Rhonda

One of the most distinctive and certainly one of the most traditional towns in Spain. It is situated at 750 meters above sea level along a plateau surrounded by mountains (the Celtic name Arunda signified "surrounded by mountains"). One part of the town is situated at the edge of a steep rock-face, along the center of which is situated a kind of canyon (the so-called Tajo de Ronda). The Rio Guadalevín, a tributary of the Guadiaro river runs along the bottom of this deep gorge. The district of Ronda was inhabited as far back as prehistoric times - a fact confirmed by the presence of the Megalithic monuments of Los Arenosos and Cueva de la Pileta (Paleolithic graffiti drawn on rocks and Neolithic ceramics). The origins of ArundaThe origins of Arunda can be traced back to the Celtic Age; later, the Phoenicians settled in the nearby vicinity of Acinipio, which was formerly an ancient Iberian foundation. After the Romans had conquered Spain, they changed the name of Arunda to Munda and turned Acinipio into a Municipium (municipality), conferring upon it the inherent privileges associated with its new elevated status. In the first half of the 8C, the town was conquered by the Arabs who named it the "town of castles" (Izn-Rand-Onda). After the Catholic Kings had re-conquered Spain (1485), Ronda enjoyed a period of great prosperity and extensive urban development which was to continue up until the end of the 18C. The town is divided into two separate sections: the oldest district lies to the south.