Málaga city is the largest city on the Costa del Sol, with a typical Mediterranean climate and is also known as the birthplace of the artist Picasso. The city offers beaches, hiking, architectural sites, art museums, and excellent shopping and cuisine. It combines beaches, history, and archaeology with a vibrant nightlife and important cultural sights. It is also the transport hub for the Costa del Sol and provides an excellent base from which to explore the region.
Malaga is a port city in Costa del Sol region, Southern Spain, known for its rich history, culture, art and beauty for its Baroque architecture and beautiful Mediterranean sea vistas. Ancient and cosmopolitan Malaga in the past still retains its historic roots intact. Málaga also offers some genuinely interesting historical and cultural attractions in its old city and its setting on the coast is still beautiful. As the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, it attracts many art lovers and the city boasts a number of fine galleries and museums.
Málaga’s history spans more than three thousand years. From its Phoenician origins, it is precisely the passage through this land of numerous and varied cultures that has made Málaga the attractive and cosmopolitan destination that it is today. Malaga is a city full of historic spots, like the Alcazaba, one of the largest Arab fortresses in Andalusia, or Gibralfaro Castle, which offers the best views over the whole city. At the foot of the castle there is a Roman theatre and an old town to stroll around. The Cathedral in Atarazanas Market, which is known as “The One-Armed” due to its unfinished south tower. A visiting its roof is a unique experience.
The Roman Theatre or the garum pools will take you back to Roman Hispania; the Alcazaba is the most beautiful living example of Málaga’s Muslim era. The Sanctuary of Victory marks the spot from which the Catholic Monarchs surrounded the city in 1487. The Buenavista Palace reminds us of the nobility that settled in the city during the Renaissance. The baroque splendour is palpable in the elaborate Baroque vaults built on the Mudejar roofs of churches such as San Juan, Santos Mártires and Santiago… In the Wine Museum, visitors can learn how the grape helped the city prosper until the phylloxera plague.
A city with a rich legacy that continues to look to the future, Málaga has grown significantly from the mid-20th century. Today, Malaga is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain with lots of new construction as well as hotels and facilities geared to tourists. A city full of passion that prettier than ever is undergoing a renaissance, taking the combination of culture and the sea and add a lively atmosphere, monuments with centuries of history, numerous tapas served in bars, cutting-edge neighbourhoods like Soho, areas like the port that have transformed and become more modern and monuments with centuries of history.
Málaga is a city full of sunshine and beautiful Mediterranean sea vistas, with beautiful beaches, resorts and events. Beyond its 16 sunny beaches, also with many natural attractions such as beaches, parks and beautiful lookout points, offers sunny weather and warm temperatures, no matter what season it was.
Malaga is also the birthplace of famous painter Pablo Picasso and Antonio Banderas actor and packed with museums, is a city full of sunshine. It offers plenty in the way of art, culture and beauty. It’s got that beautiful marriage of ancient and modern. Loaded with history and brimming with a youthful vigour that proudly acknowledges its multi-layered past, the city that gave the world Picasso has transformed itself in spectacular fashion, with half a dozen new art galleries, a radically rethought port area and a nascent art district called Soho.
Malaga has some excellent delicious cuisine, a sunny day with food spent on the legendary La Malagueta urban beach is a must. Anyone who wants to delve into traditional flavours should visit the seaside neighbourhood of Pedregalejo and try the typical grilled sardines on skewers. Muelle 1, a port promenade full of shops and restaurants that is perfect for a sunset stroll to La Farola, a lighthouse that is a symbol of the city.
Malaga is also known for its innovative restaurants. In Atarazanas Market, where you can try a vermouth, trendy bars and food markets sit next to Gothic cathedrals and Roman ruins, while rooftop pools offer views to an 11th Century castle on one side and a modern promenade on the other. Pedestrian street Marqués de Larios, a busy thoroughfare decorated with flowers and which you must visit at least once on a trip to Malaga. At night, this area and its nearby streets become the perfect spot for tapas.
Main Attractions
The city is an important tourist destination, known as “the capital of the Costa del Sol”. Tourists usually visit the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and the Museo Picasso Málaga, the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the old town or the beaches. A popular walk leads up the hill to the Gibralfaro castle (a Parador), offering panoramic views over the city. The castle is next to the Alcazaba, the old Muslim palace, which in turn is next to the inner city of Málaga. Other nearby attractions are the Roman Theatre, the old Jewish quarter, the cathedral, and the Church of Santiago in mudéjar style. A popular walk follows the Paseo del Parque to the harbour, ending in Calle Larios, the main commercial street of the city. There is also a curious museum, the Museum of the Holy Week, which includes an impressive display of Baroque ecclesiastical items.
Historical heritage
Málaga is a melting pot of civilisations, all of which have left their mark and contributed to shaping the city’s character.
Alcazaba of Málaga
The Alcazaba is a palatial fortification, built during the period of Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus. The current complex was begun in the 11th century and was modified or rebuilt multiple times up to the 14th century. It is one of the best-preserved alcazabas in Spain. The Alcazaba is also connected by a walled corridor to the higher Castle of Gibralfaro, and adjacent to the entrance of the Alcazaba are remnants of a Roman theatre dating to the 1st century AD.
The Alcazaba of Málaga is built on a hill in the centre of the city, overlooking the port, and comprises two walled enclosures, one contained within the other. Like many of the military fortifications that were constructed in Islamic Spain, the Alcazaba of Málaga featured a quadrangular plan. It was protected by an outer and inner wall, both supported by rectangular towers, between which a covered walkway led up the slope to the Gibralfaro (this was the only exchange between the two sites). Each enclosure is defended by a wall fortified with towers. The inner enclosure occupies the summit of the hill and contains the palaces. Along with the double-layered fortifications, a total of five gates had to be crossed in order to reach the palace areas.
The entrance of the complex featured a grand tower that led into a sophisticated double bent entrance. After passing through several gates, open yards with beautiful gardens of pine and eucalyptus trees, and the inner wall through the Puerta de Granada, one finds the 11th- and 14th-century Governor’s palace. It was organised around a central rectangular courtyard with a triple-arched gateway and some of the rooms have been preserved to this day. Enjoy the excellent views of the city and lush gardens to a small Moorish palace at the top which holds a number of artifacts from excavations on the site.
