The Camino del Desfiladero del Tajo is Ronda’s most unique and iconic monument.
The province of Málaga is now home to yet another interactive attraction that celebrates nature, architecture and the region’s rich heritage. The Camino del Desfiladero del Tajo – Ronda’s gorge walk, boasts a new and improved suspended walkway offering exhilarating cliff’s-edge exploration, without the need for abseiling! (Though hard-hats do need to be worn, and are supplied on-site).
Article by Sophie Gatward-Wicks
Conveniently, just an hour’s drive from Marbella centre, and much closer for those on the western side, it’s certainly a bucket-list outing that provides a rarely seen perspective of Ronda’s incredible monument. The route starts from the central María Auxiliadora square, and ends at the base of the world-famous Puente Nuevo “New Bridge” and El Tajo gorge.
Ronda is one of the few cities in the world to be naturally split into two halves (joined by the Puente Nuevo). The gorge, created by constant erosion caused by the river Guadalevín has inspired many authors, artists and filmmakers over the years. A famous scene in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is said to have been inspired by an actual event in which Fascist sympathisers were thrown from the cliff into the gorge by Republican partisans during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
The first phase of the 1.6-million-euro upgraded walkway gives you close-up access to the historic geological formations, and takes you right up to the base of Puente Nuevo, where the panoramic views can be admired from a brand new perspective. The Puente Nuevo was built in the late 1700s, and is the largest (and newest) of the three bridges that span the 120-metre-deep (390 ft) chasm that carries the Guadalevín River.
Newly reopened to the public on April 13 2024, the first phase of the new suspended walkway has been completed, designed by Málaga’s own architect Luis Machuca, who was also behind the dare-devil walkway which traverses the famous El Chorro gorge, the Caminito del Rey.
With a successful first few weeks since opening, the attraction is set to become a major pull for visitors of the region going forward, with the mayor of Ronda, Maria Fernandez stating: “it’s not just a project for Ronda, it is a project for Málaga and Andalucía”. Fernandez also said it is an example of tourism being “not just sun and beach, it is also inland tourism”.
The second phase of the project plans to extend the route to 750 metres along the bottom of the gorge, allowing the walkway to reach the old San Miguel Hermitage, next to the Arab Baths in the Padre Jesús neighbourhood.
Tickets are €5 per person (or free for those registered as living in Ronda). You can book tickets online for up to four people at a time, including children over 8 years old, on the dedicated website: https://desfiladerodeltajo.info/
See images of visitors enjoying the walk shortly after it opened on the Sur in English website.
Sources: discoverronda.com, surinenglish.com, desfiladerodeltajo.info.
