Early September in Ronda is one of Andalusia's great spectacles — and in 2026 the town's historic bullring reopens for it. Book ahead; here's why.
If August on the coast is about beaches and ferias, early September belongs to the mountains — specifically to Ronda, the clifftop town an hour and a half inland whose Feria de Pedro Romero runs from 1 to 6 September 2026. People book their late-summer stays around it, which is exactly why we're writing about it now, while there's still availability.
Why 2026 is a special year
Ronda's Plaza de Toros — home of the Real Maestranza de Caballería and one of the oldest and most beautiful bullrings in Spain — reopens in 2026 after two years of restoration works. The feria's crowning event, the Corrida Goyesca on Saturday 5 September, returns to its historic home, with the town dressed as if Goya himself were sketching it: 18th-century costume, horse-drawn carriages, and the equestrian pageantry Ronda is famous for.
Whatever your feelings about bullfighting — and plenty of our visitors skip the corrida entirely — the feria week around it is a spectacle in its own right: the costume and carriage displays, casetas and live music, and on 3 September the traditional equestrian dress competition at the fairground. The Goyesca weekend is simply one of the most photogenic moments in Andalusia's calendar.
Ronda beyond the feria
First-time visitors need no festival excuse. The Puente Nuevo bridge over the El Tajo gorge is one of Spain's most extraordinary sights, the old town is compact and walkable, and the surrounding Serranía produces increasingly serious red wine — several bodegas welcome visitors. Ronda also anchors any tour of the white villages; we included it in our seven favourite places to visit in Málaga province.
How to do it from the coast
- Driving takes about 90 minutes from Fuengirola via the A-397 from San Pedro — a spectacular mountain road, climbed best in daylight.
- Day trip or overnight? During feria week, we'd say overnight if you can find a room (they go months ahead), day trip if not. Evening light on the bridge is worth lingering for.
- Goyesca tickets sell out well in advance through official channels; the street pageantry, though, is free.
The smart late-summer plan
Here's the itinerary we find ourselves recommending every year: a base on the coast in the last days of August — catching the Festival Frigiliana 3 Culturas on the 27th–30th — then a day or two inland for Ronda as the calendar turns. Sea, mountains, two of Andalusia's best events, one stay.
Late August into September is also when the coast gets kinder: the peak crowds ease, the sea stays warm, and rental availability opens up nicely. You can check what we have for those dates in our rental search — Fuengirola makes an ideal base, with the A-7 west and the mountain road to Ronda both on your doorstep.
Tell us your dates and we'll be straight with you about what's free — and if you're Goyesca-bound, we'll tell you which of our apartments make the easiest launch pad for the mountain road.
The GR Estates Team
The best experiences on the Costa del Sol
Written with AI assistance and reviewed by the GR Estates team before publication. AI transparency
