Our next stop was the town of Ronda, a quaint beauty in the hills of Andalucía. Generally tourist groups only spend a day there, bussing in and out while on their way to another city. We were lucky enough to spend a couple of days in the town, exploring the unique terrain and exciting events. We were able to go on a small hike, find little shops, and enjoy our time together in a slower environment than the big cities we had seen so far.
In the warm summer days of Southern Spain, gelato and ice cream became our daily ritual. We were able to find these refreshing snacks everywhere we went, and we got to try many yummy flavors!
The hotel we stayed at in Ronda was an old house with cute rooms and friendly owners. There was even a little movie room with four movie theater chairs for rainy days when there is not much to do outside. Our room had many windows, including two that looked out into the courtyard, through which we took a fun photo of one another (left and middle photos). We also attended an event organized by our tour guide Rich! We saw local famous flamenco guitar artist Paco Seco preform in an intimate setting (right photo). Camille had the opportunity to have a conversation with him in Spanish, and he was incredibly kind and happy to give restaurant recommendations!
Ronda is a small town that sits on top of a hill surrounded by cliffs and cut through by a river canyon. This impressive bridge is the connection point between the oldest parts of the city and the (relatively) newer development. You can see for miles in every direction, and the view never disappoints.
We found the streets of Ronda to be quite charming, a picturesque sample of the famous white hill towns of Andalucía. In the summer, it can get quite hot outside, so the buildings are all white to help reflect the sun's energy as light instead of absorbing it as heat. Additionally, Ronda had several key architectural influences from the north of Spain, such as the small balconies seen in this photo. Overall, it is the perfect place to take it easy, slow down, and enjoy the small town environment.