Ronda officially opens first phase of gorge walk creating a new iconic place for tourists to visit in Andalucía

Matías Stuber

Ronda

Friday, 12 April 2024, 12:03 | Updated 12:27h.

Ronda's new Camino del Desfiladero del Tajo gorge walk, is soon expected to become a hotspot for tourists to visit in Andalucía with the first phase of the 1.6-million-euro attraction due to be opened to the public on Saturday, 13 April.

The first of two phases of the project was officially opened yesterday Thursday 11 April with the 250-metre route starting from the central María Auxiliadora square and following a winding route until it ends at the foot of the New Bridge and the gorge itself, offering stunning panoramic views.

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On Saturday it will be open to the public at a price of five euros (those registered as living in the municipality will be able to access it for free). Ronda mayor María de la Paz Fernández said the attraction's website, which has been operational for about 24 hours, has already sold some 600 tickets. Expectations are in line with what this new tourist attraction has to offer, adding to the many sites that combine environmental exploration with physical activity in the open air.

Thursday's official opening of the new tourist attraction was attended by the Junta's minister of tourism Arturo Bernal, Diputación president Francisco Salado and the delegate of tourism Gemma del Corral, among others. Work on the pathway in this first phase has cost around 500,000 euros.

The intention is to extend the route with a walkway along the bottom of the gorge in a second phase, until it reaches 750 metres long. The second phase will be paid for, in part, by Malaga's Diputación provincial authority with its president, Francisco Salado, announcing the tender for the project will go out on Tuesday next week. The estimated cost would be in excess of 600,000 euros. Extending the route would allow it to reach the Arab baths in the Padre Jesús neighbourhood.

During a small ceremony at the site on Thursday, attended by about thirty invited guests, the Junta's Arturo Bernal said the Desfiladero del Tajo "is going to be one of the great attractions of this town". He also said it will add to the wide range of tourist attractions that the region already has and will be another argument for people visiting Ronda and Malaga province. Meanwhile, Salado said he had "fallen in love with Ronda again" thanks to the new, stunning views offered by the pathway.

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Fernández pointed out that the Desfiladero del Tajo is "not just a project for Ronda, it is a project for Malaga and Andalucía". The Ronda mayor also said it is an example of tourism being "not just sun and beach, it is also inland tourism". The walkway will become "one of the most visited attractions in the province", she added.

A website has been created where tickets for the walk can be pre-booked: www.desfiladerodeltajo.info. It is available in seven languages and an application can be downloaded using a QR code to find out more about this natural site.