Andalucian Charm Lives on in Modern Málaga

Country: Spain
Place: Málaga
Visited in: September 2006

Perhaps it was the 7-hour bus ride or maybe the sour taxi driver that took us from the bus station to our hotel. Whatever the reason I was in a foul mood when we first laid eyes on Málaga. It had been 12 years since I last set foot in Malaga, but back then I had only spent a few hours there waiting for a bus to Vejer de la Frontera. This time around, we would spend a total of 6 days there. We planned to use Málaga as a hub for daytrips to other places in Andalucia.

My mood did not change when we found out what a bad choice we had made with our hotel. The Ibis itself was ok, but it was located out in the middle of nowhere, far from the old town of Málaga. So Málaga and I got off to an even worse start, when we spent about an hour trying to find somewhere to have dinner on our first evening there.

But Málaga fought back. It was not having this grouchy tourist moping about, wrecking its atmosphere. So with a few slaps and a push to a better hotel in a great location, I woke up on our third day in Málaga charmed off my feet with its Andalucian atmosphere and laid-back, outdoor lifestyle. The evening before we had watched the sunset from the Castillo de Gibralfaro and then strolled down for a few tapas and cañas in old town Málaga. I gave in right then and there.

We ended up enjoying Málaga so much that our planned daytrips were scaled back to only two. We spent the rest of our stay walking about enjoying this ancient city or chilling amongst the friendly Malagueños.

With a population of just over half a million and it being the capital of Costa del Sol, I expected Málaga to feel overrun with tourists. I couldn’t be more wrong! I hardly noticed any other tourists, and while I’m sure there were plenty of other tourists about, Málaga and the Malagueños have a way of making you feel so much part of their world that you forget that you’re just a visitor.

Perfect places to hang out

I can think of no better place to start your first morning in Málaga than at Lepanto at Marqués de Larios, 7. We spent far too long there over a coffee and a danish just watching life go by. Lepanto has a fantastic buzz about it, yet I felt incredibly relaxed there eavesdropping on the Malagueños around us. Fish was being delivered to the restaurant opposite Lepanto, the elderly gentleman at the table next to us was sharing a joke with the waiter and a street artist was getting ready to play a few tunes for us.

Donna Maraquita at Unzibay became another of my favourite places to just hang out in Málaga. It’s a great little outdoor café where you can read your paper or guide book over lunch or just a quick drink.

You’ll find many other great places for breakfast, lunch or dinner in the old town of Málaga. It seemed everwhere we turned, we saw yet another restaurant or café that we simply had to try.

The Roman Theater and the Alcazaba

We visited the Roman Theater and the Alcazaba on a Sunday afternoon, which meant free entrance.

The Roman Theater was built some time in the first century and used till the third century. It was discovered again in 1951 and is currently under restoration with plans to use it as an open-air venue for plays and concerts. It is not the most spectacular Roman Theater you’ll find in the world, but it does look nice when lit up at night.

The Alcazaba in Málaga fades in comparison to the Alcázar in Sevilla, but is still very much worth a visit for its keyhole entrances, waterways and landscaped gardens. You also enjoy a magnificent view of Málaga city and its harbour from this ancient fortress.

The sunset from Castillo de Gibralfaro

It is a strenuous struggle uphill if you climb to Castillo de Gibralfaro at midday. But if you wait until just before sunset you’ll be awarded with a beautiful view of the harbour and a magnificent sunset over the mountains. On our way up we passed many artists painting their view of Málaga. Some with traditional oils or acrylics, others were spraypainting their interpretation of Málaga. About half-way up the footpath is a terrace overlooking the bullring to the left and the harbour to the right. This is a perfect place to try to capture the sunset over the mountains.

On our way down we enjoyed walking amongst the many exotic plants, and sat in the Jardines Alcalde Pedro Ruiz Alonso for a while watching old men as they came to meet their friends for an evening chat.

Walk-about Spanish style

If there was one thing I enjoyed more than anything in Málaga, it was wandering through its old and new streets stopping for a drink and a few tapas now and again. In particular walking from the Marqués de Larios (the main shopping street) through the narrow streets of the old town towards the river reveals many old interesting buildings.

Also worth a visit is The Mercado de Atarazanas at Atarazanas, 8. The market dates back to the 14th century and has many seafood and vegetables stands.

A walk along the beach and the harbour makes a good evening stroll or jog, if you insist on being healthy during your visit. If you’re of a romantic nature, Saturdays are great for watching weddings. In less than an hour we watched three newly-wed couples emerge from one of the many churches, as we were taking a break in the park across the road. It was an in-and-out service with a quick sweep in front of the church in between the ceremonies.

Málaga is best seen on foot, but don’t forget to stop for a rest in one of its parks, or get a drink at one of its many outdoor cafés. You never know, what you will experience, when you take the time to be present.

Easy access to the rest of Andalucía

Despite its charm we did manage to go on daytrips away from Málaga. One to Sevilla and one to Ronda.

Málaga is a great place to stay if you plan to visit other places in Andalucía. The Renfe Cercanías runs from Málaga to Fuengirola with many stops in between, including the airport and Torremolinos if you have tired of the beach in Málaga.

You can also use the train to visit places in and outside of Andalucía. But I have to marvel at the convenience, efficiency and affordability of the public buses in Spain. You can easily go on a daytrip to places like Sevilla, Ronda and Granada by bus. See our Málaga Resources page for more information about our daytrips by bus.

A Spanish pearl

Despite being surrounded by the most touristy and tacky places, Málaga proudly remains a true pearl of real Spain. Just like its superb blend of Moorish and European influences it has managed to develop into a modern city whilst hanging on to its Andalucian charm. A city that I have no hesitations making my hub for any future visits to Andalucía.

And there will be more trips to Málaga, afterall I have still to visit the Cathedral, the bullring, the Picasso museum and the many restaurants I missed.

Photographs

You can view more of our photographs in our Photographs from Andalucía series.

Resources

See our resources page for information about how we got to Malaga, where we stayed and how we got around.

Related articles

You may also be interested in reading some of our other articles about Spain:

Sevilla - a homage to life >>

Ronda’s Views Save the Day >>

Gaudí Giddy in Springtime Barcelona >>

Madrid Takes to the Streets >>

In Search of Peace in Festival-hungover Salamanca >>

Technorati Tags: Málaga, Andalucía, Spain, Castillo de Gibralfaro, Alcazaba, Costa del Sol

2 Responses to “Andalucian Charm Lives on in Modern Málaga”

1. Kristen says:

   28 November, 2006 at 1:32

   Thank you for the great overview. I can’t wait to hear about your day trips to Seville and Ronda…two of which we are also planning, followed by Grenada. Looking forward to the rest of your information for refernce on our upcoming Spain vacation!!
   Thanks again!

   Reply
   • Anni Poulsen says:

     1 December, 2006 at 20:25

     Thank you for your comment Kristen. I should have the Sevilla and Ronda articles ready by the end of next week.
     In the meantime I’ve included photographs from both places in our Photographs from Andalucía series.
     Enjoy Spain when the time comes!

     Reply