Picasso's Hometown and a Revived Harbour
Málaga is a port city on the Costa del Sol in the province of the same name in Andalusia, southern Spain, known as the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, as a historic Mediterranean harbour and as a lively year-round cultural city. Founded by the Phoenicians nearly three thousand years ago, it has Roman, Moorish and Christian layers visible within a few streets. The Alcazaba, an 11th-century Moorish fortress, rises above the Roman theatre, with Gibralfaro castle higher still and the cathedral, nicknamed La Manquita, in the old town.
The city has reinvented itself in recent decades as a museum destination. Picasso was born here in 1881, and the Museo Picasso Málaga opened in 2003 in a Renaissance palace in the old town, and the Centre Pompidou Málaga opened in 2015 at the harbour's glass cube. The revitalised Muelle Uno promenade, the Carmen Thyssen Museum and the Soho district's street art add further reasons to linger. Along the coast, Marbella offers a glamorous beach counterpart a short drive to the west.
Espetos, Beaches and Old-Town Evenings
Food is a delight. The signature dish is the espeto, sardines skewered on cane and grilled over open fires on the beach, and the city's tapas bars serve fried fish, ajoblanco, a cold almond soup, and Málaga's sweet wines. The Mercado de Atarazanas, in a Moorish-style gateway, is a great place to taste local produce, and the city's evenings, with lively plazas and rooftop bars, give it an easy social spirit. Beaches such as La Malagueta and Pedregalejo are close to the centre.
The calendar adds colour. Semana Santa brings some of Spain's most elaborate processions through the streets, and the August Feria fills the city with music and dancing. Málaga's Film Festival, held each spring, is an important showcase for Spanish-language cinema. A booking platform can package these experiences easily, and inland, the white village of Frigiliana, the gorge of El Chorro and the Moorish heritage of Córdoba all offer day or overnight extensions.
Read the full Málaga guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitMalaga.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.