Cartajima Hills - Grazalema Natural Park - Juzcar, blue village - Sierra de las Nieves National Park - Ronda gorge and Puente Nuevo Bridge - Torrecilla peak
Walking Holidays in Spain
Guided or Self-Guided Walking Holidays in Andalucia, Spain
Enjoy a guided or self-guided walking holiday in Andalucia, experiencing the mountains and unspoiled countryside stretching out for miles in every direction. For this holiday, you will be based in Ronda, in the heart of fabulous walking country. The town is ideally located between one National and one Natural Park and is surrounded by dramatic mountains, rolling hills, areas of rich forest, open countryside, vineyards and olive groves. Walkers can enjoy quiet trails throughout the region, walking along old drovers' routes, secret mountain pathways between villages, hillside goat tracks, undulating valley trails and unsurfaced farm lanes.
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On our guided holidays, our guides will lead you through the local area, exploring hidden pathways which crisscross the countryside. On our self-guided holidays, we provide easy-to-use GPS equipment and annotated maps so you can explore the area on your own. We include a couple of drop-offs/pick-ups to optimise the route choice and explore the wider region.
Walking through this quiet and unspoiled region will allow you to experience Andalucian rural life, which appears to have changed little for hundreds of years.
Overview
Price Self-Guided from €665 p.p. (Minimum requirement of 2 people)
Guided from €805 p.p. (Minimum requirement of 4 people)
Prices are based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room with breakfast
Duration 6 days 5 nights 4 walking days Distance 13km per day average Ascent +450 per day average Difficulty Easy - Moderate - Challenging - walks are available at all levels, though the area is hilly and trails are not groomed so all walks will include ascent and stony, uneven sections. Some walks include notable hill climbs, with steep descents and ascents and sections on loose or rocky surfaces. Availability March to June | September to November. The duration and pricing above is only a suggestion. Choose the dates and duration which suit you, start on any day of the week, alternative pricing on request. Note: Supplements may apply during Easter week due to inflated accommodation prices. Ronda Walking Holiday Highlights
Walking Highlights
- Amazing unspoiled landscapes – mountains, valleys and forests
- Breath-taking scenery in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park and Sierra de las Nieves National Park
- Walking 'the less travelled path' – routes which explore where other visitors to the area don't get to see
- Ronda, the City of Dreams - a cliff-top town separated in two by a 120m-deep gorge with an awe-inspiring, 18th century, arched bridge
- White villages - nestled in the valleys and mountains and unchanged for centuries
- Best weather in Europe – 300+ days of sunshine per year for optimal walking conditions
- Warm Andalucian hospitality, local culture and cuisine
Flexible Planning
- Flexible booking schedule - pick the dates you want to travel and the length of your holiday
- Choice of hotel - Boutique countryside hotel or Ronda town centre hotel
- Half-board or B&B options - all offering superb hospitality
- Choose guided or self-guided walking – qualified local guides or phone GPS navigation App
- Bespoke routes and itinerary
- Choice of difficulty and distance
- Add a day or two of easy bike rides to help you explore more of the Serrania de Ronda
Itinerary
A TYPICAL GUIDED HOLIDAY:
Sunday - Arrival Day
Transfer to Ronda and settle into your hotel.
Monday - Tajo del Abanico ('Fan Gorge' to Cueva del Gato ('Cat Cave')
15km +264m
Visit a striking limestone gorge then head into the hills and to a local beauty spot with a waterfall and clear water pool.
Tuesday - Torrecilla Ascent
16km +823m
Cross the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park to the summit of the highest peak in Western Andalucia. Amazing views!
Wednesday - Grazalema Natural Park
13km +264m
Walk from one white village to another through the heart of the Grazalema Natural Park.
Thursday
Cartajima to Ronda
13km +463m
From a small white village, follow an ancient drover's trail over the mountains to Ronda.
Friday - Departure Day
Return to Malaga airport for your flight home or take onward travel elsewhere if you are staying in Spain. We can help with airport or other transfer arrangements if required.
A TYPICAL DAY: (based on Country Hotel)
- 09:00 - Enjoy a hearty breakfast ready for the day ahead
- 10:00 - Head out into the countryside on your first hike
- 14:00 - Finish at a local bar or cafe for refreshments or light lunch. If we finish outside Ronda, minibus return to your hotel.
