of nice complimentary smellies, and a balcony view over the gorge to die for (as many have sadly over the years, the most recent being an enthusiastic tourist reaching too far for the ideal holiday snapshot!).
The regional fare in the restaurant gave us plenty to choose from. After a trip through the bull ring, I had to try the bull''s tail washed down with a nice heavy Rioja . . . mmm.
Before we left, Mrs O and I took a ride in a horse-drawn carriage from the bull ring (well worth a visit, cited as the inspiration for Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon), allowing us time to learn more from the driver about the history of the town, stopping to pop into different churches and abbeys. I guess we usually avoid the "touristic," but this was well worth the time and cash (circa £12). What followed was an Imelda-like orgy of the first order as Mrs O filled her bags and my credit card buying shoes in a local emporium . . . well they were bargains, weren’t they?.