While crowded with day-tripping tourists
from the nearby Costa del Sol,
early and late in the day,
locals retake their streets and squares.
Ronda is famous for its gorge-straddling setting.
Its breathtaking perch, while visually dramatic today,
was practical and vital when it was built.
For the Moors, it provided a tough bastion,
one of the last to be conquered by the Spaniards in 1485.
The ravine divides Ronda into its old Moorish town
and the relatively modern new town
which was built after the Christian reconquest.
The two towns were connected by this bridge in the late 1700s.
Part of the joy of Ronda
lies in exploring the twisted lanes of its Moorish quarter.
As you wander among its beautiful balconies
and exuberant flowerpots,
each corner reveals yet another surprise.
This cliffside mansion comes with a belle epoque garden.
And from the garden,
an evocative staircase leads to the floor of the gorge.
It was dug seven centuries ago by the Moors
to access water.
Imagine Christian slaves
hauling water in leather bags up these stairs
all day long.
The landing where the staircase finally hits the river
marks a legendary turning point in Ronda's history.
In 1485,Reconquistaforces took control of this --
the city's water source.
And within ten days, thirsty Ronda above surrendered.
At the base of the town is the old bridge,
some surviving bits of the old Moorish city walls,
and the remains of what was for centuries
the main gate to the walled city.
Back when Ronda was a fortified town under Muslim rule,
you entered from here.
And according to Moorish custom,
before entering you'd wash and pray.
That's why there was a public bath and mosque
just outside the gate.
I stay right in the old town action.
Hotel San Gabriel has great character --
it's well run,
with inviting public rooms,
and bedrooms that make you feel quite noble.
And just over the bridge,
the newer town, while more stately,
has equally inviting streets and plazas.
Strolling the streets, you feel a strong sense of community,
where everyone seems to know everyone.
While I generally go for the rustic old bars,
tonight a local friend is taking me to a modern one.
Traga tapas puts a contemporary spin on traditional tapas.
We're just eating our way
through the entire list of daily specials.
Sure, you'll find your olives and ham.
But you'll also enjoy asparagus
snowed in with manchego cheese...
Delicate cod cheek sandwiches,
and spicy pulled pork.
One basic rule is the same everywhere --
if you want a chance to mingle with locals,
grab a stool at the bar.
Ronda is near and dear to Spaniards
as the birthplace of modern bullfighting.
It has the first great Spanish bullring, built in 1785.
Visitors can imagine
confronting the bull as it thunders into the ring.
The arena's columns corral the action,
creating a kind of neoclassical theater.
Bullfighting originated as a form of military training --
refined knights fighting the noble beast on horseback.
It evolved to the spectacle that survives to this day.
While controversial to many for its brutality,
aficionados insist bullfighting is not a sport,
it's an art form.
And the Museum of Bullfighting celebrates this tradition.
Matadors, in their "suits of light," were heartthrobs.
Etchings by the great Spanish painter Goya
show that he was clearly an enthusiast.
The museum feels like a shrine to Pedro Romero.
In the 18th century,
Romero established the rules of modern bullfighting.