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| View comments | Add comments | E-mail this to a friend | Print this article |   Page  [1]  2  >>   Ronda - A small town with a very big gorge! Text by Eugene Khoo Photos by Eugene Khoo and Jeffrey Chok Puerto Nuevo © Jeffrey Chok Welcome to Ronda! It's not often that in the middle of a rugged mountain range and right on top of a very deep gorge that you find a lovely little town. The name of this town is Ronda. After too much sun and surf along Costa del Sol, we head up to Ronda. We brave the onslaught of F1 drivers, erm, I mean Spanish drivers through the winding mountain road. We drive up a provincial road A-369 that skirts the Serranía de Ronda which leads us through many quaint mountainside villages. It wasn't an easy drive but the views are just spectacular. This road also passes Jimena which boasts a hilltop castle, the Castello Fortulezza and more demanding driving skills to get there. After a short stop, it was onwards to Ronda. We pull into Ronda late morning on a crowded Friday and it was packed with tourists and people. After getting a short congested road tour of the town, we managed to find a parking spot before our patience and energy were all gone as the narrow roads and traffic made tempers flare. Ronda's claim to fame is it's dividing gorge so we head there first. The cliff is called "El Tajo" and the magnificent bridge that spans the gorge is called the "Puente Nuevo". The bridge was build in the 18th century and I think it is one impressive feat of engineering at that time to span such a gorge. The architect was José Martin de Aldehuela. And that's a very deep gorge mind you. The town of Ronda is a good example of a Pueblo Blanco or white villages. This is a traditional Andalucian style as the white color is supposed to ward of evil as well as reflecting the sunlight, keeping the homes cool in summer. It's location on the outcrop made it impervious to the Christian armies during the reconquest. In fact, Ronda held out until nearly the end. Of course this outcrop of rock is split by it's famous gorge which also divides Modern Ronda also called El Mercadillo and the Old part of Ronda. As time was short, we didn't make our way down the side of the gorge. Yes, there really is a way down the gorge and if you have time, you should attempt to walk down. It'll probably give you a better angle to photograph the "Puente Nuevo". Parador de Tourismo at Ronda © Eugene Khoo Located in the new part of Ronda is the Plaza de España. This is also the site of the Parador which boasts of the spectacular walkway along the gorge with splendid views of the countryside far, far below. It's a pity we didn't have time to spend a night here but if it was any consolation for us, the Parador was fully occupied. Along this way is the "Mirador" with it's flowers and open space. Fortunately it was early spring for us and the flowers were blooming, adding their color to the already vibrant scene. There's much to see in Ronda and only so much time for us. Not having a proper guide to Ronda meant that we spent quite a while trekking around looking for a particular place. The old part of Ronda or "La Ciudad" is equally interesting with houses and buildings retaining the original style of appearance. We walked over to the Ayumiento or Town hall and the Cathedral. The town hall itself is surrounded by flower beds and fruiting orange trees. Just adjacent is the Cathedral which was built on the site of a former mosque. The only surviving parts of the mosque, the minaret and prayer niche was then integrated into the church itself. Soon, we got tired so we walked back over the bridge for lunch and ice-cream. © 2001 Eugene Khoo.   Page  [1]  2  >>   E-mail this to a friend    Print this article   Comments Comment from Larry Hughes Posted on: Feb 10, 2002 1:49am Beautiful shots Eugene and Jeff.. Great story..Looks like only the good F1 drivers survive the drives through this area.. Comment from heronman    Posted on: Feb 10, 2002 3:44am So you plan on seeing the world before you turn 45.. I just want to see 45.. Very nice article.. I see you used wide angle lens on many of your pictures. What film did you and your Canon camera use? Comment from roger    Posted on: Feb 10, 2002 8:26am Great shots, Eugene and Jeff, Excellent article, It put me right there with you. Comment from eugene    Posted on: Feb 14, 2002 9:40pm Thanks guys! My walkaround lens is usually my 24-85 f3.5-4.5 on my EOS-30. Had forty rolls of Kodak Supra 100 and 400 along with me. Found the Supra a bit constrasty for daytime use, especially during 11am to 3pm. I think NPH400 or Portra would have better results. However, quality is excellent.   Add comments This article is over a year old. Comments are no longer accepted. [v1.0]

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