Discover Málaga
Malaga is located in the south of Andalusia, on the famous Costa del Sol, on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Malaga, of which it is the capital. With little
less than 600,000 inhabitants, Malaga (
Português |
Français)
is the sixth most important city in
Spain and the second most
populous Andalusia, behind Seville. Its mild climate in winter and warm in summer makes Malaga a typical mediterranean city.
During the Moorish invasions in the Middle Ages, Malaga - like all of southern Spain - was an important commercial center. It was regained
by the Catholic Monarchs in 1487, in the longest and bloodiest battle against the Moors. Another important battle, centuries later, was the
Battle of Bailén (of the European armies against Napoleon), in which Napoleon Bonaparte suffered defeat.
The city is known for its fame as
liberal , from a political point of view. It was also heavily influenced by the ideas
revolutionary and for a time was known as
Malaga the Red .
Picasso's hometown
As if the city's many achievements were not enough, the world-famous painter Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga. This fact alone justifies
the inclusion of the city in a mandatory visit itinerary for art lovers. The painter's home and the Pablo Picasso Museum in Malaga
are unmissable visits. The museum has almost 300 works by the brilliant
Malagueño painter.
Control of the Mediterranean
The city also plays an important military and strategic role because it is located in a prominent position that allows controlling the
entrance to the Mediterranean, especially after the loss of Gibraltar.
Industrial and commercial center
The laborious city of Malaga - always the first to rise for freedom - was for decades Spain's first industrial center.
Even after Barcelona's rise to that post, Málaga remained the second most industrialized city in the country, also counting
with important commercial activity. The Port of Malaga - the second most important for the cruise movement, after Barcelona - is
busiest in the Mediterranean. There is a regular ferry service with the Spanish enclave of Mellila, Morocco.
Beaches of Malaga
The Malaga coast - Costa del Sol - was responsible for a major tourism boom in the region. The three most central beaches (La Misericordia,
San Andrés and Huelin) are very popular. To the side of Torremolinos, there are the beaches of San Julián, Guadalmar
and Guadalhorce (the last one, at the mouth of the Guadalhorce River); these beaches have dark sand but attract many visitors. The latter is in a
natural environmental zone.
On the other side of the port are the two most popular beaches: La Malagueta (blue flag, good quality) and La Caleta; Further east are the
Baños del Carmen, Pedregalejo, El Palo and El Candado beaches.
Main tourist attractions
Among the main tourist attractions in Malaga, the highlights are
- the Roman Theater, from the time of Augustus
- the Cathedral of Malaga
- the beaches of Costa do Sol (16 beaches)
- the Alcazaba Tower
- Historical Center, one of the most important in the world
- Musulman castle on Mount Gibralfaro
- the Episcopal Palace
- Parque de Málaga, a beautiful tropical park
- House where Pablo Picasso was born
- the Picasso Museum in Malaga
- the Palmeral de las Sorpresas
Main cities in Spain
The top 10 cities in Spain are:
- Madrid, the capital
- Barcelona
- Valencia
- Sevilla
- Saragoza
- Málaga
- Múrcia
- Palma de Maiorca
- Las Palmas
- Bilbao
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