The southern Spain city of Ronda feels dramatic from the moment you arrive. It is quite literally split in two by a deep gorge called El Tajo, with the breathtaking Puente Nuevo arching across it. The Puente Nuevo, the new bridge, though, was built in the 1700s.

The views here of the gorge are awesome!

That setting alone would make it memorable, but Ronda layers history on top of spectacle. It’s one of Spain’s oldest towns, shaped by Roman, Moorish, and Christian influences, which you can see throughout the town.

It’s also home to the Plaza de Toros de Ronda, one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, often linked to the origins of modern bullfighting.

Writers and artists—most famously Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles—were drawn to its wild beauty and romantic isolation.

Also what makes Ronda special is the feeling of standing on the edge of something vast: sheer cliffs, sweeping Andalusian countryside, and a town that seems suspended between earth and sky.

Its views of the valley are awesome.