Lines in a Landscape

A first look at Ronda's Desfiladero del Tajo walkway

Last week I read newspaper reports about a new tourist attraction opening in Ronda: a walkway through part of the Tajo gorge that cuts through the city. Access to the walk follows a similar model to the Caminito del Rey, also in Malaga province. There is a fee to enter, and reservations are required to secure entry during a specific time slot. I was able to buy a ticket for Saturday, the first day the walk was open to the general public.

Desfiladero del Tajo - walkers in hard hats on a path below a vertical cliff, with a tall stone bridge in the background

The Desfiladero del Tajo follows the the example of the Caminito de Rey in another respect: all vistors are required to wear hard hats. This is said to protect against falling rocks, but I can't help wondering if it is aimed at encouraging publicity-friendly selfies. It wasn't very crowded when I visited, making for a relaxing contrast with the streets of Ronda itself. I don't know if that was because the numbers per time slot are kept low, or because not many people were aware of it at that point.

Puente Nuevo - a very tall stone arched bridge towers over the viewer

The path descends gently towards the base of the Puente Nuevo. This is probably the main selling point of the Desfiladero del Tajo. There are plenty of viewpoints where you can take in the imposing sight of Ronda's 18th century bridge and the gorge it spans (EL Tajo), without the need to pay a fee or reserve a time in advance. But none of them offer quite the same vantage point.

A walkway between green railings leads to a passage through a stone structure

After only 200 metres, and just as things seem to be getting really interesting, the public part of the path comes to an end. An older path, currently closed off, continues tantalizingly through an opening in the bridge structure. There are plans for a second phase of the project to open this part up to the public, allowing the Puente Nuevo to be viewed from the other side.

Climbers in hard hats with ropes above a waterfall

When I visited, there were climbers on the cliffs of the Tajo, near the waterfall below Puente Nuevo. I felt even more embarrassed about my hard hat when looking at properly adventurous people who really did need them.

Distant rocky mountains, with a wooded ridge in the middle distance

It's easy to be mesmerised by Puente Nuevo, but there are also fine views looking away from Ronda towards the surrounding mountains. In this photo the Ermita de la Virgen is visible to the right of the wooded ridge. This hermitage is a fine target for a walk from Ronda in its own right, which I will probably write about some day.

View of the Puente Nuevo in Ronda from below. A tall arched stone bridge with cliffs on either side, and greenery and flowers in the foreground.

Returning to the ticket office, there is access to another viewpoint allowing visitors to admire Puente Nuevo from a li ttle further away.

Overall, I wouldn't class the Desfiladero del Tajo as an essential part of a visit to Ronda - although that might change when the second phase opens. There are so many fine walks and viewpoints around the town that it seems a pity to restrict yourself to a specific time slot for the sake of a mere 400 metres of walking. But if it fits with your other plans, it does offer something a little different.

For more information and ticket purchases, see the official Desfiladero del Tajo website.

Published 2024-04-14