Exploring El Tajo.

If you think of Ronda, you most likely think of the 130m tall Puente Nuevo that connects the two halves of the city.

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It's an iconic image and the reason Ronda joined our list for our tour of Andalucia. We saw a photo and both said instantly, we need to go.

We had already walked across the bridge, and looked down over into the deep El Tajo gorge below the night before. It was then that we saw the walking paths down to the view points from where those famous photos are taken, and decided that we needed to make our way down. 

To get to the walking path, you need to cross the bridge and head up to a little back area with pretty seating and a small restaurant, and from there you can start heading down into the gorge. 

Before we walked down, we decided to pay the €2 and head to the inside of the bridge, where you can learn about the history and construction, and look down through a hole into the 130m drop below. 

The Puente Nuevo is the largest and unsurprisingly, given the name, newest of three bridges that span the gorge, which is home to the Guadalevin River.

Construction on the bridge started in 1751, and took 42 years to complete. It has had a variety of purposes during its life, including the central room in the middle being a prison, and during the Civil War it is claimed that it was used as a torture chamber, and a place from where prisoners were thrown from the windows and down into the depths of El Tajo below.

Now, I couldn't actually get any closer to the windows, to look at the magnificent view, because I am completely and utterly terrified of heights. In fact, the fact that I even managed to go inside the bridge, into the suspended former prison which just sits above that huge gorge, was already impressive enough. 

Even the idea of heading down the narrow path into the gorge was already scaring me, but it was an opportunity that we couldn't miss, and there was no way I was getting that far and not taking the ultimate Ronda photo. 

As we headed towards the other side of the bridge to the path, we stopped by a small bocadillo shop, which had gorgeous jamons and chorizo hanging in the window. 

Treating ourselves to a chorizo bocadillo (sandwich) before our walk, I could quite happily have been in that shop all day, and not just because it meant staying away from those steep, narrow paths. As you stepped inside the smell of paprika and fresh bread hit you, and as you wait for your food to be made, you stand behind a glass counter covered in fresh sweet treats. 

In all actuality, the path down to the viewing points is not too bad, and is completely easy if your not bad with heights. As long as you don't get too close to the edge. 

We got to the first viewing point, which is where most people seem to stop, however, now we were this far, we decided to keep going down as far as we could. 

The path at this point gets far narrower, and a lot more unstable, and in reality probably can't be considered a path, but more a collection of rocks, stone, and dodgy old stairs, that lead to the river below. 

We made it all the way to the very bottom, behind the bridge and the waterfall above, to an area where an old small water house, and a reservoir type area. 

There are very few people down in this part, and it is a little untidy, with old bottles and stagnant water all around. If however you climb down a little rocky slope, you can get to the part of the river that flows directly under the bridge. 

Now I was back on solid ground, I was quite happy, and jumped the stones to sit directly in the middle of the water surrounded by the gentle rapids. 

After a dip of our feet and a carton of Don Simon wine (€2 for three juice size cartons and seemingly a staple of our Spanish diet), we headed back up the gorge to the viewing point. 

The views are spectacular from every angle, whether you are looking towards the bridge, or across to the orange groves and mountains behind.

I am so glad that we followed the path all the way down, and even if you are also terrified of heights, it's worth it. Even if just to justify the well-earned sangria at the quaint little restaurant, back at the top of the path.