The famous fortified city of Ronda lies approximately 1.5 hour's drive west of Malaga International Airport in the Province of Malaga which in turn is part of the massive Autonomous Region of Andalucía in Southern Spain. This is a place of great historic interest with its famous Puente Nueva and the oldest bull ring in Spain amongst many other attractions. It is a highly popular tourist destination with an enormous variety of accommodation available to suit most budgets as well as all the facilities to be expected of such a place. For those who can afford it the Parador, located right beside the Puente Nueva, would be a wonderful place to stay. As there was a group of us walking in October 2019, we chose the very economical 3 star Hotel Sierra Hidalga which is just to the south of Ronda on the A397 opposite the new Hospital. It is a friendly, clean and well run place with excellent ensuite rooms and a busy and friendly bar/restaurant right next door. There is ample free parking too. About 15 kilometres to the South of Ronda lies the hilly region known as the Alto Gemal (taking its name from the Rio Gemal that runs through it). This is a beautiful area of Sweet Chestnut and Holm Oak forests with charming little scattered villages. Pictured is the unique blue painted village of Júzcar which was used for the shooting of Smurf films in the 80´s. Sweet Chestnuts are the main harvest crop here and early November would be a good time to visit as the leaves turn to a golden colour. Also just to the SE of Ronda is the spectacular mountain region of The Parque Natural de las Nieves and this picture gives you an idea of the spectacular scenery to be found there. To the north of Ronda, again just 15 to 20 K away lies the panoramic Sierra de Grazalema and the famous Pueblos Blancos or white villages set in picturesque mountain scenery and an absolute joy to visit. Hiking in the Sierra de Grazalema is restricted and some of the longer walks the Region offers have to have permission granted by the Natural Park Authorities. We are told this is an easy on line process. Also to the north of Ronda are Arriate with its amazing River Canyon walk and Sentenil de las Bodegas with its extraordinary cave houses built into the cliffs. Both of these feature in our walk list for the area. Ronda and the surrounding areas are at least 800m above sea level and this, combined with being in Southern Spain means extremes of climate. Extremely hot summers and cold, often snowy winters can be expected. Probably the best time for hiking in this fantastic region would be March to June and October to early January. We walked in mid to late October with a maximum of 25ºC and night time temperatures of around 15ºC. There was just one day of light rain. We have also walked in the Region in December 2018 with sun and 20ºC daytime temperatures and cold nights – but perhaps we were lucky. With Ronda as a base the Sierra de Ronda really is a wonderful walking destination. We have put together a portfolio of walks which we hope will offer something for all levels as well as a good insight into the great variety of the Region. Do give it a try – you will not be disappointed. Jim Arymar
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