Ronda, a city on both sides of a gorge.

Ronda is split in two by the gorge of the Guadalevín river, a drop of nearly a hundred metres beneath the bridge. On one side lies La Ciudad, the old town of Andalusi origin; on the other, the Mercadillo, the town that grew from the 15th century, with the bullring and the shops. The Puente Nuevo, finished in 1793, joins them. It is the city of the Serranía de Ronda and one of the most requested day trips in Andalucía, so it helps to know how to do it without queues.

How do you get to Ronda from Málaga, Seville or Cádiz?

By car. From Málaga it is about 100 km and an hour and a half: along the A-357 towards Cártama and Ardales and then the A-367 via Cuevas del Becerro. The alternative along the coast, the A-397 from San Pedro de Alcántara, has bends all the way up. From Seville it is about 130 km and a little under two hours, via Utrera and Morón and the A-374. From Cádiz or Jerez it takes about two hours, via Arcos and the sierra or via Algodonales. Córdoba and Granada are more than two hours away: from them, Ronda needs a night.

Without a car, Ronda has a railway station, on the Algeciras line, and a bus station with services from Málaga and Seville. Check the timetables with Renfe and at the station before relying on them, because on a Sunday there are few departures.

Where to park?

In the Mercadillo. La Ciudad has narrow streets, slopes and access restricted to residents, and it is not worth driving in. The underground car park at the Plaza del Socorro is open 24 hours and is five minutes from the bridge. If you sleep at the Parador you have a paid garage; at the Hotel Montelirio, private parking that you reserve in advance. From Málaga, come in by the ring road and go down towards the centre without crossing La Ciudad.

How much time do you need?

One day covers the essentials: the bridge, a walk round La Ciudad with the municipal pass, the bullring and the Mercadillo viewpoints at sunset. The municipal pass costs €12 (€9 for students under 26, pensioners and large families, and free for under-14s) and opens five monuments: the Puente Nuevo interpretation centre, the Casa del Gigante, the Arab Baths, the Palacio de Mondragón and the Museo Joaquín Peinado. The Casa del Rey Moro and the bullring are paid separately.

With a night, Ronda changes. The groups that come up from the coast leave by mid-afternoon and the city falls quiet. The next day you have time for the Cueva de la Pileta, with Palaeolithic paintings seen by torchlight, a tasting at a winery or onward to Setenil de las Bodegas, about 20 minutes away.

What to see in a day?

A circuit in this order avoids extra climbs:

1. Puente Nuevo and its chamber, first thing.
2. La Ciudad: Palacio de Mondragón and Casa del Gigante.
3. Go down to the Arab Baths, along the Cuesta de Santo Domingo, and on the way go into the Casa del Rey Moro to go down the Mine to the river. It is the most physical part of the day.
4. Lunch in the Mercadillo.
5. Bullring after lunch: it is open until 18:00 in winter and until 20:00 from April to September.
6. Alameda del Tajo and Paseo de Blas Infante at sunset.

On Sundays the Arab Baths close at 15:00: put them in the morning.

When to go?

In spring, from March to May, and in autumn, from October to November. The countryside of the serranía is green, the temperature is good for walking and there are fewer people than in summer. In July and August midday often tops 35 degrees and the bridge fills with excursions. In winter it is mountain cold, sometimes with fog in the gorge, but the monuments are open and the city is quiet. If you go at the weekend, arrive before 10:00.

Where to eat?

For a Sunday, Tragatá is open every day, at lunch and in the evening: sharing dishes from Benito Gómez, the chef of Bardal, which has two Michelin stars but closes on Sundays and Mondays. The Restaurante Pedro Romero, opened in 1974 opposite the bullring, is the classic restaurant. Book at all three: Ronda fills up at midday.