Andalucia Day 35 Ronda and Setenil de las bodegas

Amazingly we are in the car for three minutes past eight. Destination Ronda and we take the shortest but not necessarily quickest route to get there. After finding a parking space, and a brisk walk we are in Plaza de Toros for 9.25, (free entry on Wednesday until 10.)

It's a very smart Plaza de Toros with carved stone arches and painted wood, also much larger than the others we've seen.

We then head for the famous Puente Nuevo above the Tajo gorge. The morning October light with the sun still low on the horizon accentuates the difference between light and shade so it's almost difficult to see in some points. We keep to the sunny side and go down towards Puente viejo and Puente romano, then up through Jardines de Cuenca, all with beautiful views of the Tajo.

Perhaps it's the spicy morning air but we're hungry and stop at 100 Montaditos for a second breakfast between us of coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and a toasted roll with jamón, tomato and olive oil.

In the meantime Ronda has filled up with hordes of groups of tourists on guided tours, but they pretty much keep to the same route between the bridge, Miradors and the main square. The main square is very pretty, the church is unusual because there are two long terraces with arches underneath at the front, there's a fountain and some trees.

We carry on towards Barrio San Francisco, where there are part of the old walls and Puerta de Almocabar with 3 arches and Puerta  de Carlos V.

The big groups of tourists don't come this far and also when we take a path below the walls as far as the Arab baths and then back along the Puerta and Muralla de Xijara there's nobody about. The views are splendid from everywhere, around the surrounding countryside to the gorge and the Sierra beyond.

For lunch we go to El Lechuguita. Here tapas are just €0.80 each, so we choose 12. Each is a little dish of tasty perfection, from tuna on salmorejo to chickpea and black pudding stew to goat cheese with honey. Total cost with three drinks is €13.60, the place is tiny but mostly full of local people.

Then we have a look around the more modern part, very nice too, then we go back to the historical centre and take a path down towards the bottom of the gorge. There are spectacular views of the bridge and cliffs and just a few people about.

What goes down must come back up, the cliffs are 120 metres high and it's now quite hot in the sun. Back at the top we wander some more through the old streets and then the gardens along the cliffs and back to the car.

Ronda is beautiful and it's not surprising there are so many tourists, it would be enough for one day. But on our way back we have to go through Setenil de las bodegas and it seems a pity to do extra kilometres tomorrow to visit the village so we stop. Most photos of Setenil show the same street of white houses set into the cliff, but this is only a tenth of the story. We have seen cave houses before in Matera or Modica in Italy for example but never as many as these. There are several streets of them winding around following the cliffs and in many cases it is only just a narrow strip at the front of the house which is outside the rock.

Plus most of them still seem to be used as homes and at one point the overhanging cliff reaches the other side to be used as part of the roof.

I realize I am overusing the word spectacular today but.....

It seems a pity to leave without contributing in some way, so we go into one of the cave bars and order 2 vermouths. The vermouths come in a tall glass and are about three times the usual quantity accompanied by a dish of olives.

Fortunately we are thus fortified, although Andrea has to drink most of the Vermouth because I generally drive and he navigates and parks and gets in and out of impossible garages. Fortunately, because although the drive back to Olvera through the countryside is very pleasant, by the time we get to Olvera from a different direction to the usual one it's dark, busy and Google maps is intent on sending us the wrong way up one-way streets. We go up and down one particular street at least 4 times until finally we spot Mercadona and manage to make our own way from there, it's nice to close the garage door for today.

Kilometres by car: 70

Kilometres on foot: 20