Official language: Spanish
Time zone: UTC+2
(summer),
UTC+1
(winter)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
It is in Malaga where Pablo Picasso, the most famous cubist painter, was born. Tourists can visit his family house at Plaza de la Merced, or the Museo Picasso de Málaga at San Agustin Street, where you can see the paintings from his every creative period.
The city is becoming the cultural capital of southern Spain. The Georges Pompidou Center (Museum of Modern Art in Paris) has recently opened its subsidiary museum here.
Malaga is the hometown of Antonio Banderas. The media state that you can often meet him at Calle Larios street or during Christmas or Easter street processions.
Malaga, the capital of Costa del Sol, has long been in the shadow of other Andalusian cities, such as Seville, Córdoba or Granada. Which was unfair, since the city has a lot to offer!
It is said that Malaga – located in the southern Iberian Peninsula – is where you can feel the real atmosphere of Spanish openness and joy of life, tapas bars opened till late night, eclectic architecture, sunny weather for most of the year, and also… bullfighting! What’s there to see?
Malaga enchants with renewed and well-kept historic buildings coming from almost every epoch, but also with narrow, atmospheric streets encouraging for walks. You can find perfectly preserved ruins of the Romanian theater (Teatro Romano), Mauritanian fortress of Alcazaba where the Archeology Museum is located, and also an unfinished Gothic cathedral (Catedral de Malaga). The city is overlooked by its biggest attraction, Castillo de Gibralfaro, with the most beautiful view of the sea and city center. The best time to go there is the evening – your experience will be remarkable!
Did you know that local beaches are one of the cleanest on Spanish shore? One of the biggest and most popular is Playa de La Malagueta located in the eastern part of the city. If you’re seeking for appealing views, choose Las Acacias beach next to the Picasso promenade. Guadalmar beach is waiting for fans of naked sunbathing. If you feel like shopping, head for the most famous Calle Larios Street or Atarazanas, the oldest city market, where you can buy local specialties, such as olive oil, sweet wine, fresh fish, seafood, and handcraft. These places are bustling with life all around the clock.
Observing local customs, you could think that the weekend lasts three days in Malaga. Spaniards start celebrating on Thursday evening. All tapas bars, pubs, restaurants, and chupiterias serving drinks are filled up with guests and their loud laughs. You have to visit at least one local pub to try delicious and fresh grilled fish and seafood, such as crabs, shrimps, octopus or squid, but also traditional tapas—cheese, ham or olives.