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City of light and beauty...
Birthplace of Picasso, the attractive, cosmopolitan city of Malaga lies on a beautiful sweep of bay in Andalucia. Blessed with sunshine and a spectacular quality of light, it is a city of wide boulevards, swaying palm trees, lively nightlife, good museums and excellent seafood restaurants.
The Moors
occupied Malaga until the mid 15th century. Their imprint can be
seen in buildings like La Alcazaba. Situated on the hill overlooking
the town, this Muslim fortress dates back to 1057. Sporting a double
wall and numerous defensive towers, the Alcazaba is now a
fascinating archaeological museum. High above it lies the Gibralfaro
- a Muslim castle built by the Cordoban emir Abd ar-Rahman I in the
8th century. Malaga’s cathedral, on Calle Molina Lario, was built in
the 16th century on the site of the main mosque. It has a fine
baroque façade and beautifully carved wooden choir stalls. The
Palacio de Jos Condes de Buenavista on Calle San Agustin will be
home to the superb new Museo Picasso when it opens in 2001. The
museum will feature a large collection of the artist’s work. You can
visit the house where he was born on Plaza de la Merced 15. Recently
restored, it is now an archive of his life and works. The Museum of
Popular Arts is also well worth a visit. Situated in an old inn on
Pasillo Santa Isabel, it has a fine collection of barros (painted
clay figures).
Stroll along the palm-fringed Paseo del Parque. Laid out in the 19th century, the garden running along its southern side is planted with eye-catching tropical plants. The impressive park on Calle Alameda has one of the best botanical collections in Europe. Open air concerts are held here every Sunday in winter. Malaga is famous for its pescaito frito, a selection of small fried fish such as sardines and red mullet. Try some cold soups -gazpacho, sopa de ajo (garlic soup) and the refreshing sopa de almendra conuvas (almond soup with grapes). For bars and restaurants head for the Plaza de la Constitucion. The Plaza de Uncibay has particularly good tapas bars. A swim off one of the town’s surrounding beaches is a refreshing way to beat the heat!
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