The first palace has an inner façade and is entered via a wide portico with arches, restored by Torres Balbás in a Nasrid style but possibly standing on top of original remains. Behind this is a small rectangular chamber entered via another arcade with three horseshoe arches. The arches are supported by two columns in the middle and two engaged columns on the sides and are decorated with carved arabesque decorations, with alternating plain and decorated voussoirs. Adjacent on the southwest side of the main chamber and portico is a small annex. A square chamber at the entrance of this annex is surrounded on all four sides by pairs of intersecting multifoil arches.
Directly behind the southern pavilion is an outer fortification tower known as the Torre de Maldonado. Across from it, to the northeast, is a large chamber dating from the 16th century, today it houses a model of the Alcazaba. The rest of the area northeast of the Taifa palace is occupied by a Nasrid palace with various rooms and porticos arranged around two rectangular courtyards. The rest of the space between the Nasrid palace and the Torre del Homenaje is occupied by the so-called Barrio Castrense, thought to date from the 11th century and to have been inhabited by the ruler’s other officials and servants.
An open 11th-century mirador to the south of this area affords views of the gardens and sea below. Measuring 2.5 square metres, this small structure highlighted scalloped, five-lobed arches. To the north of this area were a waterwheel and a Cyclopean well, a hammam, workshops and the monumental Puerta de la Torre del Homenaje, the northernmost point of the inner walls. Directly beyond was the passage to the Gibralfaro above.
Castillo de Gibralfaro
Another Moorish castle and the counterpart to the Alcazaba, the Castillo sits on a larger hill behind the Alcazaba and offers an incredible view of the city and neighboring suburbs from the ramparts that encircle the castillo. This Castle, built in the 14th. Century to house troops and protect the Alcazaba, is today one of the most visited monuments in Málaga. It was considered the most impregnable fortress on the Iberian peninsula for a time. It has two lines of walls and eight towers. The outer wall meets the coracha, zigzagging walls arranged to link to the Alcazaba Castle. Inside you can walk around the whole perimeter of the fortress.
Within the fortress is a set of gardens and some displays, including an exhibit on the various military forces to have occupied the fort. The Castle is divided into two parts. The upper part is called the main courtyard and houses the Interpretation Centre where you can discover the history of the castle through the lives of its inhabitants. You will find the Main Tower (Torre Mayor), 17 metres high, the Phoenician well and the baths in this section. The Airón well was dug in solid rock to a depth of 40 meters. The lower part, or courtyard, held the troop barracks and stables. The watchtower or White Tower (Torre Blanca), facing the North East, is one of the most visible ones and inside you will find a water tank, auxiliary buildings and storerooms.
Roman Theater
Málaga’s Roman Theatre is one of the remaining symbols of Roman Hispania in the city. Situated under the Alcazaba facing a small plaza are the beautiful remains of an old Roman theater. The Roman theatre of Málaga, which dates from the 1st century BC, was rediscovered in 1951. Built in the time of Augustus in the 1st century AD, it was in use until the 3rd century. Much of its construction material such as stones, columns and carved stones were later used for building the Alcazaba. In addition to the theatre itself, it has a modern interpretation centre where new technologies present the life and customs of the time. The Theatre has also been returned to its original use and different types of shows take place inside.
Religious heritage
The Church of Santiago
The Church of Santiago Apóstol is a Catholic Christian temple, an example of Gothic vernacular Mudéjar, the hybrid style that evolved after the Reconquista incorporating elements from both Christian and Islamic tradition. Established in 1490, this is Málaga’s oldest church and it was built on the site of a former mosque. Only the central entrance in the Mudéjar style remains of the original façade. The square tower in the same style was conceived as a separate minaret and was attached to the church in the 16th century. Inside there are three naves with valuable works by Alonso Cano and Niño de Guevara. It also contains significant items of jewellery, such as a 16th century, plateresque-style chalice with star-shaped foot and hexagonal body.
The parish church of Santiago preserves the features of two historical and stylistic moments of special importance for the city of Malaga. It was founded at the beginning of the Christianization process of the city, as a perfect cultural symbiosis between the Mudejar and Gothic styles. Both styles clearly define the image of the temple. The Gothic style is reflected in its head and in the interior of the main chapel, as well as in the layout of the ogee arch leading to the central nave. Its style is an exponent of two artistic moments of vital importance, which produced in this building a strong building renovation corresponding to the new mentality.
The Mudejar imprint can be seen mainly in the beautiful bell tower, located at the foot, free from the temple, made of exposed brick, with a star vault at the entrance and decoration of sebka cloth on the outside; characterizes and singles out the external vision of this part of the city and has become the most representative element of the property. The pair and knuckle armor of the nave also survives from this period, hidden under the baroque vault but perfectly preserved, and the primitive access doorway, located on the left side wall, made of brick and with glazed ceramic decoration on the spandrels in the form of eight-pointed stars.
The Baroque reform carried out in the 18th century to adapt the building to the new times, entails the masking of the primitive structure, for this reason the wooden framework of the central nave is covered with a large barrel vault and excellent plasterwork decoration. The Church has a basilica plan, with three naves plus two buttresses, separated by thick semicircular arches, which rest on Corinthian pillars and whose shafts house a series of niches where sculptures by Pedro de Mena were placed. In the main chapel, the ribbed vault is replaced by a hemispherical dome on pendentives, and the quadrangular pillars are transformed into Corinthian stacked columns; Several chapels were added, such as the Pilar or the Tabernacle, and two new doors were opened on the sides of the original one, both semicircular, between simple fluted pilasters.
Cathedral of Málaga
The Cathedral of Málaga located within the limits defined by a now missing portion of the medieval Moorish walls, the remains of which surround the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, it is in the Renaissance architectural tradition. The cathedral, built on a rectangular plan, is composed of a nave and two aisles. The façade, unlike the rest of the building, is in Baroque style and is divided into two levels; on the lower level are three arches, inside of which are portals separated by marble columns. Above the doors are medallions carved in stone; those of the lateral doors represent the patron saints of Málaga, Saint Cyriacus and Saint Paula, while that over the centre represents the Annunciation. The north tower is 84 metres high, making this building the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia, after the Giralda of Seville. The south tower remains unfinished. This unfinished state has led to the cathedral being called “The One-Armed Lady”.
