# An autumn weekend in Ronda and the Genal Copper Forest Two nights in Ronda to walk the chestnut groves of the Genal valley as they turn copper, see the Tajo unhurried and eat at the city's tables. An hour and a half from Málaga. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/ronda/itineraries/ronda-genal-copper-forest-autumn · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Ronda From late October to early December, the Genal valley, south of Ronda, turns copper: thousands of chestnut trees change colour at once on the slopes of a dozen white villages. It is Andalusia's great autumn landscape, and it is best seen by sleeping in Ronda: you set out early for the valley before the narrow roads fill up, come back to the city for lunch and have Sunday left for the Tajo, its palaces and its tables. ## Where to sleep AccommodationWhereFor whom Parador de RondaPlaza de España, on the edge of the gorgeTo see the Puente Nuevo from your room Hotel MontelirioCalle Tenorio, in La Ciudad, beside the gorgeCouples: a stately house with a restaurant and parking by reservation Camping El Sur1.5 km from the old town, among olive treesMotorhomes, tents and apartments ## If you want more Genal Swap Sunday for another morning in the valley, further down: Faraján, Alpandeire and Benadalid, on even narrower roads. Or, on the way to Seville or Cádiz, the Cueva de la Pileta, with Palaeolithic paintings seen by torchlight: book by phone. ## El plan ### Friday · 19:00 · Arrival and a walk along the gorge Leave the car, cross the Puente Nuevo and look out from the Alameda del Tajo viewpoints at night. ### Saturday · 9:00 · The Genal Copper Forest Via the A-397 towards San Pedro and the roads of the villages of the upper Genal: the source of the Genal and the Caleras trail in Igualeja, the Pujerra chestnut grove, the chestnut village, and Júzcar on the way back. Half a day by car, with short walks. ### Saturday · 14:00 · Lunch at Tragatá Benito Gómez's tapas bar on Calle Nueva, next to the Puente Nuevo. A sitting with a reservation. ### Saturday · 17:00 · Casa del Rey Moro The Nasrid staircase cut into the rock goes down to the Guadalevín river: the most physical thing in Ronda. Tickets at the ticket office only. ### Saturday · 21:00 · Special dinner If it is an occasion, Bardal, with two Michelin stars: open Tuesday to Saturday and booked well in advance. ### Sunday · 10:00 · Puente Nuevo and Palacio de Mondragón With the €12 municipal pass: the interpretation centre under the bridge arch and the palace with Mudéjar courtyards and a garden above the gorge. ### Sunday · 13:30 · Lunch and the drive back Traditional Ronda cooking at Pedro Romero, facing the bullring, since 1974. You set off home in mid-afternoon. ## Un consejo más Ask at the Ronda tourist office how the colour is that week: the copper arrives on a different date each year. ## Cuándo no ir If bends make you carsick: the Genal roads are narrow and winding. Stay in Ronda and see the valley from the viewpoints. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### When is the Copper Forest? From late October to early December. November is usually the best moment, but it changes every year. ### How far is the Genal from Ronda? The first villages, such as Júzcar or Igualeja, are less than an hour away via the A-397 and mountain roads. ### Do I have to pay to see the Copper Forest? No. It is seen from the villages, the viewpoints and the waymarked trails; the chestnut groves are private estates. ### Is it a good plan with children? Yes, with short walks in the valley and the Puente Nuevo. The Casa del Rey Moro has many steps. ## Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Parador de Ronda**: The Parador de Ronda occupies the former buildings of the town hall and the market, on plaza de España, on the Mercadillo side, with the Puente Nuevo right up against one of its sides. It opened in 1994 and keeps the façade of the old Casa Consistorial, with its arcades, cornices and clock. At the back, the building looks out over the gorge, which according to Paradores is 120 metres deep here: hence the hotel presents itself as a viewpoint. A balcony over the gorge What sets this hotel apart from the others in the centre is its position. The terrace and the pool look over the gorge and the sierra, and the Puente Nuevo is a few steps from the door; the chamber of its central arch and the way down to the Arab Baths are done on foot. On the other side of the square starts the Alameda viewpoint promenade, which follows the edge of the cliff. For dinner without taking the car, Bardal and Tragatá are on the streets behind. Inside, the decor is brightly coloured and the Parador displays a collection of bullfighting art with more than a hundred works, from Romanticism and Goya-style to abstraction and pop. Doubles, superiors and duplexes There are three room types: standard double, superior double and duplex. All have air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with Chromecast, minibar, a safe for a laptop, hairdryer and free wifi; there is a lift, room service, breakfast in the room and laundry. Prices change with the date and appear in the Paradores calendar, with room-only, bed-and-breakfast or half-board rates, and a cheaper non-refundable rate. If you want to see the gorge from your bed, expressly ask for a room with views when booking. A big table or raciones The restaurant serves Andalusian and Mediterranean cooking, with dishes from the serranía. Next door, El Manzel de Ronda is a space with a more informal menu and sharing raciones from the Málaga districts, useful for a light dinner after a day of sightseeing. Car, garage and arrival The Parador has a paid garage and an electric car charging point, something