- 16:00 - Chill-out by the pool. Afternoon tea and cakes provided.
- 19:00 - Drinks in the bar
- 20:00 - Enjoy a well-deserved 3-course meal on the hotel restaurant's terrace.
- 21:30 - Relax with a nightcap before getting a good night's sleep, ready for tomorrow's adventure
Hotel Options & Prices
Over the years we have seen how our guests have different requirements for their accommodation, just like they do with their riding preferences.
For this reason, we offer 3 excellent choices of accommodation to suit everybody's needs. All our hotels have excellent reviews, facilities, hospitality and location. Choice of accommodation does not affect where you ride or walk each day, the Ronda hotels are very close to each other and the country hotel is less than 10 minutes from the town.
Prices below are per person, sharing a double or twin room for a 7-day, 6-night holiday but we can cater for anything from a single day of walking and riding through to a full week.
COUNTRY HOTEL: Half Board
Relax in a boutique countryside hotel just outside Ronda with a pool, gardens and restaurant.
Self-Guided: from €665
Guided: from €805
Includes:
- 5 nights' en-suite accommodation with breakfast
- 3 nights' dinner, incl drinks
- Afternoon tea & cakes
- 4 days of walking
- Transfers from Ronda to the hotel on arrival and departure days
- Self-guided walkers receive route maps, local information and GPS phone app/GPX files, and selected drop-off/pick-up days to optimise route choice
4* RONDA HOTEL: B&B
Enjoy one of Ronda's popular hotels right in the centre of town, usually the 4**** Hotel Maestranza. (Subject to availability)
Self-Guided: from €605
Guided: from €745
Includes:
- 5 nights' en-suite accommodation with breakfast
- 4 days of walking
- Self-guided walkers receive route maps, local information and GPS phone app/GPX files, and selected drop-off/pick-up days to optimise route choice
SUPERIOR RONDA HOTEL: B&B
Indulge in one of Ronda's finest 4-star hotels with a pool, spa, gardens and wonderful views over the famous cliffs. This hotel is also close to the town centre.
Self-Guided: from €435
Guided: from €495
Includes:
- 5 nights' luxury en-suite accommodation with balcony/terrace
- Superb breakfast buffet
- 4 days of walking
- Self-guided walkers receive route maps, local information and GPS phone app/GPX files, and selected drop-off/pick-up days to optimise route choice
NOT INCLUDED:
- Flights
- Airport transfers - Malaga transfers available on request
- Meals not stated above
- Single room - price available on request
- Travel Insurance
- Personal expenditures e.g. bar bills, hotel extras
Trail Options
Ronda-Based Walking Holiday
Our most popular walking holidays are at a moderate level of difficulty. This region is mountainous so all walks will include some level of ascent and descent. Climbs can sometimes be steep or with a drop to the side but no special equipment is required and they are perfectly do-able by any reasonably fit and able hiker. We can include more mountainous climbs and longer distances if you would like more challenging walking options.
Please note, that we can include one or two easy walks as part of a walking holiday itinerary but this area is not suitable as a holiday base for walkers who are looking only for smooth, easy or groomed walking trails.
Guided holidays include vehicle support throughout.
N.B. Self-guided centre-based walking holidays include some days with transport drop-offs/pick-ups. The countryside hotel is not available for 100% self-guided walking holidays, though we can offer a mix of guided and self-guided walks if you would like to stay in this country hotel.
Add in a day or two of cycling on some of the routes we have in the area, including the Via Verde de la Sierra, a beautiful ride along a disused railway passing through 30 tunnels and alongside a Griffon Vulture nesting site.
EASY ROUTES
Easy walks include minimal ascent and range from 8-10km. Trails may still include some short steep sections and stony ground but not for extended distances.
MODERATE ROUTES
Moderate-level walking will require a good level of overall fitness, together with the ability to walk on trails which are mainly untended and not well-maintained. We walk on all-natural trails, so routes can be weather-eroded with stony, gravelly or uneven surfaces and some sections take us through unmarked ground, with no obvious pathway at all.
CHALLENGING ROUTES
Walking routes with more ascent or very rough trails, often no trail at all, so you could be walking through rocky open ground or along river beds or up steep narrower paths.