Hiking in Ronda: Discover Stunning Trails and Scenic Views august 21, 2024 – Posted in: Spain, Travel – Tags: Andalusia, Hiking, Hiking Trails, Holiday, Ronda, Spain, Vacation

Great Hiking Trails in Ronda

Most tourists come to Ronda to see the stunning Puente Nuevo bridge and the magnificent views of the valley and surrounding mountains. However, this charming mountain town offers a wealth of hiking trails for both beginners and experienced hikers, making Ronda an ideal destination for a hiking holiday.

We visited Ronda in March 2023, when the temperatures were perfect for hiking. As beginners in the wonderful world of hiking, the trails we describe here are accessible to everyone. Although the trails are not particularly challenging, keep in mind that we love to walk and often cover 20 km. However, all of these routes can be shortened, lengthened, and adjusted in difficulty as you wish.

But enough about us – let’s go hiking!

3 Wonderful Hikes in Ronda

From Ronda, you can walk several stages of the Gran Senda, the extensive hiking trail system originating from Malaga. There are many more trails beyond those we managed to walk.

We enjoyed hiking in Ronda’s beautiful landscape so much that we definitely plan to return. This article will be updated in the future with additional hiking routes. We particularly wanted to see the Roman road at Tajo del Abanico, but that will have to be another time.

Instead, we had three other hikes, all starting from Ronda:

• Molinas de Tajo: A hike down into the valley and west around Ronda
• GR 141 – Stage 1: A hike in the mountains from Ronda to Jimera de Líbar
• A city walk in Ronda inside and outside the city walls

Below you can read about our experiences with these different hiking routes.

AllTrails

We would never have discovered these wonderful hikes without the help of AllTrails. The hiking app is easy to install on your phone and lets you find even the smallest trails known only to locals.

In the past, we used to struggle with figuring out if a path would lead to a dead end, but we now greatly enjoy using the app on our new adventures. It’s free to sign up for the first 7 days, after which it costs about $40 per year. We don’t get paid to recommend it, but we really like AllTrails!

3 Wonderful Hikes in Ronda

Molinas de Tajo

Ronda’s famous landmark, the Puente Nuevo bridge, is itself a magnificent masterpiece that many want to photograph. Most tourists are content with capturing the bridge from the viewpoint just below Plaza de María Auxiliadora. However, if you follow the small path further, you’ll embark on a beautiful hike down into the valley beneath Ronda.

This hike, called Molinas de Tajo, goes west around Ronda. You can find the route on AllTrails here: Molinas de Tajo. The first thing you encounter is the old Arab city walls, the Albacar walls, with a small city gate still standing. From here, the path splits, where you should head towards Los Molinos, the water mills, and follow GR 141 and GR 249.

We have promised several times to reveal exactly where we took the picture you see here on the left. It’s a bit further down the road. There’s a path you can follow to another viewpoint where the picture was taken. At the very bottom, one of the water mills is located, which is also a good photo spot.

The hike ends at the northern edge of Ronda. When the path at the top turns into the Dehesa del Mercadillo park, you can walk along the edge and enjoy the beautiful view.

Recommendation

If you get tired of the crowds at Puente Nuevo, Molinas de Tajo is a delightful 6 km walk. In the valley, you’ll experience tranquility, flowing water, and bird songs for most of the way. The hike can be done by most people, even in regular sneakers. However, expect steep ascents and descents from and to Ronda. Even in March, it’s a warm hike, so remember to bring water. There are no kiosks or toilets along the route.

GR 141 – Stage 1: Ronda – Jimera de Líbar

Having warmed up with a shorter walk around Ronda, we ventured the next day into another section of the Gran Senda hiking trail that starts in Malaga. We tackled GR 141 – Stage 1, also known as GR 249 – Stage 24 and Stage 25. The route goes from Ronda to Jimera de Líbar via Benaoján, both small station towns with trains to Ronda. Note that the train station in Benaoján is quite far down the mountain from the town itself.

From Ronda to Benaoján

We emphasize that we are still beginners in hiking, and when you read the next part, you’ll understand why. The journey started quite well. The route from Ronda to Benaoján is indescribably beautiful, first following the train tracks before moving up the mountain. You can wave to Ronda, which is far behind on the horizon. From here, it descends to Benaoján, where we found a small bar, El Encuentro.

From Benaoján to Jimera de Líbar

Even though we already had about 15 km in our legs and had done a lot of mountain hiking, we decided after a little refreshment that we could easily continue to Jimera de Líbar – 10 km and even more mountains away. Experienced hikers might have completed the last part of the trip quickly or checked once more if the energy was still there. We did not. The last five km were, though incredibly beautiful, quite tough.

We recommend splitting the trip over two days and perhaps taking the train out and walking back. The train doesn’t run very frequently, and this way, you avoid waiting at the station.

Recommendation

Even though you can find both food and drinks in Benaoján, make sure to bring plenty of food and water for the journey. The route involves steep ascents and descents, so remember hiking shoes and preferably a trekking pole. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places to rest your legs along the way, so also bring a sitting pad.

A City Walk in Ronda

The next day, with sore legs, and although there are many other wonderful hiking routes in the area, we decided to take a rest day. We went on a walk around the city, which took us to many of Ronda’s major attractions, which you can also read about here: Attractions in Ronda.

Our walk is more or less similar to the one you can see here on AllTrails: Puente Nuevo – Murallas de Ronda. In our search for good restaurants in Ronda, we had already seen large parts of the new town, so we focused on La Ciudad and the entire old Arabic town area.

On the map, it doesn’t look like much, but there are many smooth steps to climb. East of the old city wall, you are back in the beautiful landscape surrounding Ronda. And if you’re tempted to hike even further, there are plenty of new and exciting trails on AllTrails!

More Tips for Your Holiday in Ronda

Find a Good Hotel in Ronda

Where should you stay when in Ronda? At the lovely Parador de Ronda hotel – right by the gorge and Puente Nuevo, of course! But there are other options as well, though it’s a grand experience to draw the curtains and gaze out at the sunrise over the mountain peaks. Or how about swimming in the hotel’s pool, with a view of the gorge?

From the outside, the hotel, which by the way is the city’s former town hall, looks like a classic Spanish holiday hotel, but inside everything is new and beautiful. We stayed in a room with a view directly of Puente Nuevo. We expected a lot of noise from the bridge, but when the last bus with day-trippers leaves, the only sound is the evening birdsong over the city’s rooftops.

Breakfast deserves its own story. There’s no automatic coffee machine in the large breakfast buffet here. Instead, you get really good, strong coffee, served at your table in the most beautiful silver pot. Meanwhile, you can tell the waiter whether you prefer your eggs fried or scrambled – and he’ll bring them to you, freshly made!

Read more about the hotel here: Parador de Ronda and see all the other hotels in Ronda by clicking here. You can also do your own search for hotels in Ronda right here:

Booking.com