Hotel Catalonia Reina Victoria Wellness & Spa

Backing onto a pine forest, Catalonia Reina Victoria enjoys a location which is spectacular even by the standards of Ronda – a pretty Andalucian town teetering dramatically on a cliff overlooking the El Tajo Gorge.

Belying the hotel’s long history, its rooms and suites have a contemporary design, with a stylish monochrome colour scheme offset by splashes of burgundy in the furniture and curtains. Terrace Rooms offer views over the El Tajo Gorge from your own balcony, as do Junior Terrace Suites. All rooms and suites feature satellite TV and a mini-bar. 

The elegant Azahar restaurant specialises in Andalucian and Spanish food, with cameos from international dishes, all presented in an exquisite, artful style. Sample dishes include Almadraba tuna tataki, grilled Iberian pork, and partridge in sherry sauce. To accompany your meal, the restaurant offers an extensive line of wines, with the acclaimed vineyards of the Ronda wine route well represented. For tapas and cocktails, head to the informal Gourmet Corner Bar, which also shows big-screen sports.

The hotel’s lovely outdoor pool is the perfect place to cool off during the hot Spanish summer, while a well-equipped gym means there’s no excuse not to keep up with your workouts. To soothe those tired muscles, head to the spa, where a range of massage treatments are on offer.

A number of Ronda’s attractions are within walking distance of the hotel. The lovely Alameda del Tajo is known for good reason as the city’s ‘great green lung’, and the park’s roses were deemed worthy of praise by James Joyce, no less, in Finnegans Wake.

Other sights nearby include the Puente Nuevo bridge and the impressive Arco de Felipe V, the former city gate, which dates back to the 1740s. The bullring is also an interesting visit, if not for its grisly sporting attractions then for its association with Ernest Hemingway, whose fascination with Ronda inspired The Sun Also Rises.