| Every year,
two events seem to mark the arrival of autumn. One, the tourists suddenly
disappear during the first week of September after a summer of sangria and sandy
beach towels. The second is the legendary Ronda feria. A heady mix of flamenco,
folk song and dance, costumed bullfights and parades, this year the star of the
show will be Latin heart throb Chayanne who’ll be appearing at the football
stadium on September 1st. The winding 30 km road directly inland from San
Pedro to Ronda is worth the drive for the views alone; as you leave the coast
behind you, the dramatic pine-dotted mountain slopes of the Serrania de Ronda
start to look more Alpine than Andalucian. An hour later, 750m above sea
level, the scent of green pine sap hangs in the air. Look up and you might see
a pair of hawks circling overhead; look down and the Mediterranean feels a million
miles away. There’s something decidedly mysterious and romantic about
Ronda. Back in the 1800s, it was one of the stops on Grand European Tour but soon
became a notorious one. Bandoleros on horseback pounced on unsuspecting travellers
in the dead of night, stripping off their jewels before racing back to their secret
hideouts. These handsome rogues on horseback even murdered some of their victims
and their daring heists became legendary. If you want to find out more you’re
in the right place - Ronda's "Bandolero Museum" is the only one in Spain. Dramatically
slashed into two halves, the town’s medieval and 18th century quarters are
linked by a 200 year old “new” Puente Nuevo that crosses the 100 metre
deep El Tajo gorge. (Not a good spot to stop if you don’t have a head for
heights!) One of the reasons I keep coming back to Ronda is its seasons.
Summer is hot and lazy, winter is crisp and clear or damp and misty, and spring
brings bursts of sunflowers and pink almond blossoms. For me, though, autumn is
the best time. Summer's jasmine-scented evenings have come and gone and Christmas
is just weeks away. After a bit of sightseeing we usually find ourselves a comfortable
lookout spot (on a hotel terrace on the edge of the gorge perhaps), order wine
and olives and just enjoy the views: green and gold parched hills and plains as
far as the eye can see... right out of one of those "Renovating our Spanish
Finca"paperbacks. Don't miss: - Ronda's bullring, the oldest
in Spain, with its own bullfighting museum
- Bandit (Bandolero) Museum -
the only one in Spain
- The House of the Moorish King
- The Arab
Public Baths
- The lovely lookout point and the Alameda Gardens (beautiful
views across the gorge)
- The Mondragon Palace, with its magnificent courts,
which is now the Archaeological Museum
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