to be thankful for in the centre of Ronda: the streets of the Mercadillo have restricted traffic and parking is difficult. Paradores places Ronda 118 km from Málaga. From the train or bus station it is about fifteen minutes' walk to plaza de España. The pool is outdoor and seasonal; the dates are not published on the page, so ask if you are travelling in spring or autumn. For travelling with a dog, Paradores refers to the conditions in its frequently asked questions: confirm before booking. - **Hotel Montelirio**, desde 104 € / night: The house A stately house in La Ciudad, at number 8 calle Tenorio, about a hundred metres from the Puente Nuevo and overlooking the gorge. The hotel presents itself as "a dream over the Ronda gorge": from some rooms and from the restaurant you can see the ravine and the valley, views that few buildings in the centre of Ronda have. There is wifi throughout the hotel. The bullring is about 400 metres away, the Alameda del Tajo 500 and calle de la Bola, the shopping area, 350. The bus station is about 900 metres away. The rooms There are four types, all with air conditioning, television, safe, free wifi and cable, parquet floors and a bathroom with bath and shower, bidet and hairdryer. The prices on the website are "from" prices and change with the date: Double without views (18 m², from €104 a night): 16th-century-style decor and Ronda wrought-iron balconies that face the historic centre, not the gorge. Double with views (18 m², from €159): the same, but looking over the gorge and the valley. Superior double with views, the Marrakech room (from €171): themed on Al-Andalus, with a 200 cm four-poster bed. Junior suite with river views (36 m², from €200): 17th-century furniture, a balcony over the gorge and room for a sofa bed and an extra bed, up to four people. In some doubles an extra bed can be added for €33 a night. If you come to Ronda for the views, it is worth paying the difference: the basic doubles do not have them. The restaurant Albacara is at the foot of the Puente Nuevo and has its own telephone, 952 16 11 84. It serves Mediterranean cooking between tradition and avant-garde, with Ronda produce, and is in the Michelin Guide. Among its specialities, the house cites the little meatballs of carabinero prawns with cockle sauce, the foie mi-cuit with pistachio quince and Ronda wine reduction, the roast suckling pig and the salt-baked sea bass. In 2026 it closed from 7 January to 1 March, so in winter it is advisable to confirm. Getting there and parking You cannot stop in front of the hotel. On arrival, go to calle Tenorio, 16, where there is room to stop for a moment, unload the luggage and go into the hotel: there they explain the parking options. The private car park must be booked beforehand; booking on its website gives you priority in space allocation. - **Camping El Sur**, desde 15 € / pitch: El Sur is a family campsite with twenty-five years of history at kilometre 1.5 of the Ronda to Algeciras road, the A-369, on the southern exit of the city. You reach it from the ring road without crossing the centre, and the old town is a kilometre's walk away. It is a cheap, quiet alternative to the hotels of the Mercadillo for anyone travelling by car, by van, with a tent or with children. One hundred and twenty-four pitches among olive trees The campsite has 124 pitches of 70 to 100 m², with shade and electricity hook-up, spread along asphalted lanes among olive trees, centuries-old holm oaks and almond trees. There are two toilet blocks with free hot showers and an adapted facility, sinks and laundry sinks with hot water, a service station for caravans and motorhomes, a laundry, a minimarket, left-luggage, a safe, wifi throughout the site and an electric car charging point. The published rate per night is €15 for a pitch with a car and tent or €25 with a caravan or motorhome, plus €6 per adult, €5 per child, €6 for electricity and €1.80 per dog. The campsite warns that the price changes with the season, and at Easter, the Ronda Fair and the 101 km you must ask beforehand. Studios, apartments and a little wooden house For those without a tent there are built accommodations, of current design. Two 25 m² studios for two people, one with a double bed and the other with two beds; a 50 m² apartment for four, with two bedrooms and a living room-kitchen; and a little wooden house for two with a living room and bedroom. All have an open-plan kitchen with utensils, a bathroom with shower, a furnished terrace, bed linen and towels, wifi, television, microwave, air conditioning, heating and the car parked alongside. They cost from €80 for the two-person one, €100 for the three-person one and €140 for the four-person one. Animals are not admitted in the apartments. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out before 12:00; going over the time is charged as an extra night. The campsite asks for payment seven days before arrival and warns that all payments are non-refundable. Pool in summer, restaurant since 1992 The pool is open from 1 June to 30 September. For children there is a playground, table tennis, giant chess, minigolf and a basketball hoop. The restaurant, open since 1992, has a mesón-bar, two dining rooms and a large terrace, with a menu of tapas, raciones and set menus in four languages. Its website announces the bar restaurant opening on 9 April, so in winter it may be closed: confirm it if you are counting on it. On foot to the Puente Nuevo The kilometre to the old town is uphill on the way there. From there you reach the Puente Nuevo and go down to the Arab Baths. For dinner in the centre, the bar at Tragatá opens every day. In autumn, the same A-369 continues to the Genal valley and its copper forest.