A series of grand artworks fills the sanctuary, among them are the Gothic altarpiece of the Chapel of Santa Barbara and the 16th century tombs of the Chapel of San Francisco. The Chapel of the Incarnation contains a neoclassic altarpiece designed by the sculptor Juan de Villanueva and carved by Antonio Ramos and Aldehuela, a group of figures representing the Annunciation and sculptures of the patron saints of Málaga, Saint Ciriaco and Saint Paula, carved by Juan Salazar Palomino also in the 18th century, and The Beheading of Saint Paul, painted by Enrique Simonet in 1887 during his stay in Rome.
Sagrario Church
Sagrario Church located next to the Cathedral on Calle Santa María, was built between the 15th and 18th centuries. The portal, a masterpiece in the Elizabethan Gothic style, was built around 1498. It depicts two images praying, one accompanied by an angel and the other by the apostle James. The plateresque altarpiece is very beautiful. It contains figures of the apostles, a Virgen Coronada, la Piedad, el Calvario and el Padre eterno (the Apostles, Our Lady Crowned, Piety, Calvary and the eternal Father) in different squares, all made of bright gold.
Saint John the Baptist Church
The origin of the parish of San Juan Bautista dates back to 1487. This parish was extensively remodelled as a result of the earthquake of 1680 as well as other reasons. The building’s current appearance and the writings on the façade are from the various interventions that occurred in the 18th century. The tower that can be seen today, which is unusual because it provides access to the church through the lateral nave, was built following the damage caused by this earthquake.
Santa María de la Victoria Basilica
It was originally a chapel and the church was built in the early 16th century. It was demolished because of its poor condition and rebuilt in 1700. The tower-shrine, a key piece of Spanish Baroque, was one of the first to be built in the country along similar lines to the one at Guadalupe. The temple has a Latin-Cross design, elevated choir stalls and, between the pilasters, there are small balcony platforms that open to the central nave, typical of the Counter-Reformation period. Its central nave is wider and taller than the lateral ones to direct light to the chapels, the transept and the dome light space behind the altar. The annexes were demolished creating a wide square that was opened in 1998.
Santo Cristo de la Salud Church
Known as the Santo Cristo (Holy Christ), this church was founded by the Jesuits. The dome is the building’s most interesting feature. It is in the shape of a semicircle with a ring covered in paintings that simulate masonry work in a very realistic manner. The dome is painted in three concentric parts of great beauty with illustrative paintings that helped the brothers studying at the humanistic studies centre and to whom the building belonged, to learn. Also important are the altar paintings and sculptures, two of which correspond to Christ Crowned with thorns and Our Lady of Grace and Hope, which are those of the popular Cofradía de los Estudiantes (Brotherhood of Students) and which leave in procession on Easter Monday on the shoulders of students from Málaga.
Santos Mártires Church
Founded in 1494 in honour of San Ciriaco and Santa Paula, patron saints of Málaga. It is in the Gothic-Mudéjar style and it has undergone several renovations to put right the damage it has suffered throughout its history. After it underwent restoration work in 1945 and 2006, it became one of the finest examples of Rococo style. There is a beautiful neobaroque altarpiece from Málaga’s image-maker Pérez Hidalgo.
Civil heritage
Malaga is one of the busiest ports in Spain. The long-term trade prosperity has left an example of the fusion of different cultures and styles in the city. Discover the top sights and cultural hotspots of Malaga, ie. Alcazaba, Plaza Merced, Central food market, Cathedral, Park Area, Cervantes Theatre and many more…
Consulate House
The Economic Society of the Friends of the Country is a 17th century baroque classicist building declared a National Historic Landmark in 1923. Built in 1785, it housed the Montepío de Socorro a los Cosecheros (The Agriculturist Relief Fund) and later the Consulado Marítimo Terrestre (Inland and Shipping Consulate) and so became known as the Casa del Consulado. In 1856 it became the headquarters of the Economic Society of the Friends of the Country, which aims to promote agriculture, industry, commerce and education. Its activities included night classes and dissemination of knowledge in various fields, a lending library, conferences and exhibitions.
Its façade is classified as a balcony building because it has several balconies two of which run round the second and third floors for observing the festivities held below. It is for good reason that the building is located in the Plaza de la Constitución, the nerve centre of civic celebrations in Málaga. It was renovated in 2004 when the ancient splendour of elements such as the marble at the entrance or the medallion in the attic with the slogan “Aid the diligent, Deny the lazy. was reinstated.
Former Post Office Building
The Old Post Office (Antiguo Edificio de Correos) was built between 1916 and 1923 with the idea of furthering communications. It is a square building in neo-Mudéjar style.The corners of the main façade are rounded with projecting towers of curved shapes that form a uniquely styled roof. Under this building, remains of the Phoenician wall of Málaga and other elements such as Roman garum (fish paste) pools that are visible inside have been found. It now houses the Rectory of the University of Málaga. Due to space limitations, Correos left the property in 1986, and the University of Málaga bought it in 1993. Next, the University restored it and made it suitable for its new purpose.
“La Malagueta” Bullring
Designed by Joaquín Rucoba, who also designed the Mercado Central de Atarazanas, it is in the neo- Mudéjar style. The bullring is a hexadecagon in shape as can be seen from the Mirador de Gibralfaro that offers beautiful views of the bullring. The ring is 52 metres in diameter and has 4 corrals, 10 pens, stables, a medical station and other facilities. It now houses the Museo Taurino (Bullfighting Museum). The Plaza de Toros “Malagueta” was officially opened to the public on 11 June 1876 with a fight that featured the legendary bullfighter Rafael Molina “Lagartijo” as well as others. In August it hosts its major annual event, the Feria Taurina (Bullfighting Fair), which offers a broad programme of fights with great bullfighters. The Picassian bullfight held at Easter is also noteworthy; the bullfighters wear costumes inspired by the style, vision and forms of the painter from Málaga during this fair.
Old School of Fine Arts of San Telmo
Originally built around 1590, the building has undergone numerous major changes in both its structure and use. It was initially designed to house the novices of the Order when it was a Jesuit Convent in the 17th and 18th centuries. It later became the Nautical School and then, in the 19th century, the School of Fine Arts of San Telmo. Part of the building became the Women’s School of Education and School of Arts and Artistic Crafts during the 20th century and today a state school still occupies that part of the building. The part that housed the School of Arts and Crafts is currently the Ateneo, a cultural institution which organises cultural activities in any field of knowledge ranging from exhibitions to lectures.
