Once in a blue moon you come across the perfect tourist town. It was in Segovia in 2019 where I realized what it takes to be one. Small, unique, food destination, plenty to do and see for tourists, and one you want to experience in the morning and evening where the tour buses leave. Ronda – check, check, check and then some.
The only thing missing that Segovia had was a local vibe in the evening, but that’s because of the clear separation between the touristy historic center and the rest of the city where the locals hang out. For us tourists, we couldnt get enough of the center including its tremendous food offerings. While most people come here on a day trip or stay overnight, by the time you finish reading this post hopefully you’ll see why it’s a mistake. You need at least two nights.
Ronda is the type of place you want to take your spouse on a surprise romantic getaway. Except unless you live in the south of Spain, its fairly hard to do. When we visited the excellent Ramos-Paul winery nearby, we met a couple from Jerez where the guy did exactly that to his wife and one month old daughter. A surprise day trip to Ronda on her birthday. The daughter wasnt amused.
Right near Puente Nuevo, the “new” bridge that took 34 years to built in 1793 after the previous bridge collapsed and killed 50, there’s this interesting mural. It shows the town’s unique landscape and quotes from various romantic travelers that found inspiration in Ronda. That did not include more recent names like Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells who spent significant time here, and even more recently Michelle Obama. Ronda is so tiny and relatively unknown, when someone like Michelle Obama visits, people still talk about it 15 years later.
Exploring the majestic Puente Nuevo alone, from the top and bottom requires a few good hours. They recently reopened a path that leads closer to the bridge where you can get a close look at the chasm that divides the city. You need to wear a helmet for this one. The first trip where we had to wear a helmet, not once but twice. The other one being an hour away at the eyepopping Caminito del Rey hike. More on that on another day.
But the main reason to stay an extra night or three is the area, Serrania de Ronda, which rivals Tuscany as perhaps the most beautiful region we’ve ever seen. Just north of Ronda you got a wine region that produces surprisingly robust reds, judging from our Ramos-Paul visit. The wines are still affordable because this is not Rioja.
10 minutes out you have the Reservatauro Ronda, a horse and bull farm where you can learn about the rich history of Ronda bull fighting and horse breeding. Further out you have another majestic town, Setenil de las Bodegas where houses are built into the cliffs. And then you have other whitewashed towns like beautiful Olvera not far away. I already mentioned the infamous Caminito an hour away. Plenty to do and see here if you have a few days. Ronda complements the large city filled Andalucian itinerary very well.
Make sure to spend quality time in both the center and old town, the two distinct neighborhoods on both sides of the bridge. Dont dwell too much on individual attractions as every other blog tells you. See the bullring if you must, the second oldest in Spain after Seville, and the oldest constructed entirely of stone. You can also get a good view of it from the rooftop of Hotel Catalonia. Stay at the Parador if you must for the incredible views and to finally say “I stayed at the Parador in Ronda” at cocktail parties. Though between us friends, not the most comfortable hotel.
Dining in Ronda requires its own dedicated blog posts. Pound for pound Ronda may be the top food destination in Andalucía for its size. Between the amazing Casa Mateos, the legendary El Lechuguita, and Benito Gómez’s Tragatá, there’s your 2-3 days of heavenly eating right there. We managed two of the three. Every conversation about food with a local results in “Oh you have to go to Tragatá and Casa Mateos”. One even helped us with what to order at the latter. Spoiler alert: Sickest goat cheese salad ever.
What you need to know about Bilbao… 
Simply put, Segovia is the perfect tourist town. It took me a while to understand what it means when others said it, but I think I get it now. Its traits may vary between individuals, but not by much. To me it needs to be very different than where I come from. It should be pleasing to the eyes and offer enough interesting, spectacular, or important attractions. She needs to have a personality or known for something. Hmm, notice how I went from “It” to “She” after finishing my beverage. Fascinating! And most importantly, she needs to know how to cook
Salamanca, 200km west of Madrid, is much more than a University and church town. But these two reasons alone are good enough to visit even for an old Jew like me. I just feel old and cranky this morning, and need to think about happier places. Salamanca was a happy place. Watching World Cup Soccer in one of the most striking Plaza Mayors in Europe. Having a local show us around town. Looking for the mysterious astronaut embedded in the facade of the “new” church. Surrounded by the red Sandstone plastered all over the old town. And meeting the only English speaking nun we’ve ever met, selling delicious cookies from a convent (Convento de las Dueñas).
Read about Salamanca and the frog that became its symbol. Look for it on the University’s famous facade, on a skull. Its not that hard once you know what it looks like (see pic below). If you fail to find it, you will struggle on your next exam. If you are not a student and you fail to find it, you will get Shingles within a week! The frog, or more likely a toad was a symbol of sexual temptations throughout Spain’s history. There were once prostitutes roaming the area, luring the male students, and the frog reminded the students of the consequences. The skull represents death, a possible outcome due to the many diseases the prostitutes carried. Thanks Obama!
Eating With Ziggy 