Ronda’s most prominent attraction is, without doubt, its Puente Nuevo Bridge, commonly known here as “El Tajo”. It is a breathtaking structure which makes the viewer dizzy both because of its height and its beauty. This bridge links the old part of Ronda with the new one. It is the perfect place to understand how interesting a day around this lovely city can be.
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Puente Nuevo – ‘The New Bridge’ – in Ronda, An Incredible 400 Foot Construction
The Puente Nuevo, or “New Bridge”, is the newest and largest of three bridges that span the 120-metre-deep (390 ft) chasm that carries the Guadalevín River and divides the city of Ronda, in southern Spain. Completed in 1793, the architect was José Martin de Aldehuela and the chief builder was Juan Antonio Díaz Machuca.
The construction of the newest bridge (the one standing as of 2017) was started in 1759 and took 34 years. There is a chamber above the central arch that was used for a variety of purposes, including as a prison. During the 1936–1939 civil war both sides allegedly used the prison as a torture chamber for captured opponents, killing some by throwing them from the windows to the rocks at the bottom of the El Tajo gorge. The chamber is entered through a square building that was once the guard-house. It now contains an exhibition describing the bridge’s history and construction.
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- Puente Nuevo – ‘The New Bridge’ – in Ronda, An Incredible 400 Foot Construction
Construction of the previous bridge started in 1735; this was the first attempt to span the gorge at this height. The architects Jose Garcia and Juan Camacho completed the bridge with a single arch design. This bridge was quickly and poorly built; the entire bridge collapsed in 1741, killing 50 people.
The Centro de Interpretación del Puente Nuevo or Visitors Centre of Puente Nuevo is located on a lower floor, which you can reach through a staircase between the bridge and the hotel Parador.
Thanks to an audiovisual itinerary and multimedia panels, you will discover the history of the bridge including how it was built and its relationship with the surrounding landscape.
#Ronda is one of the few cities in the world to be naturally split into two halves by one of Spain’s most photographed 📸 bridges. 🌉
It's called Puente Nuevo!
👇👇👇#VisitSpain #SpainArt #SpainCulturalHeritage https://t.co/pyRbVMsyTp— Spain (@spain) May 10, 2021
Visit Ronda, It’s Fantastic!
The city of Ronda is like a dream come true. It looks like a place from another time. It is a city that allows us to discover all the civilizations that passed by. Or a city that makes us learn about myths and legends from bandits travelling all over the mountain range.
If you’re only in Ronda for one day be sure to check out our audi guided tour our Its a fantastic way to find the best places in Ronda and learn about some history. If you’re likely to be here for two days or more, then our most popular walks include the walk to the Virgen de la Cabeza, or Mr Henderson’s Railway Walk. And, of course the spectacular Natural Park of the Sierra de Grazalema
A walking tour of Ronda is a pleasant and enjoyable way to spend a lazy few hours, almost everything you could want to see in Ronda is no more than 200-300 metres from the new bridge. But to really get the most out of Ronda, book a hotel, stay with us for a few days and immerse yourself into the City of Dreams.