Written on : 03 December 2020 By : Laura Wendy Harders López
Gastronomy, art, culture, history, beaches and mountains, and sun. Lots of sun. Ah, and don't forget well-being and enjoyment. Many qualities make Malaga one of the European cities with the highest quality of life and one of the most attractive tourist destinations.
Over the years, Malaga has experienced profound urbanistic, cultural, gastronomic, artistic, and social transformations. And together with its excellent climate all-year-round, make Málaga one of Europe's happiest cities. Not to mention you'll always find appealing activities to do-- from adrenaline adventures and lots of fiesta and tapas to museums, relaxing health spas and beaches -- and all soaked up in a pleasant atmosphere of its warm and welcoming locals.
For this reason, we've put together a list of some interesting information you might want to know about this marvellous city:
1) Pablo Picasso Birthplace
Pablo Picasso, the most important painter of the 20th century, was born in 1881, in Malaga. The house where he grew up in is located at number 15 Plaza de la Merced (right in the middle of the city centre)-- and is declared a historic-artistic heritage. Today, it is a museum called "Picasso Birthplace Museum", or "Museo Casa Natal de Picasso" which commemorates his life and art while displaying the home he grew up in. Moreover, you can also pay a visit to another Picasso museum which showcases more of his most famous works of art, which is "Museo Picasso Málaga".
2) 320 days of sunshine
There's only one reason for its fame as the city of sunshine. Malaga has marvellous weather all year round-- boasting an average of 320 days of sunshine per year. That's right. Even the winter months have a mean of 20-22ºC when you'll still see people out and about on the seafront with their families enjoying the sunny weather.
3) Beautiful countryside
Tourists only think of beaches when they hear about the Costa del Sol- yet just about any 20 to 30 minutes drive from where you find yourself in Malaga, you'll find stunning stretches of countryside, such as the Mountains of Malaga, la Axarquia, and el Chorro. La Axarquia has a beautiful, rugged landscape due to the proximity of the Penibetic mountain range near the sea. Vineyards are prevalent, yet new subtropical crops have been integrated like avocados and mango plantations. As you travel more inland, you'll find small villages that have preserved in their architecture traces of the Muslim heritage.
4) Amazing hiking trails
Hiking has been gaining more popularity in Málaga among outdoor enthusiasts-- some of the numerous trails you can find are in: la Serranía de Ronda, Caminito del Rey (El Chorro), Guadalmedina Channel, Ribera del Guadiaro, El Candado- Rincón de la Victoria, Torre del Mar, and the Guadaiza River.
5) Mouth-watering tapas and sun-kissed chiringuitos
The gastronomy in Málaga is just an all-round mouth-watering experience for anyone's taste buds. If you haven't heard of tapas these are popular Spanish dishes ranging from small to larger portion sizes, you'll find in nearly every Spanish restaurant-- what's more, many bars serve free tapas included with your beverage.
There are great restaurants tucked away in quaint cobbled streets in the city centre that serve delicious traditional tapas-- which go great with some red wine to enhance each course. However, if you fancy sun and sand, go over to the beach -- any beach in Málaga -- where you'll find the "chiringuitos". These are famous beach restaurants where one can enjoy the soothing breeze on one's face and soak up some sun rays while enjoying delicious fried seafood and cool zippy beers.
The most famous tapas in Malaga you should try during your stay are: "Espetos", "Pescaito or Fritura Malagueña", "Ajoblanco", "Porra Antequerana", "Gazpacho", "Gambas al Pil-Pil", "Tortilla de Patatas", "Ensaladilla Rusa", "Pipirrana", and "Pimientos Padrones".
6) Vibrant city centre and old town, charming Andalusian cobbled villages, and gorgeous beaches
From a lively, picturesque, historical city centre to Andalusian-style, white, cobbled villages and gorgeous beaches, you can discover numerous charming places about anywhere in Malaga. Some of the most impressive, attractive, and visited beaches are La Malagueta, Playa de Calahonda, Playa del Castillo, Playa de Cabopino, Playa de Maro, Playa de Pedregalejo, Playa de Torremolinos" Playa de Burriana, and Playa de Puerto Banús.
Some of the most beautiful villages in Malaga are Ronda, Frigiliana, Nerja, Mijas, Antequera, Ojén, Archidona, Torrox, Marbella Pueblo, and Casabermeja.
7) One of Spain's oldest cities
Malaga's history dates more than 2,800 years ago, making it one of Spain's oldest cities. The city was founded by the Phoenicians in 770 BC, which they originally called "Malaka".
8) Many archaeological remains and monuments.
Being it a historical city, you'll find numerous archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras. Such as the "Alcazaba de Málaga" and "the Roman Theatre". You'll be amazed at how entrenched in history this amazing city is, finding traces of various bygone periods in architecture, music, and art.
9) Busiest seaport in the Mediterraneum operated since 600 BC
Founded by the Phoenicians and operated continuously since 600 BC, Malaga seaport is one of the busiest in the Mediterraneum and ranked Spain's second-largest.
10) Cultural Hub
Malaga is one of Europe's most enchanting cultural hubs. It holds a cluster of numerous cultural venues such as museums, galleries, theatres, and the famous "tablao flamenco" locales to enjoy some captivating flamenco dancing and music performances.
Some of the best museums and galleries are: Museo Picasso Málaga, Museo Casa Natal de Picasso, CAC Málaga, Centre Pompidou Malaga, Museo del Vino, and Museo Carmen Thyssen.
The most famous "tablaos flamenco" and Flamenco Theatres in Malaga are: "Tablao Flamenco Los Amayas", "Kelipé Centro de Arte Flamenco", "Taberna Flamenca Pepe Lopez", "Restaurante Vino Mío", and "Liceo Flamenco".
11) Actor Antonio Banderas
Another interesting fact to know about is that renowned actor Antonio Banderas is an authentic "malagueño", from Malaga. You might have seen him in many famous films, such as The Mask of Zorro, Shrek 2 (puss in boots), Original sin, Pain and Glory, and Philadelphia.
He has a beautiful loft in the city centre of Malaga, overlooking the fantastic views of the old town and sea.
12) Many cultural and religious festivities: La Feria and Semana Santa
If you didn't know yet, the malagueños love a fiesta. You might be in luck of some special festive going on at the time of your vacation. The most famous festivities are La Feria and la Semana Santa de Málaga.
La Feria is a vivacious week-long street party with plenty of shows, music, dancing, alcohol, delicious tapas, and enjoyment going on in the city centre and other parts of Malaga. It's held in August, and many people dress up during this time in traditional flamenco dresses-- making it a fun, joyful, colourful week.
What's more, actor Antonio Banderas also enjoys the exciting festivities in Malaga, where he participates in the "Semana Santa of Málaga" -- taking place in Easter week every year. During this time, he plays a part in one of the processions, called "La Pollinica", in which he carries a religious throne-statue weighing up to 6 tonnes over his shoulder with other 200 men through the cobbled streets of the city centre.
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