While the interior has undergone major modifications to suit these uses, the general structure of the building retains its original splendour and elegant Mannerist style with a beautiful staircase finished in 1606 and conference rooms. One of these, the Function Hall, has a striking flat ceiling with a pictorial decoration of balustrades in false perspective, acting as a trompe l’oeil and the beautiful street façade with its round arch supported on stone pillars which, in turn, rest on pillars. Above, a triangular pediment containing the imperial coat of arms and sides of the scrolls and two oriel windows visually lighten the façade.
Picasso’s father, José Ruiz Blasco, was a painter and professor of Linear Drawing and Adornment and where Pablo Picasso first came into contact with classical studies. Picasso never studied there as his father was transferred, but certainly the teaching and learning environment and the school atmosphere transmitted by his father, who was also the Curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, made their mark on the young Pablo. His early works such as First Communion and Science and Charit gained honourable mentions at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1897, and had that classical and academic air which would later evolve into new styles.
Ataranzanas Central Market
The Atarazanas market is in the place where the Nasrid shipyards stood until the 14th Century. In 1870, the municipal architect Joaquín Rucoba won approval for a new market to be built on the site that, subsequently, was known as Alfonso XII Market. The ancient monumental door of the old shipyards was saved and transferred to the centre of the main façade of the new building, which, in an exercise in accordance with the pre-existing work, Rucoba designed in neo-Arab style, although using a great deal of glass and iron. Although almost all of the old Muslim construction disappeared, Ataranzanas Central Market became one of the city’s best examples of 19th century architecture. The market opened its doors to the public in 1879. The building was renovated between 2008 and 2010, in order to recover its original design.
Salamanca’s Market
It is a one storey building. Its symmetrical roofing is most striking. It consists of a horseshoe arch with decorations flanked by two large columns. At its base, giving access to visitors, is a modernist grille. Built between 1922 and 1925 to a design by Daniel Rubio Sánchez. This is a market where the 48 stalls continue their traditional activity inside a unique neo-Arabic architecture.
5 Sagasta Street
Standing on a narrow, irregularly shaped plot, the building rises at the corner, resembling a ship’s keel. Usually ascribed to Málaga-born architect Fernando Guerrero Strachan, its most salient features are its round tower, marking the building’s primary axis, and the variegated ornamental motifs below the windows. The building’s style can be said to be the local version of eclectic regionalism – an alternative to modernism in the search of local identity in architecture. Although it was built in the twentieth century, neo-Islamic architecture was very popular in the Western world from the eighteenth century on – especially during the Romantic period.
Antigua Fábrica de Tabaco
The Old Tobacco Factory built in the 1930s is currently the home of the Museo Automovilístico de Málaga (Málaga Automobile Museum) and other municipal bodies after becoming municipal property in 2004. The first thing you notice when you arrive at the entrance is a beautiful iron gate that leads to the main courtyard of the three courtyards that were part of the factory and which were designed for selling, fermenting and manufacturing tobacco products. On both sides of the main entrance are buildings that were used as offices and the manager’s residence. Open brickwork can be seen at the corners and edges of the bays on the factory’s walls: white brickwork for backgrounds and glazed ceramic blue and yellow for friezes. The roofs are terraces and on the capping are pyramids with spheres inspired by the architecture of Seville.
Old Warehouses of Félix Sáenz
An Art Nouveau building built between 1912 and 1914 to a design produced by Manuel Rivera Vera. It is one of the most important buildings of this architectural style in Málaga. It blends Mediterranean modernist elements with neo-baroque styles. It highlights the tendency to turn the planes of the façades into valid architectural spaces and volumes.
Casa del Jardinero
Built in 1912 by architect Manuel Rivera Vera. It is a small palace situated between the Parque de Málaga and the Alcazaba built in the classic style with a cross-shaped floor plan of two storeys and a basement. One of the building’s greatest curiosities is the hundred-year-old Australian ficus with its breath-taking aerial roots.
Museums
Málaga is a city where culture, art and beauty are in the air. In addition to showing their permanent collections, museums stage temporary exhibitions and organise a wide range of cultural activities, including lectures and talks, courses and workshops, shows and concerts. Málaga’s museums are gateways to art, culture and new worlds. In the early part of the 21st century, the city of Málaga establish itself as a cultural Andalucia destination. A city of museums, Málaga boasts about forty exhibition venues where visitors can find all kinds of exhibits: art and one of its greatest ambassadors, Pablo Picasso, science, traditional crafts, popular traditions, music, wine, even imagination.
In the past few years, Málaga has become a favourite choice for the world’s top museums, which have settled in town to show their collections to visitors from around the globe. These museums’ galleries attest to Málaga’s international flair, showcasing the works of the old masters and contemporary artists. Enjoying art. Viewing art. Sharing art. In Málaga you can do all this and more, courtesy of the city’s many museums, hosting permanent and temporary exhibitions focusing on different periods or their most representative artists.
Picasso museum
In answer to Pablo Ruiz Picasso’s wish for a place in his native city where his work could be shown to society, the Museo Picasso Málaga was inaugurated in 2003. The institution has become since then fundamental for an understanding of the rich development of local culture. The museum is both a landmark and a magnet, as well as a key symbolic referent for anyone living in the capital of the Costa del Sol. For those drawn to Málaga from all parts of the world by the talent and fame of the most important painter of the 20th century, it is moreover an invitation to learn at close hand about the life and work of the locally born artist.
Centre Pompidou Málaga
The center proposes all public to feel the experience of the Centre Pompidou through its wealthy collection, its excellent schedules, the mutual interference of artistic disciplines and its innovative mediation programs. Malaga, birthplace of Picasso and an international tourist destination place, positions the culture and the museums in the center of a new stage of its development
Málaga Centre for Contemporary Art
The CAC Málaga is located in the old Málaga Wholesale Market, a historic building. The museum is intended for reflection on and dissemination of contemporary art. Exhibitions, publications, conferences, educational programs, workshops and seminars are some of the many activities that make CAC Málaga a living, dynamic and innovative centre, open to all kinds of artistic and cultural events in the international vanguard.
Carmen Thyssen Museum Málaga
The permanent collection rooms at the Carmen Thyssen Málaga Museum offer a journey through Spanish art of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, with special emphasis on Andalusian landscape painting and traditional scenes. The works belong to Baroness Carmen Thyssen’s private collection – more than 200 pieces, including a fine selection of works of the Old Masters (thirteenth to eighteenth centuries).
