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Beautiful sites and places of interest, a beautiful old town, beaches and lots of fun: Malaga is a city that will conquer you right away. In particular, thanks to its atmospheres and its exuberant character. Malaga, also known for being the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and … sorry if it’s cheap!
1st DAY WEEKEND IN MALAGA
Immediately to the heart: it starts with the historic center and the wonders of the city.
At the foot of the Monte Gibralfaro, lies the wonderful city of Malaga: the Alcazaba. It is a wonderful 11th century Muslim fortress-palace, built on the ruins of a former bulwark. THE’Alcazaba it is the largest Arab monument in Malaga, and consists of two concentric areas. Inside, in the Palace, there is an interesting museum with archaeological finds from the Greek-Roman period, paleochristian finds, Arabic ceramics and much more. Beautiful and unmissable gardens: you can take pictures of historical artifacts!
The site is open every day, observing the following times:
From 01 April to 31 October, from 09:00 to 20:00;
from 01 November to 31 March from 09:00 to 18:00;
Closed 24, 25, 31 December and the 01 January.
The entrance ticket costs €3.50 at the standard rate, and €1.50 reduced.
Free for children up to 6 years old.
FREE ENTRY every Sunday after 2pm!
The ALCAZABA + GIBRALFARO integrated ticket is also available which, at a cost of €5.50, allows entry to the two structures (reduced, €2.50).
Photo ©, Andrew Nash
Entering the Alcazaba, through the Puerta del Cristo, you can see the remains of the splendid Theater Novel of the II century, built during the era of Augustus. The theater has remained underground for many centuries: its discovery, in fact, dates back only to 1951. 31 meters of radius for 16 meters in height, and an orchestra of 15 meters, represent the dimensions of this wonderful complex, absolutely worth visiting. Its plan is still intact, with the cavea (the space reserved for the public), the semicircular area where there was the orchestra with the musicians and the proscaenium (stage). Today the amphitheater hosts up to 220 seats. Sometimes very good evening shows are held.
ENTRANCE IS FREE (except shows). The amphitheater is open every day from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00. Sunday, from 10:00 to 16:00.
Closed on Mondays.
Photo ©, RubiMA1
A beautiful, steep and scenic walk leads to the Mirador and Castillo de Gibralfaro, wonderful place with its beautiful castle and wonderful views of the city and the bay. Arm yourself with patience and good will: to get to the top, you have to walk at least half an hour but it is absolutely worth it. For the less sporty, there is in any case a bus service that leads to the “Lighthouse mountain“, Gibralfaro (jebel faruq) precisely. Of the enormous construction, the curtain wall has remained intact, whose walkway allows you to turn all around the castle. The whole area is a maze of walls, alleyways and gardens with numerous vantage points. The structure is unsuitable for the disabled.
The Castle is open every day, in the summer from 09:00 to 20:00 and in winter from 09:00 to 18:00. The full ticket costs 3.50€, reduced 1.50€.
FREE ENTRANCE every Sunday after 14:00!
As already mentioned, the integrated ticket ALCAZABA + GIBRALFARO is also available which, at the cost of 5.50€, allows entry to the two structures.
As the first day of a Weekend in Malaga, no doubt about it: it was really exciting. The evening, we are sure, it will be even more. A shower is what it takes, then it starts again. Between the port and Alameda Principal, you will find Cafeteria Cordoba, which, unlike the name, is a splendid Andalusian tavern with an excellent quality / price ratio; here, you can enjoy excellent traditional local dishes. Alternatively, there is The rooster, in front of the Picasso Museum, you will have to taste some excellent tapas. Many, however, are the bars and cafes open until late at night: you drink and listen to great music.
2nd DAY WEEKEND IN MALAGA
A sweet awakening, abundant breakfast leaves for the second Andalusian day. The starting point is Calle Atarazanas where is located a beautiful and colorful Mercado Central Atarazanas.
Leaving the market, you take the Alameda Principal, ancient avenue flanked by bicentennial trees; from here, calle begins Marqués de Larios, main street and beating heart of the historical center and today an authentic shopping area, as well as shopping street, with the most famous shops of the city.
Not far away, Plaza de la Marina, central square on the port, is a nerve center of the city from which the beautiful park on the seafront, the paseo del Parco Mall Home and other arteries of the historical center. In the square there is the sculpture of “El Cenachero“, Symbol of the city: a plaque with the verses of the Spanish poet Rueda is dedicated to the character.
