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Photos of Ronda Romantica: A Breathtaking Voyage to 19th Century Andalucia 

Ronda RománticaMore than 20,000 people descended upon the beautiful city of Ronda this weekend to celebrate the 3rd edition of Ronda Romántica, the city’s May Fair which offers a fascinating look at its history and traditions.

During the three day festivities, locals and visitors were taken on a voyage of discovery to 19th century Spain, a time of bandits, muleteers and romantic travellers. (more…)

Visiting Ronda: Two Amazing Monuments you Must See

Ronda Gorge

The amazing Gorge in Ronda

The town of Ronda is located approximately45 km inland and is undoubtedly one of the most popular and spectacular destinations for tourists who visit the Costa del Sol.

Ronda has much to offer; however, in this post we’ll feature two of its most famous landmarks: The spectacular Gorge and the fabulous Bullring.

As you drive into the town, you’ll make your way over the ‘Puente Nuevo’ (NewBridge) which stretches over the famous Ronda Gorge. Over100 metres deep and 500 metres in length, The Gorge was formed by the Guadalevin river which winds its way through its deep walls.

The Gorge was once the historical divide which separated the old and the new quarters of Ronda. In 1751, architect Jose Martín de Aldehuela began an engineering feat which would take over 40 years to complete and become the iconic monument which today offers stunning panoramic views of Ronda and its surroundings. Apparently, all of the stone blocks used to build the impressive structure were sourced from the river bed at the bottom of the Gorge. (more…)

The Malaga Village of Júzcar gets Painted Blue for Movie Premiere

Júzcar pintado de azulJúzcar, a traditional white village situated near the famous town of Ronda, has been chosen by Sony Pictures as the setting for the premiere of their new film “The Smurfs 3D” this Thursday 16th June.

This wont be your run-of-the-mill premiere, Sony’s PR experts have come up with an innovative idea to gain publicity for the launch: Paint the whole town blue! No kidding, they have managed to convince the town’s inhabitants to paint their houses “smurf” blue…

A team of 20 painters – 11 of which are villagers who were unemployed – has been hard at work painting every single building in the village (See photo).

So why did Sony choose this small – previously – white village in the hills near Ronda for their world premiere? Apart from the incredible climate, it seems that Júzcar is also popular for its promotion of sustainable tourism; they have special walking routes and also organise mycological events and, as we all know, mushrooms are the Smurfs favourite food 🙂

All the media exposure has had a very positive effect on the village’s coffers as tourists flock to take pictures of the famous Smurf Village. Business is booming, so much so, that they are considering keeping their new colour indefinitely!

For the moment, they have voted to remain “Smurf” Blue until September, at which point they will review the situation and decide on whether to paint all buildings white again – incidentally, the cost of painting the village white will be taken care of by Sony as part of the agreement.

So if you’re planning on visiting Ronda this summer, make sure you pop into Júzcar. Apparently, the village will be organising a special “Smurf Tour” which will include a free hat and t-shirt… think about it, you’ll be able to tell all your friends that you visited the original Smurf Village and you’ll have the t-shirt to prove it!