Spanish feeling in Ronda
The taste of Spain
Ronda in Andalusia is a small city in the south of Spain in the province Malaga. It is surrounded by a breath-taking view of the panorama of Ronda Mountains. Ronda is one of the cities in the south of Spain where you get a real feeling of Spanish lifestyle, culture and food. When I came here in summer 2018, there was no place in Andalusia, where I could relax so much and enjoy the sweetness of live in Spain with traditional food and wine and enjoy the view of outstanding sunsets from an altitude of 750 meters (2,460 ft). Ronda is the pearl of Spain where you can dive into the carefree nature of south Spanish culture, all for a very good value of money.
So why should you take the next flight to Sevilla or Malaga and drive to Ronda?
There are many reasons, this region offers a lot of places to go, but I will mention a few points as to why to go there:
Traditional Spanish food
Arabic cuisine, because of its history
Even a vast array of vegetarian and vegan cuisine
Hiking paradise (not in summer)
Relaxing vibe with a glorious view
Main sights!
As you can see, Ronda was built on a plateau over the river Guadalevin which runs straight through the city and the canyon is incorporated into the city seamlessly, creating a unique sight. Due to that this, houses are built very close to the 120-metre sheer drop, not for the faint hearted! The river divides Ronda in two parts which are connected by the bridge Puente Nuevo. Puente Nuevo is the main attraction in Ronda, because it shows the real beauty of this city.
This is also where I would recommend the best restaurant in Ronda. It provides you with an unbelievable panorama and even more importantly, delicious food! It doesn´t matter, if you are vegetarian, vegan or a meat lover you will all be happy here. With a traditional Spanish kitchen, you can taste Spain in Ronda.
The restaurant is called Restaurant Albacara, which is in the Hotel Monteliero and offers traditional Spanish and Arabic cuisine and sometimes a fusion of the two. The view and the food make your stay unforgettable, I swear.
My first dish was Iberian Pork filled with confit mushrooms. The next dish was Duck confit with peach sauce and orange shavings and for dessert I ate a chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream. All the dishes were absolutely delicious, but the best was the main course, the combination of the ingrediencies and the flavours still creates an explosion in my mouth when I cast my mind back. We drank a regional red wine, which you can only buy in Ronda. The wine was called Chinchilla Doble Doce and was a perfect complement to the dishes and I wish I could buy it here. Sadly, I don´t have any pictures of the food but you can check it out here. To sum it up, the evening was breath-taking with the sunset and unforgettable in terms of taste, when you go to Ronda, save a bit of money and indulge your sense with food and the relaxed Spanish feeling. Also, Albacara is in the Michelin Guide, which is even more impressive that it is not over-priced, and you will not regret it! I rate Albacara earns a 9.5/10, because this evening will be forever in my mind, but minus 0.5 because the price is a bit expensive for a student, but still worth it.
The best way to experience the small city is by walking through it and exploring all the tiny alleyways which provide a lot of surprises and magnificent views over the city. The risk to get lost is pretty low, because the main plaza is on the top of the plateau.
-Ronda traditional Spain-
On the second day we made a different choice and went to a typical tapas bar, its name is Toro Tapas and was class. For a tapas restaurant I give you the clear advice to taste as many things as you can. For Toro Tapas I can clearly say that the service, the tapas and the wines were perfect. You don´t get as a good view or as fancy dishes as in Albacara, but you get an authentic Spanish experience for a good value for money. The menus clearly advertise what is for vegetarians or vegans and the waiters are helping you if you need some advice. All in all, perfect for a traditional Spanish night! Overall, I give Toro Tapas 8/10, because there was no possibility to eat al fresco. Check the website here.
There is one important and last question. How do you get to Ronda?
There are two possibilities to get to Ronda. It is best if you fly to Sevilla International Airport, because most of the flights are going to Sevilla, the capital city of Andalusia. This is the cheaper option but not as flexible is taking the train. It takes you around 5 hours and costs you just around 27€ (via thetrainline) and you can enjoy beautiful views over the superb landscape of Andalusia.
The second option is more expensive, but more flexible in terms of driving around and discovering more of the surroundings of Spain. The easiest way of hiring a car is via europecar or sixt or just check it out there are lots of companies which would love to give you a car, but you have to be 21-23 years to be allowed to hire a car. If you successfully hired a car you will need around 2,5 hours to get to Ronda. However, on some parts of the motorway you have to pay a toll, but mostly they are not much higher than 2-5€.
If you want to have more information about Ronda itself, just drop a message and ask me about it. I really would like to answer all your questions! So, get your culinary adventure started and come to Ronda!
-Thomas.T