Russian Museum Collection, St. Petersburgo-Málaga
The Russian Museum Collection is housed in the building of the old tobacco factory, known as La Tabacalera – perhaps the finest example of architectural regionalism in Málaga, dating from the 1920s. The Russian Museum Collection, St. Petersburg-Málaga has had its programme disrupted, but activity has not been interrupted. The Museum is now reopening with a Picasso exhibition, showing works from the Picasso House Museum.
Málaga´s Museum
Malaga’s Museum holds the collections of two of the most distinguished museum institutions of Malaga, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Provincial Archaeology Museum which holds more than 15,000 references of archaeology and a wide painting’s collection of more that 2,000 pieces which were produced along the XIX and XX centuries. it is the 5th biggest museum of Spain and the largest of Andalucia.
Revello de Toro Museum
Entrar en el Museo Félix Revello de Toro es meterse de lleno en la vida de este afamado retratista y pintor figurativo malagueño. Tanto que casi se convierte en un conocido para el visitante. El Museo Revello de Toro exhibe permanentemente la cesión que Félix Revello de Toro realizó a su ciudad natal. Desde el Revello de Toro más íntimo, su mujer, sus hijas, su madre, hasta la importancia que la figura de la mujer tuvo en su arte. De las 142 obras que se muestran al público, 116, entre óleos, bocetos y dibujos, forman la colección permanente del centro expositivo. Además, el Museo Félix Revello de Toro recupera y pone en valor la Casa-Taller del escultor Pedro de Mena, donde se ubica.
Museum Jorge Rando
The Museum Jorge Rando, centre of reference for the work of this master from Málaga, is the first institution in Spain dedicated to the study, research and spreading of expressionist poetry, in the broad sense of the term, since the final decades of the XXIth to the present. The tour is a pictorial walk with a permanent exhibition in continuous movement, the wealth of thematic cycles of Jorge Rando by África, Prostitución, Pasión, Pintarradas, Paisajes, Maternidades (Africa, Prostitution, Passion, “Pintarradas”: paintings by daubing, Landscapes, Maternities) among others, take turns to accompany the temporary exhibitions of national and international artists linked to this artistic trend.
Municipal Heritage Museum (MUPAM)
Here is a permanent display of a selection from the historic and artistic Municipal Heritage. Paintings, sculptures and graphic works including works by Picasso or Carlos Haes.
Gerald Brenan House
The house where lived the British writer Gerald Brenan is a cultural meeting point that aims to promote the connections between the Anglo-Saxon artists and the Spanish ones, that is to say, it aims to get that this house becomes a meeting place for cultures, as well as a place to think about new ideas.
Gibralfaro Castle Interpretation Centre
Pura historia de Málaga. El Centro de Interpretación del Castillo de Gibralfaro muestra el uso de la fortaleza como guarnición militar y vigía costero entre los años 1487 y 1925. El recorrido se inicia con una gran maqueta de la Málaga musulmana inserta sobre la Málaga actual en volúmenes planos, en la que se destacan también algunos edificios singulares.
Centre of Interpretation of the Roman Theatre
It is one of the entrances to the Roman Theatre in whose exterior façade fragments of the Lex Flavia Malacitana can be read. Different parts and museography with educational contents take us into the Roman world.
Lagar de Torrijos Ecomuseum
The Lagar de Torrijos Eco-museum is a home-winery in the mountains of Málaga, which dates from 1843. This building is substantially the same as when it was constructed; it contains all the old equipment used for obtaining sweet Málaga wine, as well as for obtaining extra virgin olive oil and bread making.
Eco-museum Astilleros Nereo
Astilleros Nereo is one of the 100 Spanish Historical Industrial Heritage sites devoted to boat building included in the National Industrial Heritage Plan. This craft has been listed as a Property of Cultural Interest. The historical industrial architecture houses a maritime heritage ecomuseum specializing in historical replicas, classic boat restoration, and spotlighting maritime culture by designing enhancement projects for museums and cities with historical links to the sea.
Archaeological Exhibition Hall of the Alcazaba
Permanent exhibition on “Techniques and use of ceramics in Muslim Málaga, 11th -14th centuries.” This is an educational tour presenting the importance of ceramics, the work of the archaeologists who collect them and the restorers who rebuild them for display in the museum. Topics such as the meaning of pottery and parts, the variety of forms and functions are explained in the Chambers of the Nasrid Palace.
Archaeological Sites of La Araña
The situation, the natural resources and good climate have made Málaga a place inhabited since prehistoric times. This can be seen in the archaeological sites named the Yacimientos Arqueológicos de la Araña (Parque Prehistórico de Málaga – Prehistoric Park of Málaga), where visitor can learn more about the Neanderthal times, the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.
Natural space
Málaga’ natural heritage provides opportunities for other types of tourism. Areas with exceptional environmental riches such as the Natural Park Montes de Málaga, the Guadalhorce estuary area of natural beauty, the Historical botanical garden of Málaga “La Concepción” and the Málaga Park. Museums such as the Museum Alborania Museum and the Lagar of Torrijos Ecological Museum will bring us closer to our natural resources through education.
Concepción Historical-Botanical Gardens
The Concepción country estate is one of most beautiful and important tropical and subtropical gardens of Spain and one of the most appreciated ones in the whole of Europe. It comprises 23 hectares and it has a garden in the centre that has been declared to be a historic/artistic garden of approximately 3 hectares. Form the set of fountains and waterfalls combined with a beautiful selection of subtropical plants from all over the world, its romantic landscape style stands out with significant neoclassical features. There are more than 25,000 plants belonging to about 2,000 different species of which 90 are palm trees, 200 are native plants and the remainder are tropical and subtropical.
The Palace House and the Administrator’s House stand out. There are some more smaller buildings doted around the garden such as the Old School, the Gardener’s House, known as the House of the Cypresses, the Loringiano Museum and a regionalist style dome that is used because of its panoramic views of the city. The Museo Loringiano houses the archaeological finds that Jorge Loring acquired from the excavations of Málaga and the province such as the “Malaga’s municipal code of law”, which is currently in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid. Some of these archaeological items can be seen around the museum. Around the Historical Garden, we can find the Botanical Garden that contains a set of plant collections that have been structured.
Natural area of the Estuary of the Guadalhorce
The natural park in the estuary of the Guadalhorce is located within an island of 122 hectares, currently bounded by the two arms of the final stretch of the Guadalhorce River. There are several lagoons, river banks, sandy areas bordering the sea and land spaces within the park that offer an environmental variety where different species make their home throughout the year. Depending on the time of year you visit, you can observe over 260 different species of birds. These are more abundant and varied at times of migration: spring, autumn and winter.
