Although it lies a bit in the shade of his more famous colleagues Seville, Granada and Córdoba, Málaga remains a very beautiful, undiscovered pearl on the Costa Del Sol.
With its pleasant center, enjoyable harbor and beautiful beaches, it's well worth a visit.
Málaga is also the birthplace of Spain's most famous painter, Pablo Picasso.
The center of Málaga is located about 20 kilometers from the finca.
Every Sunday there is a large but pleasant outside market at the feria palaces.
Climate
Málaga, like the other places on the Costa del Sol has a Mediterranean climate where summers are hot and dry and winters very mild and a little bit more wet. The region is not called Costa Del Sol (Suncoast) for nothing, so you will only exceptionally encounter bad weather in Málaga. Here you have an average of 320 sunny days per year. Yet a microclimate protects the town against extreme heat. Even in winter it rarely rains and the temperature is on average between 15 and 19 degrees. The surrounding mountains block the cold winds.
Alcazaba
The Alcazaba is a Moorish fortress situated on a hill. It was built during the Hammudidendynasty and is the best preserved Alcazaba in Spain.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun: 9am-8pm (summer), 9am-6pm (winter), Mon: closed, closed: 01/01, 28/02 and 25/02
Prices: Normal: 2,20 euro, Alcazaba+Gibralfaro: 3,50 euro,
Residents Málaga, 6-16 year, students: 0,60 euro, Free on sunday after 2pm
Castle on the hill Gibralfaro
The castle of Gibralfaro lies next to the Alcazaba on the hill with the same name: Mount Gibralfaro (Lighthouse Mountain).
Opening hours: Tue-Sun: 9am-8pm (summer), 9am-6pm (winter), Mon: closed, closed: 01/01, 28/02 and 25/02
Prices: Normal: 2,20 euro, Alcazaba+Gibralfaro: 3,50 euro,
Residents Málaga, 6-16 year, students: 0,60 euro, Free on sunday after 2pm
Cathedral
The cathedral is one of the most striking sights in Málaga. From almost any corner you can see the tower of the cathedral reach out above the city.
Openings hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm, Sa: 10am-5pm, closed on sundays and feastdays
Prices: Adults: 5 euro, Groups: 3 euro/pp, Children: 0,60 euro, Schools, residents, ... : free
The port
The new port of Málaga, "Muelle 1" or "Muelle Uno" is the new promenade with shops, bars and restaurants, recreation for children and a beautiful garden with palm-trees. The mall is next to the Paseo de la Farola. You will find about 60 shops, with a variety of fashion, accessories, shoes, beauty products, flowers, furniture, decoration and food. Besides shopping, Muelle Uno is used by Malaguenos, as well as by tourists, to make a pleasant walk. Along the promenade there are several benches where you can enjoy the view on the harbour, the yachts and the people passing by.
Botanical garden (Jardin de la Concepción)
La Concepción is the 150-year-old botanical garden, north of Málaga, founded in 1857 by the Marquis of Casa Loring and his wife.
Opening hours: 9.30am-4.30pm (summer until 7.30pm), closed: mondays, 01/01 en 25/12.
Prices: adults: 5,20 euro, -16, pensioners, students, ...: 3,10 euro
Bullring
The bullring of Málaga, the Plaza de Toros, was designed by the architect JoaquÃn Rucoba and was built in 1874. Two years later the building was completed for approximately 14,000 spectators. It was named La Malagueta, because it's situated in the Malagueta district, near the beach of Malagueta.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-1pm and 5pm-8pm
Prices: bullfights: 10-100 euro, museum: 1,80 euro
Beaches of Málaga
On the beach in Málaga you can relax a bit after you have seen all the sights in the city. The beaches are clean, have adequate facilities and are often within walking or cycling distance of the center.
The coastline is interrupted by the port of Málaga. Both east and west of the harbour there are beautiful stretches of beach. The east side is popular with foreign visitors, probably due to the easy accessibility. The beaches on the west side are less frequented by tourists, but the locals like to enjoy the sun and sea here.
Picasso museum
The great works of Picasso are not to be found here, nevertheless the collection in Málaga is called very special. Here you'll find paintings that have never been displayed in any other museum. The Picasso museum definitely belongs in the list of "things to see" in Málaga.
Prices and opening hours: see website
Carmen Thyssen museum
The Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga has been opened since 2011. A young museum that shows a magnificent collection of ancient works. The museum is located just behind the central Plaza de la Constitución.
Prices and opening hours: see website
Museum of contemporary art
The initiative for this center came from the town of Málaga. In 2003 the museum was opened with the aim to promote the art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Apart from exhibitions, there are also regular educational activities for youth. This way, young people get in touch with art in an early stage.
Opening hours: winter: Tue-Sun: 10am-8pm, summer: 10am-2pm and 5pm-9pm, Closed: mondays, 01/01 and 25/12
Free entrance.