Ronda

Ronda (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈronda]) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Ronda sits on the Ronda Depression, a Miocene plateau at around 600–800 metres above mean sea level with fertile land suitable for growing the Mediterranean triad of wheat, olive and vines. The city is cut off by a deep gorge ('el Tajo'), carrying the Guadalevín river. It is traditionally identified with ancient Arunda, populated under Iberians and Romans, and one of the main urban centers of the depression in the High Imperial period along with Acinipo and Lacilbula. Head of a kūra, and then of a brief statelet, under Islamic rule, it consolidated as a regional cog in the late middle ages within the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. It was taken by force by the Crown of Castile in 1485. Ethnic strife between Christian settlers and moriscos accrued in the late 16th century. As of 2025, it has a registered population of 33,671. Ronda is a popular tourism destination owing to the Tajo chasm and Puente Nuevo sights and the corridas goyescas. It is one of the towns and villages that are included in the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. The railway connecting Algeciras with Inner Andalusia and the Meseta passes near Ronda.