Da Plaza Marina you access the beautiful Park de Malaga, also known as Parque de Alameda. It is one of the most important public parks in Europe, thanks above all to the presence of numerous subtropical species and exotic flora that can be admired during the walk. It must be said that, as a matter of fact, it is not a traditional garden, as a set of two parks crossed in the middle by the Paseo Parque road, open to traffic. The park, moreover, is always open.
The Park is bordered to the extreme by the Fuente de las Tres Gracias from which it is visible “La Malagueta“, or Plaza de Toros, a large square in which the homonymous arena is located, inaugurated in the 1874. The arena, has a capacity for 9032, and hosts some of the highlights during the Spanish Bullfighting-Spanish-style bullfighting, including bullfighting shows during Holy Week like the Picasso Corrida. There MalaguetaIn addition to the typical bullfights, it also hosts numerous events, shows and even eno-gastronomic events. For all the info, refer to the official site from this link.
So much walking, you will certainly have made your appetite: in the area you will find mainly restaurants. The advice is to stop just a little ‘to recharge the “batteries”, before resuming with the visit. Returning towards Plaza de la Marina, you will find numerous commercial fast-food restaurants, or taverns where you can taste something local, before visiting the beautiful Cathedral.
The Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga, is a splendid Renaissance-style basilica, inaugurated in 1588 (the project started but 60 years before) and remained unfinished: the works ended in 1783 and were never resumed. The lack of the southern bell tower earned her the nickname of “The manquita“, Or the monk. Located in the historic center, it has some richly decorated chapels, including the Capilla del Rosario, with a splendid one Triumph of the Virgin by A. Cano; The 17th-century wooden choir and the baroque apse are also beautiful. Very nice courtyard and gardens.
The Cathedral is open every day from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, and on Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00.
The full ticket costs €6.00, reduced from 13 to 17 years €3.00. Children up to 12 years pay 2.00€.
Not far from here, it is worth getting to the Iglesia Capitular de El Sagrario, built on the remains of a previous mosque: the Gothic portal is beautiful.
Photo ©, Llceo
From the Cathedral, covering almost entirely Calle San Augustin, we reach the Picasso Museum, a building that collects only works of this wonderful and whimsical poet, born right in Malaga. The museum, inaugurated in 2003, is housed in the beautiful Palacio de Los Condes de Buenavista and is one of the most popular attractions of Malaga and all of Andalucia. Among the strengths, the permanent collection in which are exhibited over 200 works of the painter.
The museum observes the following times:
March-June and September-October: from 10.00 to 19.00;
July-August: from 10.00 to 20.00;
November-February: from 10.00 to 18.00.
The entrance fee for the permanent collection + an exhibition costs 9.00€. The ticket includes an audio guide available in 9 different languages, including english.
Here is a straight from Kanoa: the ENTRANCE is FREE every Sunday, presenting you exactly two hours before the closing time!
Free for children up to 16 years.
Photo ©, Tajchman
Plaza de la Merced, not far from here, is a splendid and wide 19th century square, extremely lively, especially in the evening when tourists and locals gather here to enjoy the last rays of the sun and take a stroll. Here, you can find lots of cafes, bars and restaurants in which to stop. Just near this square stands the Birthplace of Pablo Picasso, in which a museum was set up to admire his first sketches and beyond 4000 works by the Andalusian poet and artists inspired by him. The temporary and itinerant exhibitions are set up along a path that winds through the four floors of the building.
Museo Casa Natal de Picasso, is open every day, from Monday to Sunday, including holidays, from 09:30 to 20:00. It’s closed only 1 January is Christmas. The admission fee for all the exhibitions costs 4,00€. Alternatively, you can only buy the ticket for the permanent or itinerant exhibition at the cost of 3,00€ each. Free admission for under 18, every Sunday after 16:00, and on special days like the 25 October (Picasso’s Death Memorial). More info, directly from here, on the official website.
We recommend that you take a trip to the hotel to rest your legs for your evening. For dinner we recommend the downtown area where there are many excellent pubs and breweries, or, alternatively, excellent taverns where you can taste Andalusian delicacies. Malaga is a young city, full of nightlife: you can stop in one of the many bars open until late at night, or go to the Anden, the most important disco in the city, open from 1988: here you can dance until dawn. More info, from this link.