Malaga... Get A Taste
Of The Spanish Way Of Life
Although Malaga boasts some very attractive residential areas such as El Limonar, Cerrada de Calderon and El Candado, it is not necessarily the first choice for British people looking to make their home here in Spain. But if you like the idea of really getting into the Spanish culture and way of life then this might be one of the best places to investigate.
As the capital of the province Malaga has a sprawling metropolis, a huge port where cruise ships dock daily, several important theatres and, of course, Malaga University.Without doubt, a visit to this elegant city is a must for any resident, as it is so very different from the rest of the coast. The Historic District is quite unique. A good place to start off would be Larios Street, a popular pedestrian shopping street, which at weekends is filled with mime artists, musicians and all kinds of entertainers.
The shoe shops here are to die for but, be careful or you could end up doing some serious damage to your credit cards!
This is a lovely area to just wander. All the streets around are pedestrian only and lined with bars, cafés and boutiques.
The far end of Larios Street opens into Constitution Square and the city's Historic District. Here’s where you’ll be able to visit the 16th Century Cathedral and in San Augustin Street another of the city's highlights: the Buena Vista Palace, which houses the Picasso Museum. This beautiful building is a national monument and is home to a permanent collection of more than 200 art-works from Malaga’s most famous son.
Nearby in Granada Street is an area bursting with enchanting old tapa bars: El Piyayo and La Campana are well-known for good, cheap shellfish and of course, the not-to-be-missed El Pimpi bar which specializes in wine from the barrel, and which by the way, was once part of the old Carmelite Convent.
From here it’s a short stroll up to Merced Square and Nº 13, which is where Picasso was born. For 1€ you can see the birthplace of the great man himself. For the energetic there is still the Alcazaba area yet to explore: a spectacular Roman amphitheatre, a reminder of the city´s rich Roman legacy. The amphitheatre, strangely, lay buried for centuries. When it was rediscovered this revitalised Roman ruin became the splendid setting for the regional classical theatre and where Malaga’s other famous son (a very young and yet unknown) Antonio Banderas performed!
Behind the amphitheatre is the mediaeval Alcazaba Fortress, now lovingly restored which affords the best views of the city. It is a bit of a walk to the top so, for some, it might be an idea to admire it from afar (?) and round off the visit with a wander down to the Park. The Park is a great place to escape the heat … an oasis of calm with huge, 100-year old Palm trees … and displays, yet again, another, unexpectedly lovely face of this historical town. To get a real ´visual` idea of this vibrant city take a look at the following video ... and you´ll be able to see what all the fuss is about.
If you haven´t found exactly what you want here then continue searching through this site or with Google below. But, don´t forget to come back soon !
From Malaga city off we go down the coast to Fuengirola.
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