It’s easy to lump Málaga in with the rest of the high-rise highlights of Spain’s sun-holiday capital, the Costa del Sol. And yet, this city offers a lot more to holidaymakers than just sea, sun, and a full-Irish breakfast served all day.
The problem, as with so many of the Costa’s towns, is that at first glance, Málaga doesn’t look any different from the other tourist traps, and first impressions can be rather off-putting. But for those who venture from the coast-adjacent concrete dwellings into the heart of the city, with brims at every turn and nook and cranny with history and warmth, a gem is yours for the taking.
Of late, the city authorities have focussed on developing the town as a cultural hub, highlighting its heritage with a number of new museums, extensive refurbishment of its existing ones, and an architecturally chic new port development.
Mixing an historic old town with a burst of modern Spanish living, Málaga has become one of the most fun port cities on the Mediterranean, mixing its cultured atmosphere with the sunny swagger of a holiday town. Here are our five things to do in Málaga...
5. Museo Picasso Málaga
With a massive collection of one of the best-known artists in the world (there are more than 200 original works by Picasso on display), this museum is the cultural highlight of Málaga. With many of the works loaned by Christine Ruize-Picasso, the wife of the artist’s first son Paul, the museum’s gallery’s have a family feel, with many of the tableaux revealing family scenes.
The museum itself is an architectural wonder, with its basement proving a treasure trove of the city’s past, displaying remains of the Phoenician, Roman, Islamic, and Renaissance influences on life in Málaga, all uncovered during construction of a modern building upstairs.
[Flickr/Museo Picasso Málaga]
4. Cátedral de Málaga
If it’s one thing that Spanish cities are fond of, it’s an incomplete cathedral, and Málaga’s grandiose addition into the canon is one to be reckoned with. Built over the site of a former mosque in the 16th century, the stunning domed ceiling stands a lofty 40m above the ground, with vast pillars and trusses opening into a number of appealing nave houses.
A total of 15 chapels, resplendent with their ornate and delicate 18th-century art and design lead to the tower, from which breathless tourists who’ve made the trek up all 200 steps can see the breathtaking view of Málaga and the Mediterranean.
So ambitious were the plans for Málaga’s cathedral that after two centuries of building work – and an ever increasing budget – they decided to scale things back and leave it as it is. As such, today it stands incomplete, with one of the bell towers unfinished, leading to locals nicknaming it La Manquita – the one-armed lady.
[Flickr/RFRumbao]
3. Castillo de Gibralfaro
A testament to Málaga’s Moorish past comes in the form of the rocky ramparts of the Castillo de Gibralfaro, looking out onto the city from its seat atop a hill. Constructed for Abd ar-Rahman I, the 8th-century Cordoban emir, the structure got an overhaul 600 years later when Málaga was the jewel in the crown of the emirate of Granada.
Originally a lighthouse and military barracks, very little remains of the original interior, but the narrow walkways that form connecting paths around the fort offer wonderful views of the city.
[Flickr/Virginia Giné]
2. Jardín Botánico La Concepción
While a four-kilometre stroll from the city centre might not be for everyone in the heat of the Málaga sun, if you head north you’ll make it the lush and large botanical gardens. First conceived in the middle of the 19th century, Málaga owes this natural and architectural gem to one of the leading figures of the day, the British-born Amalisa Heredia Livermore and her aristocratic Spanish husband, Jorge Loring Oyarzabal.
The original plan was to bring a slice of the tropics and rainforests to the coastal city, but it has now expanded to cover a whopping 49 hectares, with more than 2,000 species of trees – many of which are more than a century old.
[Flickr/Stefan Schinning]
1. Mercado Atarazanas
Located to the north of one of Malaga’s most popular thoroughfares, the Alameda Principal, this daily market offers a feast for almost every sense.
Located inside a beautiful 19th-century iron-clad building, which includes the Moorish gate that once separated the port from the town centre, it’s one of the most noticeable landmarks in town, specially thanks to its beautiful stained-glass mural to the historical story of Málaga.
The market offers everything you would expect to find in a foodhall on the Med’, with traditional Spanish cuisine represented in abundance, along with a wonderful selection of bread, cheese, fruit, and olives. It’s a lively place and well worth a visit or two to restock for a picnic.
[Flickr/Siurell Blr]
Every Tuesday on The Right Hook, travel writer Manchán Magan joins George in the Dublin studios of Newstalk, where he opens up the world to the rapt host. You can listen back to this week's segment below:
