Ruins of Acinipo — Attraction in Ronda

These magnificent Roman ruins of Acinipo make up an archaeological site located in the Serranía de Ronda, 20 kilometers from the city of Ronda.

Perched 999 meters above sea level, they occupy a strategic position on a promontory overlooking very fertile land. Occupied since the Neolithic period, it contains remains dating from the Copper Age and the Bronze Age. However, the city undoubtedly reached its peak during the Roman period, particularly from the end of the 1st century AD. The name Acinipo first appears in texts by Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder, as well as on coins and an inscription, and at the Council of Illiberis.

Acinipo has been known since ancient times as Ronda la Vieja (Old Ronda), as it is considered the original location of present-day Ronda; in reality, the two towns, Acinippo and Arunda, coexisted for a long time. Indeed, it was believed to be the ancient site of the town of the same name...

The town extends over a steep slope, forcing the inhabitants to build all their buildings on terraces, and its theater is the best-preserved feature of the site. The terraces were built taking advantage of the slope of the land and dug directly into the bedrock!

The town's decline continued throughout the 3rd century, and according to the latest research, its last inhabitants left around the...

It's free, but like others have said, it's only worth it if you are passing and like ancient ruins. I wouldn't make a detour to get there. The renovations using bleak modern concrete are obvious and definitely detract from the architecture. I know there's a case for making renovations obvious but still.... Check opening times. I don't see the point of having a guard (it's EEC funded so probably part of the bid), pleasant though he was. There's nothing to steal and the guard is so far away that he couldn't stop anyone damaging the site. It could do with more information, like: What was the point? What are the piles of stones that cover the site? Where did they get their water from? What did the site look like. I bet there's a local historian who knows or could make a good guess. Perhaps when the guard retires they could spend some money making it a bit more user friendly. Great views of the surrounding countryside from the top. Luckily it...

Honestly, not much to see here. As a history enthusiast, I was kinda disappointed, especially considering the role this place played in antiquity.

There are 4 major structures that you can see remains of: Iron age house, boathouse,, domus and theater. The theater is best preserved/reconstructed and is most worth seeing. Other than that it's just a hill with dried grass, stone piles and some fluffy sheep. 🐑

Another plus is the free parking, no entrance fee, and the man at the entrance was very kind. I guess if you can organize a tour and a guide to explain this site, it could be interested. But if you are traveling on your own, it's not...