Ronda, Spain, was among my top three places to visit during my recent journey to that country. The town is famous for its bridges. The Puente Nuevo was begun in 1751 and completed in 1793. There are two other bridges lower in the gorge that are much older. The following video gives an overview of these sights from several different angles.
Don’t limit yourself to a quick look at the bridges. Ronda also has a number of churches worth seeing as well as a famous bull ring, smart shopping streets, and great restaurants. I’ll have more on these in future posts.
Ronda’s Bridges, Spain
Hotel Cortijo La Alberca
Hotel Rural Cortijo La Alberca is located in Níjar, Spain. I describe it as handsomely comfortable because this place abounds in details. It is very well thought out in terms of the interior design of the rooms and other features on the grounds including the patios and swimming pool. My stay here was in April, so it was not warm enough to use the pool, but the water feature made the place that much more appealing. The location is at the very edge of town, deep in a gorge in the mountains as you can see in this photo.
That gives you a perspective on where you are as in how close to nature. Moving along, you’ll note the swimming pool next.
One of many, the iron lamp casts subtle light in the evening. The water feature continues from the pool in a narrow trough that carries the flow down past the rooms providing a touch of white noise that is very pleasant.
The rooms are grouped in a couple of buildings with patios that front the doors. Here’s the one where I stayed.
Great place for a gathering with friends, maybe a glass of wine with your significant other, or just yourself and a book. Inside you’ll find a comfortable bed when its time to finally get to sleep.
Of course you prefer a bathroom with class and this one fits the bill with the custom walk-in shower, ceramic tile counter, and lovely handmade sink.
That photo gives a good impression of the details I mentioned at the outset of this post. When choosing a hotel in Spain, or elsewhere, I always search for those with a personal touch as opposed to the corporate low-bidder design specials. Back to La Alberca. If you had a corporate outing or were traveling with a group, you’ll find the rooms close yet separate as they are in a couple different buildings, which gives everyone a chance to be together yet escape for a bit of privacy. The next photo shows one of the buildings.
Finally, you don’t have to worry about losing the key.
That hunk of wrought iron is about 8 inches long and weighs a pound. Like I said, this place has a unique character with plenty of handsome details.
Eating on the Road, Spain
Well, not literally eating on the road, but rather making a stop at a joint just off the highway in Spain for a much needed meal. After all, I was hiking around castles and churches all morning and worked up a good appetite. (I’ve mentioned this a lot lately here on the Bent Page.) Rolling down the exit ramp, I spotted this sign:
Man, couldn’t go wrong, right? Especially since the parking lot was loaded with trucks and construction vehicles. In I go, getting a table on the far side of the room where I could watch the crowd. Food was hearty and tasty, a good combination to refuel for more traipsing about the ruins of Spain. I enjoyed the sausage soup and here’s a photo to show you.
Service was quick, which I appreciate when enroute to the night sight. Not every meal has to be an event. Some are for strictly nutritional purposes rather than entertainment.
Roman Ruins, Mérida
One of the main goals of my recent visit to Spain was to see the Roman ruins at Mérida. The Romans had a substantial settlement here, large enough to support an amphitheater and a theater side by side. There was also a handsome temple for the goddess Diana, among others. Naturally they needed a bridge to cross the river and sundry other structures such as an acqueduct to support their living requirements and commerce. The following video shows some of the things I saw.
Impressive, aren’t they? I was very impressed to say the least. Plus, there is a museum with hundreds of artifacts on display to give you a thorough understanding of the context in which these structures existed.
The town itself offers a menagerie of restaurants and shops, everything from trinkets to quality gifts. I would recommend a full day here, morning to late afternoon.
The Bent Page 
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