Old Town, Ronda La Ciudad

From the new bridge Calle del Teniente Gordo runs south to the picturesque Plaza de la Duquesa de Parcent, in which is the church of Santa María la Mayor. Originally a mosque, the church has preserved four Moorish domes; the Gothic aisles flanking the nave and the tall Plateresque Capilla Mayor were added in Christian times. The church has fine Renaissance stalls and a Moorish mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca).

Beyond the Santa María la Mayor in Ronda, at the southern tip of the plateau, is the old Moorish Alcazaba, which was destroyed by the French in 1808. From here the Paseo de San Francisco leads down through a Moorish gate, the Puerta de Almocávar, to the district of San Francisco.

To the west of Santa María la Mayor in Ronda, on the edge of the plateau, is the Casa de Mondragón, a Renaissance mansion with an interesting doorway, in which the Catholic Monarchs once stayed.

From the Plaza del Campanillo in Ronda , to the right of the Casa de Mondragón, a footpath descends the side of the crag to the ruined water-mills on the Río Guadalevín.This scenic gorge is known as El Tajo and is one of the main attractions of Ronda.

From the Puente Nuevo in Ronda, Calle del Comandante Linares (to the left) leads to the Casa del Rey Moro (House of the Moorish King), a mansion with a terraced garden from which there are fine views. From here a flight of 365 steps tunnelled through the rock goes down to the river.

Calle del Comandante Linares continues downhill and through an arched gateway to Ronda's two lower bridges over the gorge, the Puente Viejo or Puente de la Mina (1616) and the Puente de San Miguel, which may originally have been built by the Romans.

To the right of the Puente Viejo in Ronda is a Moorish bath-house (13th-14th century) with horseshoe arches.

The La Alameda del Tajo in Ronda is a public garden with large, tree lined walking areas and shady spots. There are also fabulous view from La Alameda del Tajo of the surrounding countryside.