A city like Málaga is well worth a week visit, and not just a one-day trip! However if you travel from Marbella, just a 35-minute drive, make sure you know what you should not miss in the capital city of the province and the Costa del Sol … and be aware that this visit will make you go back sooner than later.
Calle Larios
Once you arrive in the heart of Málaga you can park your car in Plaza de la Marina public parking, a square which links Málaga port and the city. Then you see the impressive Calle Larios, one of the busiest shopping streets in Spain. Most important designers have a boutique here, and there is a continual coming and going of people both for leisure and work reasons. Any time is good for strolling along and at Christmas the decoration is one of the most amazing ones in the world. Simply stunning!
The Cathedral
If you walk into the old town and its pedestrian streets, you find an endless list of restaurants and tapas bars which lead you down to the Cathedral, affectionately referred to as the ‘manquita’ (the little one-armed lady) because its second tower was never completed. It started to be built in the 16th century and at the end of the 18th century it was not finished yet… and that’s how it has remained.
The Alcazaba
It was a Moorish fortress in the city. It was constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries on the ruins of a Phoenician building and a Roman theatre, the latter being the oldest one in Spain, currently used for exceptional solemn plays. From the very top of the Alcazaba you can enjoy amazing views over the port and the city.
The Old Town
After walking around a part of the old town and visiting the Cathedral and the Alcazaba, it is time to wander through its side streets- it’s a priceless experience. Stopping at every single spot is worth it, especially the Plaza de la Constitución main square and Pasaje Chinitas alley, not to mention Calle Granada street and its popular El Pimpi bodega bar, which you can’t simply miss.
Paseo del parque and Paseo de la farola boulevards
These two avenues are around the port of Málaga. The first one is a typical place for the locals to stroll around, among trees and palm trees and surrounded by Neo-Mudejar, Neo-Classical and Neo-Baroque buildings. Paseo de la Farola (streetlamp boulevard) lays as far as the lighthouse, but as it has a curved shape, it was named after a feminine object (a streetlamp, rather than ‘lighthouse’ which is masculine). From it you can enjoy beautiful views of the Alcazaba, the Cathedral, the old town…
Pier 1 and El Palmeral de las Sorpresas
These are two leisure areas in the actual port, a landmark of modern Málaga. There are restaurants and shops along the sea featuring a fresh avant-garde decoration, and there you can also stroll in the open air in a dynamic lively atmosphere.
The Museums
The Tyssen museum, the Picasso museum – birthplace, the Pompidou museum, the CAC (centre for contemporary art) … up to a total of 36 museums are making of Málaga an international cultural model the whole world is talking about, a proof of it being the articles published by The New York Times about this trend in the city.
These are only the ‘must-sees’ of the one-day trip… but as we said at the beginning, Málaga deserves much more time to get to know this truly unique city. You’ll be back for sure!
Map of the Tour
