Arcos vs Ronda

I thought Rick's book successfully described the subtle differences between Arcos and Ronda. If you don't have a car, I think you can be very happy with just Arcos. But it remains true that most people who have a leisurely visit (I mean, not on a forced-march bus tour, or a Rick Steves lunch stop to do three towns in one day) to Ronda find it unforgettable, and a highlight of their visit to Spain. Another memorable town, much more accessible to Seville is Carmona/Italica. But it's not as magical as Ronda.

'We are trying to decide between Arcos and Ronda.' - Sorry, I decline to vote and my reasoning would surely not be yours. Plenty of info. available on the web. And additionally, you do not say whether this is a day trip or you want to spend time at this choice. A bus journey to Arcos is two legs via Jerez. As far as I am aware, as I have not been that way for years, probably about two hours at least each way, certainly with TGComes. The schedules for the company are out there and should be easy to interpret.

Ronda had to be the hi-lite of our trip to Spain last June. Arcos was a quick stop on our visit to the awesome horse show in Jerez.

We chose Ronda, primarily because the gorge seemed to differentiate it from other white towns and the Plaza del Toro is historic. We were happy with the choice (didn't visit Arcos).

I guess there's no accounting for tastes. For us, it was no contest: Arcos, Arcos, Arcos. By far and no contest. We thought Ronda was OK, but clogged with tourists off of tour buses - lots of cruise ship passengers on their one day excursion to "see Spain" and condo-dwellers from the Costa del Tourismo. Yes, the gorge and bridge were unique but having to share the experience with the crowds definitely took a lot of the shine off the experience for us. It seemed kind of crass. Arcos, on the other hand, seemed completely genuine, unspoiled, and utterly magical. Sure, there were some other tourists there, but not nearly as many, and most seemed to clear out in late afternoon. When they did, the place was deserted, peaceful, quiet, and dreamlike. We LOVED it. I suppose if you're one of those day-trippers then it might be a wash between the two towns. We stayed up on the old town for the night (in both) and were utterly and completely charmed by Arcos. Ronda still felt quite touristy to us after dark. I'm glad we went to both, but I'd trade a night in Ronda for an evening in Arcos anytime. No comparison IMHO.