Blog #Serrania de Ronda

The worst kept secret around these parts is that the Ronda Valley Hotel (formerly Hotel Don Benito) is to close its doors on 15th January 2026. WTF! Why? This hotel is my nearest local, so from a selfish point of view, I think it's a disaster. Talking with other "guiris" who live nearby, it's a catastrophe for them also.

Starting from home in Ronda we headed for the start of the Genal Valley, which begins with the pretty "Enchanted Forest" in Parauta. We then continued on to Cartajima; to the Smurfs' blue village Juzcar; past Farajan; and on to Alpandeire, which celebrates Fray Leopoldo, a recently created saint. Alpandeire was our lunch destination.

​The heavy rain and thunderstorms of the last couple of weeks, combined with a lousy infrastructure has left whole areas of the Serrania de Ronda flooded, with roads blocked by rockfalls and houses soaked, gardens waterlogged and frequent power cuts. ​Worse still, a major rockfall has blocked the main route from the Costa del Sol and the towns of San Pedro, Marbella and Estepona to the capital and main town of the Serrania, namely Ronda.

Since my recent review and cull of this website, www.help-me-ronda, more issues have come to light. I shut down the WhatsApp link some time ago, because it became unmanageable. In the light of further feedback and discussion about the Facebook link, I have decided to axe that also.

With the cold and wet weather we have been experiencing in southern Spain since the clocks went back, people are turning their thoughts to heating their houses. The DIY Guy has lived in a number of properties in the Ronda area, so he knows a thing or two about keeping warm.