Málaga’s Park
Located between the Alameda Principal and the Paseo de España, which runs parallel to Guadiaro Quay, the park extends from the Plaza de General Torrijos to Plaza de la Marina. It is made up of three walkways, each 800 metres long and ten metres wide; one is on the north side and the other two are to the south of the 25 metre-wide central thoroughfare for vehicles, a continuation of the Alameda Principal.
Parque Forestal Metropolitano Comandante Benítez
The Comandante Benítez metropolitan forest park covers an area of 300,000 m², and is home to many pines, eucalyptus, cypresses and palm trees. It has wooden tables and benches, litter bins, hiking trails and mountain biking routes.
Montes de Málaga natural park
the Parque Natural Montes de Málaga with 4,996 hectares of countryside is just 5 kilometres from the city and enjoy the flora, fauna and adventure activities offered here all year round. Trails, recreational areas, educational activities, leisure and adventure, exhibition spaces, accommodation and food are part of the wide range of nature tourism the park offers. The park is bathed by five torrential basins that are tributaries of the River Guadalmedina: Vacas, Chaperas, Los Frailes, Humaina and Hondo. Inside the park there are 150 km of forest tracks, of which 45 are suitable for vehicles.
Port Area
A hive of activity, especially at weekends, the new Port Area or Muelle Uno is a wonderful seaside addition to the city. Bars and restaurants abound overlooking the harbour and there are normally free music concerts and market stalls at weekends.
La Farola
La Farola, besides being one of the two Spanish lighthouses having a feminine name, is a recurring element in Málaga’s iconography. It can be found on the promenade of the same name, in the Malagueta district between the Port of Málaga and Paseo Marítimo Ciudad de Melilla. Much loved by the city’s inhabitants, they started building it in the 19th century and it was finished in 1816, in the time of Ferdinand VII (1784 – 1833). It has undergone several renovations during its history.
Arts and Crafts Seaside Market
At the Seaside Markets you can find artisan product retailers. Artisan products include goods manufactured, transformed or finished with human intervention, as well as typical foods made in Málaga Province. At the markets there are no parades, concerts or catering services.
Beaches
Málaga’s beaches combine, a wealth of monuments, museums, culture and gastronomy with the possibility of stretching out in the sun or simply taking a walk along the beach. La Malagueta, La Misericordia, San Andrés, San Julián, El Palo or Pedregalejo are just a few of the 16 beaches that make up the city’s coastline, and which have all the necessary services and facilities to make them comfortable, accessible and safe. In the same city, you can delight in the genius of Picasso or visit a fabulous set of attractions such as the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro and the Roman Theatre, and at the same time enjoy some great beaches where you can relax and rest.
Choose between the urban and lively beaches of La Malagueta, Pedregalejo or San Andrés, or the more out of town and secluded beaches such as Guadalmar (with a nudist area) or you can even choose some of the little bays with particular charm such as Baños del Carmen or Peñón del Cuervo. Stumble across numerous beach bars and restaurants along the promenades; these are true sanctuaries of good traditional Málaga cuisine where “fried fish” and skewered sardines reign supreme.
Cultural heritage
Malagueñas
At the beginning of the 19th century, a dance with music and song and with roots in the Fandango appeared in the region of Málaga. It was named Malagueña. The dance continued to be performed throughout the century all over Andalusia in lyrical-theatre shows, together with other genres typical of the period (light opera called zarzuela, and some operatic arias), becoming very popular and much in demand by the public.
The Association of Songs and Dances of Spain laid down the standards that remain today as the basis for Dancing the malagueña de fiesta, a well-defined concept that turns the malagueñas song into a graceful danceable piece with a beautiful folk-poetical content and traditionalist character. One of the architects of this musical transformation was José María Alonso, who at the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties, laid out the guidelines, with his work and those of other contemporary author-singers, for a canon that should be applied when composing a Malagueña de Fiesta.
Verdiales
The verdiales are an expression of popular culture of Málaga, the presence of archaic and Moorish forms in the verdial. Verdiales are a style of singing and dancing that seem to predate flamenco. They differ from flamenco in terms of the accompaniment provided by numerous string and percussion instruments (violin, lute, guitar, cymbals and tambourine), indicating their Arabic influence, and because a verdial emphasises dancing over singing.
Verdiales festivals as a collective manifestation of the people date back to ancestral, pre-Roman times. The verdiales reach their peak with the Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales, on December 28, Holy Innocents Day. On that day, groups meet in the neighbourhood of Puerto de la Torre, an enclave with close ties to this cultural event. The clothing of the group is that worn by farmers, introduction of a palm hat full of ornaments, mirrors, flowers, ribbons or beads.
Birthplace of Picasso
The city of Málaga, where the brilliant artist Pablo Picasso was born, offers a huge number of Picasso’s works, giving visitors an idea of his prominent and influential role in the history of art. Discover his childhood home and the artistic environment of his early years, giving you a better understanding of the development of his art and his personality. The itinerary includes a visit to the Museo Casa Natal Picasso (Picasso’s childhood home, which has been turned into a museum), as well as the Museo Picasso Málaga.
A specialized library and an on-going program of temporary exhibitions and cultural activities complement the offer of Picasso’s Birthplace Museum. The first major addition was in 1989 with the folder of engravings “Dream and Lie of Franco”; this was followed by illustrated books donated by the painter’s family. Currently there are over 50 books illustrated by Picasso and other artists such as Miró, Chagall and Max Ernst.
Also noteworthy are the notebooks of preparatory drawings for the work “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” which marked the beginning of his “African Period” or “Protocubism”, which gave rise to the artistic movement of cubism, and of which Picasso is the greatest exponent. The 84 drawings are complemented by a repertoire of graphic work covering the period from 1905-1971. There is also a collection of 238 lithographs made between 1930 and 1960. Of great interest are the 34 ceramic pieces created between 1940 and 1946. The Birthplace Museum has brought together more than 4,000 pieces by 200 different artists.
