Ronda's hidden gorge: not as famous as the town centre one, but it's just as spectacular

Just a few minutes away from southern Spain's most famous gorge lies another dramatic cut in the rock face, one that receives hardly any visitors. It is a rugged and silent spot, overshadowed for decades by the iconic landmark that has brought worldwide fame to Ronda. There are no crowded viewpoints or railings there, but there is a natural spectacle that takes visitors by surprise from the very first moment they venture into it along a winding footpath.

Its stunning landscape has not gone unnoticed by the world of fiction. Long before it became a popular spot for hikers, this gorge had already captivated filmmakers and television producers for its spectacular scenery. Scenes from the film adaptation of the opera Carmen were filmed within its rock walls in the 1980s, as well as episodes of the legendary Spanish TV series 'Curro Jiménez', the perfect setting to recreate a wild, rugged and legendary Andalucía.

Known as El Abanico (as in a hand-held fan), this geological formation is located south of the town of Ronda, next to the Sijuela stream. The continuous action of water on Ronda's 'molasa' -a relatively soft, sedimentary rock - has carved out a narrow gorge with vertical walls and very striking, eroded rock formations over thousands of years.

Its name comes from a unique rock formation resembling an open fan, visible in one of the most spectacular stretches along the hiking trail. It is also one of the most valuable geological features in the Serranía de Ronda mountain range, both for its morphology and the surrounding landscape.

Despite being further away from the historic town centre than El Tajo gorge, El Abanico is perfectly accessible on foot. Thanks to the network of trails in the Serranía area, it is possible to reach this spot without technical difficulty, following ancient traditional paths that, for centuries, connected Ronda with other parts of the area.

One of these paths starts at the edge of the San Francisco district of Ronda, coinciding with an approved local footpath (SL-A-40). The route first runs along wide, comfortable lanes and gradually descends towards the Sijuela valley, moving away from the urban environment and into an increasingly natural landscape.

However, this route is more than just a hiking trail. This is also one of the stages of the Gran Serranía de Ronda, the ambitious hiking project that links the whole area on foot and, in this section, links Ronda town with Alpandeire, the village where Fray Leopoldo was born. This connection is no coincidence: the route takes advantage of ancient paths of communication from history, used for centuries by muleteers, shepherds and travellers.

The path was part of a traditional network that connected Ronda with the villages of the Genalvalley and the southern slopes of the mountain range and even with routes that eventually led down towards the coast. Even today, we can still see cobbled sections, dry stone walls and features such as small gateways and livestock chutes that bear witness to its agricultural and livestock use. Walking through this gorge is, therefore, to explore not only a natural space, but also to experience an authentically historical route that has shaped this land for generations.

The landscape gradually changes as you keep walking. After leaving the first olive groves behind, holm oaks and gall oaks appear, until the path enters the shady side of the gorge, where sheer rocky faces and riverside vegetation dominate.

The path then passes by an old abandoned farmhouse that stands out for its slender stone tower, as well as for the remains of walls, threshing floors and elements linked to traditional agricultural and livestock use. Further on, the path narrows and follows the Sijuela stream, whose flow varies depending on the time of year.

It is in this final stretch where the geological formation of El Abanico reveals itself in all its splendour, with eroded walls that inevitably remind us of the great natural symbol of Ronda, although here the atmosphere is much more solitary and wild.

One of the great attractions of this area is its biological richness. The route crosses diverse landscapes, resulting in a remarkable variety of flora. From the olive groves at the start, it passes through masses of holm oaks and gall oaks, culminating in riverside vegetation and the vegetation typical of limestone cliffs, where climbing plants and species adapted to the rock appear.

Something similar occurs with the fauna, especially for the birds. In the initial stretches, it is common to see sparrows, greenfinches and chaffinches, while in the gorge area there are species typical of rocky outcrops, such as the blue rock thrush, the red-billed chough and swifts. It is not uncommon to see birds of prey such as the kestrel or even the peregrine falcon soaring above the cliffs.

Like many unique spots in the Serranía de Ronda, El Abanico is steeped in stories passed down through the generations. One of the most frequently repeated tales is about a supposed ambush led by the Lusitanian chieftain Viriato against Roman troops, a legend with no historical basis, but deeply rooted in story telling.

There is also talk of its use as a refuge for bandits and smugglers, drawn by the area's rugged terrain and its proximity to ancient trade routes. These stories, over time, have contributed to forge that romantic and mysterious aura that has captivated scriptwriters, filmmakers and travellers alike.