Travel with Me: CIEE Seville’s Excursion to Ronda

By: Cali Champoux

When applying to study abroad, I was looking for a program that would not only provide me with excellent learning opportunities but travel opportunities as well. CIEE Seville provides both of these. They offer not only excursions within Seville, but also day/weekend excursions to other cities in Spain. Without this program, I don't think I would’ve seen as much Spain as I have already. 

While Cadiz, Granada, and Cordoba were all gorgeous and filled with so much history, my favorite trip that I signed up to go on with CIEE is the excursion to Ronda. Like most CIEE excursions, we met up in front of the Universidad de Sevilla at 8:45 am for the 9:00 am bus departure. It’s always nice arriving a little early so you can chat with people from other programs within CIEE and get a bearing of who you’ll be traveling with for the day. Another reason to arrive early is because the bus is very punctual, it will depart right at 9! The bus ride was just under two hours. I slept for the first hour, but thankfully woke up for the scenic part of the bus ride through the mountains. When most people think of Spain, they think of all the beautiful cities on the coast with miles of beaches. But what they seem to forget is that Spain also has incredible mountain ranges. 

We arrived at Ronda around 11:00 am. After getting off the bus, like the usual excursions, we had about 20 minutes to grab some food and stretch our legs. Every excursion includes a guided tour around the city, offered in both English and Spanish! As someone who usually isn’t into guided tours, I love the ones that the CIEE staff lead. The guides never bore you with information, they keep you engaged while also providing a lot of facts. 

Ronda was unlike any other city I had seen, built right on the cliffs with a bridge connecting one side of town to the other. We started and finished our guided tour on the connecting bridge, and in between we walked through various neighborhoods, learning about the history of Ronda, and also some pop culture information. Lady Gaga filmed a music video in a house located there! After the guided tour finished, we had about an hour and a half to do some exploring of our own. We always get free time on CIEE excursions, the time will vary depending on where you travel. My friends and I usually like to grab lunch, trying the various tapas known to the region we’re in, and then look for some souvenirs. Others will explore museums, historical sites, or relax in a scenic location. After the free time, we will meet at the bus to head back. The excursions usually arrive back in Seville around 6:00 or 7:00 pm, giving you plenty of time to rest and grab food before night. 

My favorite characteristic of the CIEE study abroad program is the day excursions. They’re always guaranteed to work with your school schedule and you get to see so much of a city without doing your own research. They also provide access to important historical sites that you would usually have to pay to visit, like the cathedrals and mosques of Spain. When committing to the CIEE program, these trips are included in the tier fee, be sure to attend as many as possible to get your money's worth!