Heritage, nature, and gastronomy captivate tourists in Ronda

Ronda surpassed two million visitors during the year 2025, figures that consolidate the city as one of the prominent destinations in Andalusia and a major reference in inland tourism. This is despite having poor road and rail communications, which have historically hindered one of the city's and the Serrania’s major economic pillars. This situation is hardly understandable in a community that prides itself as a tourist destination, although no government has yet solved it.

In addition, overnight stays have also grown, reaching 412,000 annually, which represents a growth of 17% over the last year. These figures reflect the appeal of the city of Tajo among lovers of heritage and nature.

Visitors at the Sierra de las Nieves National Park / Javier Flores

The city, often listed among the most beautiful or most romantic destinations, aims to manage the increase in visitors with a diversification of routes within its historic center.

There, its main attractions are located, although a part of it, towards the Padre Jesús neighborhood, is largely overlooked by many tourists. There you can find the walls, the Casa del Rey Moro Mine, the Felipe V Arch, the city’s two oldest bridges, or the Arab Baths, one of the best-preserved in the peninsula. However, the steep streets mean that many tourists opt for other routes towards the churches, mansions, convents, or museums (including pieces by Picasso) located in the flatter and more accessible area.

Nevertheless, the area sought after by everyone is the Tajo that divides the city into two, creating huge vertical cliffs and its Puente Nuevo, which despite its name, dates back to 1793. Additionally, its two-century-old bullring is another major attraction.

Added to this are experiences in nature, gastronomy, or wines, sectors that have been growing in recent years and have become a reason to travel. Among the extensive hospitality industry, the city boasts a restaurant with two Michelin stars, Bardal, which alone is a reason to travel for food lovers. This is complemented by various bars, restaurants, and even churro shops, which appear with different types of recommendations in major gastronomic guides such as Michelin and Repsol.

Benito Gómez prepares one of his dishes at Bardal. / Javier Flores

The more than twenty wineries have also become another complement for those looking for more than just visiting a beautiful city. In fact, many travel experts already recommend staying more than one night in the city to enjoy its varied offerings.

Additionally, the recent addition of the olive oil mill museum designed by the renowned French creator, Philippe Starck, is a building that is a work of art in itself, besides featuring an interpretation center to learn about the history of olive oil and olive groves.

The tourism sector now seeks to make a new leap into luxury tourism, which is starting to arrive, although so far it is limited to small boutique hotels in nature, private estates, or projects like La Melonera, a winery in Ronda that, in addition to its wines, has a project to create luxury hidden vineyard villas in the middle of oak groves.

This sector already has two projects announced for the launch of the first two five-star hotels. The first, driven by the Catalonia chain, will be located in the facilities of the old El Castillo school. The second, by Meliá, will convert the old Madre de Dios convent into the brand's first hotel in the city. Notably, this last one will be located in the Padre Jesús neighborhood, one of the areas expected to see significant growth.

Much closer is the opening of the Palacio del Moral boutique hotel. A 4-star establishment that features nine rooms and two individual villas.