Things to do in Málaga

Local guide

About Málaga

Málaga is the capital of the province of the same name, the second most populous city in Andalusia and the sixth in Spain. Several layers of history live side by side in its historic centre. The Roman theatre, the main remnant of Roman Malaka, lies at the foot of the Alcazaba, an Islamic-era palace fortress built on top of an earlier one of Phoenician-Punic origin. Higher up, Gibralfaro castle takes its name from the lighthouse of the old Phoenician enclosure; Abd al-Rahman III turned it into a fortress.

The Renaissance cathedral of the Encarnación stands on the site of the old main mosque, within the limits of the vanished Arab wall.

Málaga is also the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. The Museo Picasso Málaga holds 285 works by the painter, and the Fundación Picasso Museo Casa Natal (birthplace museum) is the other gallery devoted to him in the city.

For everyday life, the Atarazanas market, the «mercado central», is the largest of the municipal markets, with 260 stalls. The building, by Joaquín de Rucoba, was built between 1876 and 1879 on an old Nasrid shipyard, and has been a Site of Cultural Interest since 1979. And right in the Centro district is Malagueta beach, a dark-sand town beach of about 1,200 metres between the harbour and La Caleta.

The fiesta year has two big dates. Holy Week (Semana Santa) fills the streets in spring, and in August the Feria de Málaga takes up a whole week, with the historic opening parade, the fair in the centre and the pilgrimage to the Victoria sanctuary. The city also has two local public holidays: 19 August, for Málaga's incorporation into the Crown of Castile, and 8 September, the day of the patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Victoria.

Getting there is easy: Cercanías line C1 links the airport with María Zambrano station, where the AVE stops, in about 8 minutes, and with the centre in about 12. The city also has a light metro with two lines.

Things to do

Must-see places

1. Alcazaba de Málaga: Islamic palace fortress on the lower slopes of Gibralfaro.
2. Castillo de Gibralfaro: fortress on the hill named after the old Phoenician lighthouse.
3. Teatro romano: main remnant of Roman Málaga, at the foot of the Alcazaba.
4. Catedral de la Encarnación: Renaissance cathedral facing the Plaza del Obispo.
5. Museo Picasso Málaga: 285 works by Picasso in his home city.
6. Mercado de Atarazanas: 260-stall municipal market, a Site of Cultural Interest since 1979.
7. Playa de la Malagueta: town beach of about 1,200 metres between the harbour and La Caleta.