Ronda is a super short drive from the hustle and bustle of Marbella, be warned though if you fancy it in a camper the windy road up the mountain to this high lying town is probably the worst road we’d been on and I think I spent about 80% of the drive diving in the back picking up objects which had flown from the sides, cupboards that had fallen open I could go on! But anyway it was totally worth it. Our main purpose was to see. Puente Viejo which Joshua had looked up online. We had looked up online where was the best viewpoint and we pulled up below the bridge, which showcased the dramatic mountainous landscape in which this town sits. The dirt track that took us there were so much worse than than windy road but actually quite fun. The view was picture perfect and we noticed a hiking trail which ran up towards a higher hill so we thought lets investigate. Not thinking it would be anything hard we left our flip flops on and skipped up. We immediately regretted our decision I will admit but we laughed through the hard rocky terrain to reach the top where the peak lay opposite the bridge itself. Being the only people on that side made it feel like our own little secret location where we had a fantastic view which everyone on the bridge couldn’t have seen from their perspective. Once we’d taken our snaps and tumbled down the hill back to the van we moved on and parked up just outside of the city centre and headed over to the Arabian baths. The place seemed so small and secluded I didn’t think we were in the right place. It was just a patch of dirt from above but after buying our ticket we stepped down and were transported to another era. Inside light poured through holes in the ceiling illuminating the many pillars which supported this hidden structure. It was lovely to learn all about the history o the area and it brought to light our lack go knowledge, we had no idea of the huge influences that came over from Africa with the baths. From there we ventured up the hill taking shelter in the shade from the midday heat. We walked over to the bridge to see the view from the top. The view was spectacular, its no surprise it stole the hearts of the old literary romantics and is known through history for its scenery. We sipped our favourite Spanish drink Tinto de Verano looking over the nearby main square soaking in the beautiful architecture and quiet old feel which was so different to the shopping and busy restaurants of Marbella.
From there we decided to leave Ronda and headed to Cats Cave which was about half a hour away. It was in the middle of nowhere and as the evening drew closer we worried it would be shut thankfully it wasn’t! It was just €2 to get in and we took our towels and my wetsuit shoes to investigate what this place had to offer. The air was already so cool from the rushing water of the river we walked alongside and the shade of the trees above. It was like being in air con. The path took us deeper into the woods and as we turned a corner a beautiful lagoon of pure aqua came into view. It was a tiny natural haven! There were locals who’d clearly been there all day with big cool boxes and picnics surrounded by their children playing in the water. We took up a spot and dipped our toes in the water. It was FREEZING! Words cant describe the chill on the water. Joshua said it was painful thats how cold it was but he was just being wimpy. After a hot day walking round ronda it was a perfect way to cool off. We took a full dip to cool our bodies and relaxed in the pretty surroundings shaded by the trees. After an hour or two relaxing the day was coming to an end so we headed back to the van. We warmed up in our favourite way but cooking up some super noodles and heading onto the road towards our next destination Cordoba.
