Best way to visit Ronda in Spain?

Hi Amy,
I've just returned from that area. You can catch public transport from Marbella to Ronda from the Bus station. It's not expensive. I can't tell you any more than that, because I didn't end up going, but I did look up the timetable and it looks OK.
For more info try www.andalusia.com.
Good luck!

If you're only going to be on the move for that one trip, then Maggie's suggestion about public transit is good. Several buses/day, with the first leaving Marbella at 9 am and the last leaving Ronda at 8:15 pm. See http://www.ctsa-portillo.com/ima/pdf/marbella.pdf . If you're going to be in Marbella longer, though, and you'll be out and about, rent a car. You can get one for as low as 127 Euro/week, all collision insurance included, and no extra charges for excess value....a bargain! If you're flying into Malaga, you can get similar prices and conditions there. The price for your tour seems a little high though. Friends took a day trip tour to Tangiers this past spring from Mijas Costa, and that only cost 65 Euro pp....including the ferry ticket. As for fuel costs, they are still relatively low in Spain...averaging 1.19/litre for gasoline ($7.25/gal).....1.05/litre for diesel ($6.40/gal).

Kent, Maggie & Norm thanks for the useful info. I agree, I think the price is too high, and I would rather save my $ for something else. Maggie, what was one of your highlights from your trip?

Amy....if you want to take a guided tour to Ronda, wait until you get to your place in Marbella....there should be lots on offer, and for less than $99.

Last summer, I did a day trip to Ronda. I took the bus(left at about 5:30 AM), explored Ronda for the day (it's quite small and is easily do-able in a day) and then took the bus back in the early evening. Cost me about 20 euros and most of the sights in Ronda are free. It was great and all the sights are explained in any guide book that includes the city. It was beautiful, by the way. Well worth the trip, although the hike down the hill to the viewpoint for the bridge is hard work when it's so hot and sunny!

Ava....I found the hike down was OK...it was the hike back up that nearly killed me!

The information Norm provided above along with the fact that there are more that 2 of you indicates that you could save money, add flexibility and see much more than just Ronda, if you were to rent a car. I don't believe you need an international drivers license (I've never been asked in Italy, Spain or France) but I do suggest that you study up on the international road signs.

Hi Amy,
I just saw your question asking what was a highlight of my trip.
I would say there were 2 highlights. The first was the Feria in Marbella. I had specifically booked the weeks we went so that I could visit the Feria. It was a lot of fun and I loved seeing the Flamenco dancing displays put on by the dance schools. There was every age group dancing, from about 4 years old and up! And many of the local women wear their traditional dresses around town.
The other highlight was a visit to Malaga. It's a lovely city and remains very Spanish. And it's not a tourist hot-spot, so it's inexpensive compared to many cities. Also, the people were very friendly.
I hope you enjoy your trip!

Maggie,
What is Feria? I have not seen that in any of the travel books I have read. Yes, I've just recently considered exploring Malaga as one of the side trips. Before, I was only focused on Ronda, Granada, Cordova, &Seville. But, I think Seville might be too far away for just a day trip. But, it sure seems facinating. Like every traveler: too many places, not enough time or money. Thanks for your insight.
Amy

Amy...."feria" is the Spanish word for fair or festival. They are scattered throughout the year at cities, towns, and villages across Spain, many concentrated in the Spring or early Summer, especially around Easter....then again at Christmas. The Marbella feria runs in early June each year, Malaga's in mid-August. The lovely white village of Mijas (just north of the main highway between Malaga and Marbella), holds one of its main ferias around September 8th, honouring its patron saint, Our Lady the Virgin of the Rock. In an old grotto in Mijas Pueblo (village of Mijas, as opposed to "Mijas Costa," or coastal Mijas,) there were visions of the Virgin Mary in the 17th century....the two shepherds so honoured then found a statue of the Virgin inside the rock....apparently hidden there for centuries during Moorish rule (this sort of tradition of finding a statue of the Virgin hidden away from the Moors is common across southern Spain.) All sorts of parades, traditional costumes, etc....a colourful week! The main feria in Ronda is right around the same time. It honours Pedro Romero, the supposed founder of modern bullfighting 250 years ago....the first Saturday in September sees a big parade and bullfights. Ronda, of course, is the supposed home of bullfighting, begun by the monarchs of Spain in the 16th century to help their mounted soldiers deal with enemy horsemen....bullfighters were originally mounted. The two ferias will overlap this year. You should be able to get more detailed information from any tourist office in the area, or at your accommodations. Take LOTS of photos!

Hi Amy,
That was a fantastic answer that Norm sent you- I didn't know all that!
You mentioned going to Granada- I went there in January and it's a beautiful city, but just the Alhambra itself took 7 hours. We used public transport (the bus) to get there from Marbella and it took a while, so we stayed overnight in Granada.

If you decide to rent a car, which sounds like it might be a better idea given the places you want to see, just be warned that automatics are more expensive and need to be booked well ahead of time, as I found when I was there in June. If you can drive a stick shift, you'll be OK tho. I can only drive automatics, so I was out of luck! And I checked every website and a few local dealers too.
Cheers!

Hi, Amy, did this trip in 2001.Do no miss granada and Alhambra.Ps check that you can book for the alhambra in advance as they have a set number of tickets that they sell per day.We bought ours at one of the banks.we drove to Ronda and did our own thing!take a good guide book and you should be ok.enjoy

Maggie & Hajira &Norm. Thanks for the info!I drive shift but it has been a few years. I did'nt know that the Alhambra had that much to see, it looks huge from the pictures. In my "Spain for Dummies" book it does advise early purchase of tickets. I just think it is so cool that you guys are from Africa & the UK and I'm from a small town in Ohio and we are "chatting". Awesome.

Hi Amy,
Yes, I think it's pretty cool (that we are chatting)too! I think it's one of the things that makes this website so great.
Just going back to the Alhambra- it's a lovely place to be in, so apart from walking all round it and admiring the architecture and the views, we also spent some time just absorbing the atmosphere. I don't know what other posters think, but my thoughts are that it's a place I wouldn't want to hurry through.

Yes, you must see the Alhambra, and you must buy tickets in advance to make sure you can get in. You book for a morning or an afternoon visit, and must choose a half-hour slot within that time frame. That half hour time slot is the time by which you must enter the Nazrid palaces, which are the highlight of the tour, and where admission is strictly controlled. You can't buy them at the BBVA banks any more....check this wekbsite at www.alhambra-tickets.es to purchase in advance.