Photo: Benjamin Smith (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Puente Nuevo and its visitor centre
From Ronda centre5 min
Duration30 min–1 h
DifficultyEasy
PriceSeeing the bridge is free. Visitor centre (chamber under the arch): €2–3 depending on the source. Included in the Ronda Tourist Pass (about €12, €9 reduced), which also covers the Palacio de Mondragón and the Arab Baths and is bought at the Tourist Office
Best timeAll year
KidsSí
AddressC/ Armiñán, junto a la Plaza de España (entrada al Centro por la antigua caseta de guardia del puente). Aparca en el Parking Martínez Astein (Av. Martínez Astein, abierto 24 h; 10-20 min andando al centro) o en el subterráneo de la Plaza del Socorro (Plaza del Socorro 11, 24 h, altura máx. 1,95 m)
Opening hoursInterpretation Centre: Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00 (until 19:00 in spring and summer); Saturdays 10:00–13:45 and 15:00–18:00; Sundays 10:00–15:00.
About
- Ronda's great icon: it links the old town (La Ciudad) with El Mercadillo over the Tajo, about 98 m deep
- Begun in 1759 and opened in May 1793; completed by the architect José Martín de Aldehuela
- A first bridge from 1735 collapsed six years later and about 50 people died
- The chamber under the central arch was a guardhouse and prison; today it is a small interpretation centre with windows onto the gorge
Good to know
- Cross the bridge early, before the tour buses arrive
- If you're going into two or more municipal monuments, get the Bono Turístico (about €12) at the Tourist Office: it includes this centre, the Palacio de Mondragón and the Arab Baths
- To see it whole you have to go down: see the entries for the Arco del Cristo and the Camino del Desfiladero
- Don't climb on the walls for the photo: andalucia.com warns it's a common cause of accidents
- Combine it with the Tajo viewpoints and the Plaza de Toros, all within 5 minutes
Near here
Tajo viewpoints route: Aldehuela, Paseo de Blas Infante and Balcón del CoñoFamily / Leisure · Ronda · 5 minMirador de Aldehuela: right by the bridge, on the edge of the gorge; the closest view of the Puente Nuevo, from the side
Tabanco Los ArcosTabanco (traditional wine bar): Serranía wines, cured meats and bollitos (small filled rolls) · La Ciudad · 5 minRustic tabanco (traditional wine tavern) with Ronda wines at a good price and views of the Tajo and the bridge from the tables at the back,
Guided tours and free tours (including mysteries and legends)Culture · Ronda · 5 minFree tour of Ronda (1 h 30 min) and a free tour of mysteries and legends (1 h 45 min), in Spanish.jpg/960px-(_Tapas_in_Spain,_Madrid_).jpg)
TragatáChef's tapas (the bar of Benito Gómez, chef of Bardal) · Calle Nueva · 5 minThe informal, sharing version from the chef of Bardal, right on Calle Nueva, a few metres from the Puente Nuevo.