Considered the capital of Costa del Sol, Málaga is a breathtakingly beautiful city. This second largest city in all of Andalusia offers rich architecture, temperate days and nights, friendly people, and amazing views. These are reasons that easily convince tourists to return year after year.

 

Can it hurt that Málaga is the birthplace of hunky actor Antonio Banderas? Art enthusiasts will be a little more impressed to find that Pablo Picasso made Málaga his home.

Founded by Phoenicians, Málaga (then called Malaca) has been reigned by Romans, Carthaginians, and Moors. The quartet of cultures has played a hand in shaping the area to be culturally diverse and awe-inspiring. With more than 800 years of Moors dominating the city, the architecture shows the strong Arab and Berber qualities. 

 

In the 19th century, Málaga Wine took the world by storm. The area vineyards crafted the sweet wine where it was then shipped off to willing buyers. Unfortunately, phylloxera (an aphid-like insect) destroyed the vineyards. 

 

Málaga’s position as a major Spanish port never waivers. The port is a busy area for both tourists and industry alike - then and now.

There is so much to experience in Málaga. Start your vacation by touring the Málaga Cathedral. Construction of the cathedral started in 1528 by a man named Diego de Siloé. As construction went on, funds ran out, so work on the cathedral came to a halt and the second tower remained unfinished. For this reason, the cathedral is an unusual combination of styles and is called La Manquita (One-Armed One).

 

Adjacent to Málaga Cathedral is the Museo de Bellas Artes, home of many Picasso works. Those interested in the artist will also want to visit Casa Natal de Picasso, home of the artist in his early years.

 

If you want to see where Antonio Banderas spent some time, visit Teatro Cervantas. Rebuilt in the late 1800s after fire destroyed the original building, Teatro Cervantas opened with much publicity. Unfortunately, the building fell into a state of disrepair and became a crumbling mess. Teatro Cervantas became a local movie theatre until the 1980s when the building was returned to its former glory and stage productions returned to the grand city. A musical production of Hair fed Antonio Banderas’s determination to become an actor.

 

No visit to Málaga is complete without hitting three main roads packed with local restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. Marques de Larios, Plaza de la Constitución, and Calle de Granada for the heart of the shopping district. Alleyways shoot off the main streets and are home to some of the areas finest tapas bars, discos, and wine bars. No visit to Málaga is complete without sampling some of the locally made wines.

 

La Alcazaba is a castle built into the city of Málaga. Huge stone walls encircle the city, originally protecting it from attacks. Now, La Alcazaba is a major tourist attraction that allows patrons to view 8th to 11th century artifacts and an excavated Roman amphitheatre.

 

Built in the 1300s, Castillo de Gibralfaro is a Moorish castle. There is a minimal entrance fee. Inside, there is a small area providing a thorough history of the castle and a rendering of what the castle would have looked like in its glory days.

 

Finally, plan to spend a day at the Parque Natural de los Montes de Málaga. Here the area teems with wild boars, eagles, wild lavender, and other native faunas. The park contains many walk trails ranging from paths for casual strolls to steeper hikes that require more energy.

Málaga’s tourism industry is extremely strong. Thousands of visitors come to the city year round to see the sights and enjoy the sunny weather. 

 

Málaga offers rich dining experiences to both locals and tourists alike. Rich wines, fresh seafood, and even hearty wild game top menus at local establishments.

One of the area’s greatest tapas bars is Antigua Casa de Guardia. Situated in an old guard post, the bar offers a few different tapas plates of fresh seafood - prawns, fresh anchovies, and mussels. The bar serves locally made sherry straight from the oak barrel- an experience not to be missed.

 

Open Friday and Saturday nights, Dr. Funk is the area’s hottest dance club. Long lines out in front of the dance club are testimonials to the extremes to which patrons are willing to wait. Once inside, a reasonable cover charge allows you entry and one complimentary drink.

 

ZZ Pub caters to the thirty and under crowd. Open Monday through to Saturday, ZZ Pub offers live entertainment, cold drinks, and lively music.

Málaga is packed with much to see and do. The pristine ocean setting and amazing architectural glory makes it easy to spend a week at Málaga while still running out of time to see it all.

 

No trip to Spain is complete until Málaga has been checked off your list of travel destinations. Pack your bags and head for sunny Málaga soon!