Malaga Tourist Information and Malaga Holiday Guide

MALAGA TOURIST INFORMATION

This page is all about the town of Malaga on the Costa del Sol coast of Spain. It contains useful Malaga tourist information for people intending to visit or holiday in Malaga.

In this tourist guide to the city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol in Spain we help visitors who are planning a trip with useful and practical advice on many tourism related subjects such as car hire, accommodation, hotels, hostels, apartments to rent, map, sightseeing, weather, where to go, where to stay, travel information and what to see and do in Malaga.

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To make the best of your visit and holiday we cover everything you need to know about Malaga. We also have photos, picture galleries, views, videos and webcams of Malaga.

Most visitors bypass Malaga in favour of the Costa del Sol resorts, but this surprising city boasts several notable tourist attractions including the recently opened Picasso Museum and Gibralfaro Castle. Malaga is also renowned for its traditional Spanish tapas bars, many of which are located around calle Nueva in the old town. Specialties include fritura malagueno (fried fish) and boquerones (anchovies).

PABLO PICASSO

Malaga's most famous son, Pablo Picasso, was born here in 1881 and he spent his early years in the city. Picasso's birthplace in the corner of the Plaza de la Merced is open to the public and displays some of his personal items. The new Picasso Museum, which opened in 2003, is housed in a converted 16th century palace, the Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista. It contains a collection of over 200 artworks assembled by several of Picasso's heirs, most notably his daughter-in-law Christine Ruiz-Picasso. Items include paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics. Another art museum in Malaga, which also opened in 2003, is the CAC which houses an impressive collection of contemporary works.

MALAGA CATHEDRAL

In the centre of the city is the cathedral which was built over the course of several centuries, resulting in a mixture of architectural styles. Only one of the bell towers was completed, earning the cathedral the nickname 'La Manquita', which can loosely be interpreted as 'one-armed lady'. Malaga has several other notable churches, including the 15th century Iglesia de Santiago (Picasso's baptismal certificate is kept here), and the Iglesia San Juan Bautista, with its 18th century Baroque-style tower.

Overlooking Malaga is the hilltop Castillo de Gibralfaro, built during the 14th century on the site of a former Phoenician lighthouse (hence its name which derives from 'gebel-faro' meaning 'lighthouse on the rock'). All that remains of the castle today are the ramparts from which there are great views over the city. Near the base of the hill is the Moorish Alcazaba fortress, which dates from the 7th century AD, although most of the present structure was built around 1050 AD. Within the Alcazaba are a series of gardens, fountains and patios. There's also a small palace which is home to the city's archaeological museum containing various Phoenician, Roman and Moorish artifacts. Next to the Alcazaba are the remains of the Roman amphitheatre, which has only recently been uncovered.

A short distance to the east of the city's large bullring is the English Cemetery. Founded in 1829 by the British Consul, William Mark, this was the first Protestant graveyard in Spain. Up until then non-Catholics were buried on the beaches in the 'dead' of the night. To the north of the city centre is another quiet spot, the Jardin Botanico La Concepcion. This impressive botanic garden was inaugurated in the mid-nineteenth century by the Englishwoman Amalia Livermore and her husband.

GETTING TO MALAGA

Malaga has excellent transport connections. There is a regular and efficient train service from the city to the airport, around 4 miles (6 km) from the city centre, and also to the Costa del Sol resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola. The newly-opened AVE railway line means the capital Madrid is now only about 2 hours and 30 minutes away. There are also regular buses from Malaga to Granada, Seville, Almeria and the resort of Nerja.

For more advice and tourist information about Malaga please see Malaga.

MAP OF MALAGA

Our handy interactive tourist map of Malaga is best used as a tourist information guide as it shows some of the best sights, attractions, tourist spots, famous landmarks and places of interest in Malaga. Alternatively use it as a street map to help you with driving directions and travel information, to and from Malaga. You can use it from your place of origin such as Malaga Airport.

On the map of Malaga we show the locations of Malaga's best-known tourist attractions, sights, famous buildings, museums, galleries, parks, beaches, golf courses, tourist offices, markets, hotels, apartments and restaurants within Malaga.

Heading east you will come across La Biznaga, Club de Golf El Candado, Cala del Maro, Urbanisation Parque Victoria and then the large resort of Rincon de la Victoria.

Heading west you have the airport, towards Torremolinos along the coast you come across Guadalmar, Parador Malaga Golf, La Cizana, and Los Alamos.

WORKING IN MALAGA

If you are coming to the Malaga area to search for work, then this jobs in Spain 2012 will help you.

MOVING TO MALAGA - LIVING IN MALAGA

If you have found this guide on Malaga because you are thinking moving to the Malaga area you may also find our moving to Spain section with expat interviews and accounts of how they found their move to Malaga Spain, useful and informative, as well as our living in Spain section which has more tips and advice.

8 MUST-DO TOURIST EXCURSIONS FROM MALAGA

If you are going to a holiday to Malaga, here are some of our ideas for excursions so you make the most of your trip to the Costa del Sol:

1. Trip to the glamorous resorts of Puerto Banus and Marbella.
2. Mijas is a lovely white-washed village in the mountains.
3. Go east to the former fishing village of Nerja.
4. Granada to visit the Moorish Alhambra Palace or to ski!
5. Take a trip over the Mediterranean across to Morocco!
6. Daytrip to the hustle and bustle tourist resort of Fuengirola.
7. Daytrip to the lively tourist resort of Torremolinos.
8. Go inland to the pretty town of Ronda.

Malaga Tourist Information - Page Summary - This page contains unique tourist information content about the city of Malaga, a popular tourist destination on the Costa del Sol coast of Spain.

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