Gastronomy
The cuisine of Málaga and the wider Costa del Sol is known for its Along the coast there are dozens of restaurants and chiringuitos (beach restaurants) where you can have fish, seafood, paella, sangria, etc. The most typical thing to eat in Málaga is espetos, sardines squewered on a bamboo stick and grilled over a fire (typically driftwood); and pescaíto frito: all types of deep-fried fish from anchovies to squid. A speciality of Andalucia is fish (most commonly dogfish “cazon”, although sometimes other fish such as tuna, “atun”) marinated in a garlic and vinegar preparation. Jamon is a regional specialty, and is an aged, salted ham, from acorn-fed pork, similar to prosciutto.
The Natural Park Montes de Málaga’s gastronomy is unique. Along Los Montes road or Colmenar road (A-7000) there are a number of restaurants that are popularly known as “ventas” (similar to an old-fashioned inn in the UK) that today form a culinary area that is different from anything else available in Málaga. Most of the “ventas” serve the Plato de los Montes (Monte’s dish) which consists of loin, chorizo, peppers, eggs and chips. The Migas (“crumbs”) dish is also unique to this area, which consists of bread usually with strips of loin or chorizo. They also serve kid goat meat, suckling lamb from Málaga, deer and wild boar.
Málaga wines were very popular in the 18th and 19th century. The wines were exported to many countries around the world at the time. Phylloxera spread from 1878 until the first three decades of the 20th century and it ruined most of the vines due to which Málaga lost its market position. The wines are currently being discovered again and are protected by the Denominación de Origen (guarantee of origin and quality of a wine) “Málaga” and “Sierras de Málaga”. Many restaurants in the historical centre, the location of the main gastronomic area of the city, serve these wines with a broad range of cuisine choices.
Festival
Carnivals
Carnival in Málaga is an eminently popular festival preceding Lent; its colourful, multicultural and spontaneous character make it unique. Celebrations are held both in the Historic Quarter and the rest of the city’s districts, which, during Málaga’s warm winter, host hundreds of recreational activities. The fiesta, led by the Fundación Ciudadana del Carnaval (Citizens’ Carnival Foundation), starts in Málaga with meetings of groups of singers, bands of street musicians, parades, quartets and choirs in the Teatro Cervantes in a contest that attracts contestants from all over the province as well as other places in Andalusia. The official group contest, a prelude to the street festival, is characterised by good humour, laughter, effervescence, and satire; it is the annual chronicle of local, provincial, regional and national events told by good singing voices and guitars, with whistles and drums as a backdrop.
Málaga Carnival is inaugurated by a speech at the nerve centre of the city, the Plaza de la Constitution. Cuisine also plays an important role in the lead-up. Collard greens, casseroles, rice dishes, stews… Each neighbourhood sets up its own tasting event, in which there is no shortage of groups singing folk songs. The Carnival itself takes place from Sunday to Sunday in the week before Lent. After the opening address and the election of the God and Goddess of the Carnival, which is on Saturday night, the Great Parade takes place on Sunday. During the week, performances by singers and entertainers, as well as events such as the Battle of the Flowers, are responsible for adorning the city centre in confetti. Finally, on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the Burial of the Anchovy takes place: a parade through the central streets to the beaches of La Malagueta, where this short-lived work – usually portraying allusions to current events – is burned.
Holy week
Processions start on Palm Sunday and continue until Easter Sunday. Images depicting scenes from the Passion are displayed on huge ornate tronos. The most notable feature of Málaga’s Holy Week is how they carry their platforms (called “tronos”, or thrones), with external rods that are held up by hundreds of men and women in a common effort. In addition, Nazarenes, musicians, altar boys and military corps make up an essential component of the street procession. Each brotherhood puts on a unique display in different parts of the city, crossing the bridges; under the trees of the Alameda; along Larios Street; in the silence of the Cathedral; down narrow streets… These tronos highlight the processions that go through the streets led by penitents dressed in long robes, with capirote, followed by women in black carrying candles. Drums and trumpets play music and occasionally someone spontaneously sings a mournful saeta dedicated to the floats as they make their way slowly round the streets.
Three wise men parade
Every 5th of January, the city of Malaga celebrates the Parade of the Magi, one of the most popular holidays in Spain. It portrays the arrival of the Magi from the East to the city to hand out gifts to children. Its origins in Malaga date back to 1923, the year when the city held the first procession with Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar. Ever since, various local personalities have played the role of the Magi, who ride through the city on a float.
Saint Ciriaco and Saint Paula
Ciriaco and Paula were two young local Christians who were martyred on June 18, 303, as part of a persecution ordered by Diocletian. In 1487, with the arrival of the Catholic Monarchs in the city, the Holy Martyrs Ciriaco and Paula were named patrons of the city of Málaga, and one of the first four churches was dedicated to them. From 1582 until the end of the 20th century, 18 June was a holiday in Málaga. One congregation dedicates services and festivals in honour of the two saints throughout the year, including a solemn procession around the date of their feast day. In addition, the Diocese of Málaga has assigned the rank of solemnity to their feast day, with a mass that is held every 18 June. The current images of the patrons, sculpted by Jerónimo Gómez Hermosilla in 1645, preside over the high altar of the church of Santos Mártires Ciriaco y Paula.
Feria de Agosto
During the celebration of the Feria de Málaga in August, the streets are transformed into traditional symbols of Spanish culture and history, with sweet wine, tapas, and live flamenco shows. The day events consist of dancing, live music (such as flamenco or verdiales, traditional music from Málaga) and bullfights at La Malagueta, while the night fair is moved to the Recinto Ferial, consisting of restaurants, clubs, and an entire fair ground with rides and games.
Málaga Film Festival
The Málaga Film Festival dedicated exclusively to films produced in Spain, is one of the most important film festivals in the country. It is held annually during a week in March or April. The festival was established to promote Spanish cinema and help disseminate information about Spanish films. Since 2017, it features an additional focus on Ibero-American films.
The night of San Juan
Málaga celebrates in a very special way St John’s Eve, on the night of 23 June. Thousands of Malagueños go to the beaches to celebrate the arrival of summer. They gather in groups and make bonfires where they burn papers with wishes written on them, and jump on the fires while the music plays, filling the coastline with small fires. The rituals begin at midnight. One tradition is to wet one’s feet on the seashore come midnight. But that is also the time when the fire should be lit. Some very traditional victims of these fires in Málaga are the júas, rag dolls or the like, dressed and usually adorned with some kind of symbol, which are set on fire.
