Puente Nuevo bridge, Ronda cliffside city, Ronda, Spain

The split city

Ancient civilizations used this mountain perch in the south of the Iberian Peninsula as a strategic location for fortified settlements, with Romans, Moors, and Visigoths each contributing to the modern-day Spanish city we now call Ronda. Puente Nuevo is the bridge we see on the right side of this picture. It's one of three bridges that straddle El Tajo canyon, the gap that separates Ronda's two halves. At the base of El Tajo runs the Guadalevín River, supplying Ronda with water and, these days, another breathtaking scene to delight visitors to the city.