A pathway for the British, along the edge of a gorge

"The original idea was for the railway to start at Gibraltar, not Algeciras," says Peralta, but this was not to be the case and a second proposal to create a connection with San Roque was also unsuccessful.

As well as this railway line, which was built in 1892, the British constructed two hotels: first, the Reina Cristina in Algeciras, and then the Reina Victoria in Ronda, which was very popular because of its romantic location. The Ronda hotel was built just outside the town, on the Cornisa del Tajo, overlooking the precipice and mountains. It was a view that entranced the poet Rilke, who lived there for a while.

Before the hotel, with its typically English architecture, was inaugurated, which is believed to have been in 1909, the British company asked Ronda council to improve the access to it, because it was in very bad condition.

"At that time, Ronda ended at the Merced Convent. The hotel was in a very poor area of the town, where there was no road, just a dirt track, no pavements, there were pigsties and it was very muddy," says Peralta.

Some important people were due to attend the inauguration and the town hall had no money so asked local people to make donations towards the cost. However, the British had a plan B. They didn't trust the council and decided to create a path between the hotel and the town, bordering the precipice. It became known locally as the Paseo de los Ingleses, because of the number of well-dressed hotel guests who were seen strolling along its 350-metre length between the Reina Victoria and the Alameda del Tajo park. The Camino Inglés and the Paseo de los Ingleses are still popular today.