Surrounding region
The province of Malaga is located in the south of the Mediterranean coast, Ttourism and tourist resorts, particularly those on the beaches along the Costa del Sol (“Sun Coast”), are the main industry here. Its beaches are visited by millions of European tourists; other attractions include the gorge of El Chorro near Álora, the Torcal de Antequera, the Moorish-Mudéjar district of Frigiliana, the Dolmen of Menga, and the Caves of Nerja.
Aancient and cosmopolitan Malaga in the past still retains its historic roots intact. The history of this province has taken place between the sea and the mountains. Its capital was a witness to the economic and cultural boom of the western Mediterranean. The town known as Malaka by the Phoenicians was transformed into a prosperous commercial centre. After the Muslim invasion of the 8th century, the territory became Arabised and later became part of the Nasrid kingdom in Granada, when it underwent a new period of commercial and cultural prominence.
In the 19th century, the iron and steel industries of los Larios and the commercialisation of its wines provided significant economic development for the province. After decades of economic downturn, Malaga underwent rapid economic growth in the second half of the 20th century, thanks to the tourist industry. Each year millions of citizens from all over the world choose this idyllic land to relax on its sun-drenched beaches, discover its rich architectural heritage or explore the wild beauty of its mountain geography.
Maritime Malaga on the coast where winter never comes; and with a mountain vocation inland, where nature is displayed in all its splendour. White villages with their attractive architecture, wrapped in romantic legend, bring points of light into secluded valleys where life goes by peacefully. And from the peaks of the mountains you can watch the horizon until it becomes lost in the immense blue of the sea. Malaga is today the primary force in the Andalusian tourist industry, keeping alive its tradition of a welcoming and creative land.
The province of Málaga has over 160 kilometres of coastline. A total of 14 districts are located directly on the Mediterranean Sea. You can find secluded enclaves set in unspoilt nature, as well as more established tourist resorts. The beaches in both the eastern and the western part of the province are so attractive they have made the Costa del Sol one of the top international destinations. Also a must is the landscape inland, with more than 15 officially protected areas classified as nature reserves, natural spaces or natural landmarks. Places that may be either in the depths of the Mediterranean or on the highest peaks. Magical forests and rivers where you can still find foxes, golden eagles and Spanish ibex.
Antequera y Entorno
This is a region of flat lands dotted with occasional hills, a crossroads between the Mediterranean and the River Guadalquivir, with fertile valleys where the rivers collect into small lakes. The traveller will discover a vast heritage, with monuments created both by nature and by man. Antequera has the most important megalithic monument in Europe: the Menga dolmen, as well as the Viera and El Romeral dolmens; the Fuente de Piedra lake is a sanctuary for a colony of pink flamingos; and El Torcal is a natural museum with mysterious sculptures carved by erosion out of a huge limestone rock. Examples of Baroque architecture can be found scattered throughout the towns of Alameda, Archidona with its famous Plaza Ochavada square, Campillos, Humilladero, Mollina, Teba and others.
Axarquía/Costa del Sol Oriental
The Axarquía region of Malaga, whose capital is Vélez-Málaga, rises up from the sea to heights of up to 2,000 metres, and is dotted with olive groves and vineyards. Along the coastline, the mountains look out over the sea and there are Mediterranean and Mudejar towns with peaceful sunny beaches, cliffs and hidden coves.
There is a range of alternative routes on offer throughout the region: the Sun and Avocado Route, passing through the towns of Macharaviaya, Rincón de la Victoria, Iznate, Vélez-Málaga, Benamocarra and Benamargosa; the Sun and Wine Route, which includes the towns of Algarrobo, Sayalonga, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Torrox, Nerja and Frigiliana; the Raisin Route, through Totalán, Moclinejo, Almáchar, El Borge and Comares; and the Oil and Mountain Route, which takes in the towns of Colmenar, Riogordo, Alfarnatejo, Alfarnate, Periana, Viñuela and Alcaucín.
Costa del Sol Occidental
Located between the mountains and the sea, this region has much more to offer than just sun and sand: white villages nestling between the coastline and the mountains or resting on gentle hillsides, and fishing ports and marinas are all typical of the Costa del Sol. This stretch of coastline is home to a bustling cosmopolitan population that floods the sunny beaches, strolls along its streets and squares, and can be found in the beach bars and international restaurants savouring the delights of its rich and varied gastronomy, including the typical fried fish platters or char-grilled sardines. From Malaga, the traveller can visit Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva, Benahavís, Casares, Ojén and Istán.
Málaga y Entorno
The city of Malaga is in an exceptional natural setting, with a coastline bathed by the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by the Malaga Mountains, designated a Nature Reserve. Large handsome squares and gardens, monuments in a range of artistic styles, and traces of the presence of the Roman and Muslim civilizations appear before your eyes as you stroll through the city centre or walk along the seafront promenade enjoying the sea breeze, or marvel at everything Malaga has to offer from the top of a sightseeing bus. Also well worth a visit in the Malaga region are the towns of Churriana, Alhaurin de la Torre, Campanillas, Almogía and La Cala del Moral.
Serranía de Ronda/Valle del Genal
The Serranía de Ronda is much more than a range of mountains clothed with lush Mediterranean vegetation: deep peaceful valleys, narrow gorges and steep cliffs, ancient coves such as La Pileta and El Gato, where you can still find traces of the presence of prehistoric man. Ronda will evoke for visitors a romantic and all-pervading atmosphere of banditry and bullfighting legends.
Its monumental bullring is one of the oldest in the world. The deep Tajo gorge formed by the course of the River Guadalevín divides the city in two and has become one of its best-known landmarks. This region includes the following towns: Gaucín, Genalguacíl, Alpandeire, Pujerra, Ronda,Cartajima, Igualeja, Parauta, Cuevas del Becerro, Jimera de Líbar, Jubrique and Benarrabá.
Valle del Guadalhorce
The River Guadalhorce flows through the Los Gaitanes Gorge to irrigate a fertile valley, the most important in Malaga. As the valley runs alongside the mountains, the Mediterranean forest appears: olive trees, cork oaks, pines and chestnut trees. The landscape rises along the Los Horcajos ravine and climbs to shady landscapes and plains where Spanish firs and ancient gall oaks grow.
The towns, in their unique natural settings, include Alhaurín el Grande, Álora, Alozaina, Carratraca, Cártama, Casarabonela, Coín, Guaro and Pizarra. The “Caminito del Rey”, is a path running along the bare wall of this Natural Area. Nearby, the village of El Chorro and the Roman ruins of Bobastro are also well worth a visit.