Ronda's suspended gorge walkway: opening of final stretch delayed, pending a court ruling

However, an administrative and legal setback related to the jetty at the Casa del Rey Moro ('house of the Moorish king') is delaying the launch of one of this historic town's most eagerly awaited tourism projects.

This was explained by Ronda's councillor for tourism, Ángel Martínez, who pointed out that two issues are delaying the opening of the new section. The main one concerns a jetty located next to the Guadalevín river, at the end of La Mina de la Casa del Rey Moro, a mine and house that form one of Ronda's most visited historical sites. The site is of Arab origin, carved into the rock of the Tajo gorge, which was historically used to transport water from the river to the town.

According to the councillor, this structure is located in an area affected by the public water domain (DPH). "The Casa del Rey Moro has a jetty there and the DPH has asked them to remove it, as they do not have permission to have it there," stated Martínez. The property owner has taken legal action regarding this notification, so the town council is now awaiting the resolution of a preliminary injunction.

Martínez indicated that this procedure could be resolved in "a month or a month and a half". From then on, if the ruling goes in favour of the DPH, the council believes that the new section could then be opened. "Once the matter is resolved and Patrimonio Hidráulico [DPH] is found to be in the right, we can get going again, because the construction work is already done."

The dispute is relevant because the new municipal route along the bottom of the Tajo gorge passes through this area. The Casa del Rey Moro mine descends to a small platform or jetty over the Guadalevín river and this final section of the gorge trail runs straight through this place. This coincidence has made the administrative status of the jetty the main obstacle to opening the complete walkway.

While this issue is being resolved, Ronda town hall is taking the opportunity to finalise the last complementary jobs connected to this project. These include the renovation of a municipal building in Calle Molino del Alarcón, near the San Miguel hermitage, which will serve as a visitor centre and auxiliary tourist office at the trailhead. The project, with a budget spend of approximately 22,000 euros, will provide a public service area, offices and toilet facilities for those completing the trail.

Martínez clarified that landscaping and clearing up around the hermitage is still pending, although he stressed that this work would not impede the opening of the walkway. "It's giving us time to open it when fully finished," he said, insisting that the municipal intention was to put this new tourist attraction into operation "as soon as possible".

The project has benefited from technical input from the regional government and also funding from Malaga's provincial authority. The latter is covering 50 per cent of the cost of this new section of the walkway. "We are very happy, very excited and looking forward to launching this project," stated Martínez, adding that this resource has been "long awaited by the tourism sector".

The second stretch will now complete a nearly one-kilometre route through the heart of the Tajo gorge, although its opening is contingent upon clearing the legal obstacle related to the Casa del Rey Moro jetty. Ronda council estimates that the remaining work will be completed in about a month and is confident that the court ruling will come within a month to six weeks.

From then on, Ronda hopes to be able to open the entire trail to the public. This will include a new visitor centre at the starting point, with safety measures in place for an environment that is governed by river and weather conditions. Most of all, the local council hopes to add a new tourist attraction to a town that wants its visitors to not only admire the Tajo from above, but also to experience it by actually walking along it from below.