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Welcome to MalagaFrom Nerja to Manilva, this Spanish province on
the Mediterranean is distinguished by its wonderful climate
and first class facilities, making it an attraction for
tourists from all over the world.
Thanks to its gentle
climate, with 320 days of sun a year, this stretch of
Mediterranean coast in southern Andalusia has for years been
an ideal holiday spot. A part from its broad beaches, there
are magnificent tourist facilities, and the hotels and
restaurants - as well as sporting installations and
entertainment spots - are continually being improved. The
capital, Malaga, was first a Phoenician colony and later came
under the control of the Greeks, Carthaginians, Visigoths,
Arabs and Christians. Today it is a maritime city rich in
culture, some of whose remains are on view at the Archeological Museum.
The friendly people and wonderful climate also encourage a
stroll through the old walls and the remains of the Muslim
palaces of the Alcazaba fortress; through its gardens next to
the sea - they are adorned with palm and orange trees and
jacaranda - and on to discover the house where Picasso was
born, there on the wide, lively Plaza de la Merced. Or take in
the view of the city from the top of the Gibralfaro
Castle.
Malaga's old town is charming, with narrow
streets that still have a Moorish air, Baroque facades and
little squares, and the hidden corners that preserve a
nineteenth century air. There is plenty to see in both the old
part of the city and in its more populated neighborhoods, next
to the port or the beach at El Palo.
Torremolinos,
more than any other seaside city, represents the tourist boom
along Malaga's coast. Its name comes from a series of
windmills, several of which are still standing though now they
are closed in by new buildings and apartment blocks. From the
mouth of the Guadalhorce river until the city line with
Benalmádena, there are more than eight kilometers of beaches
with fine sand, facing southeast and protected from the north
winds - which blow cold in winter and hot in summer - by the
Sierra de Mijas. This means that the water is some 22 C in
summer and doesn't go below 16 C in summer and doesn't go
below 16 C even in the middle of winter.
The beaches
of Bajondillo and El Lido are wide, with areas for windsurfing
and water skiing and filled with beach bars and restaurants.
La Carihuela beach is considered the most typical in the
Torremolinos area. A narrow path runs along it, linking a
string of beach bars, each with its own restaurants and
showers.
Hotels in Malaga
Old fishing boats have been dragged up on the sand
alongside these restaurants, and contain the fresh seafood
that can be eaten on the spot in comfortable terraces facing
the sea. From Torremolinos to Estepona, some 70 kilometres,
the road runs parallel to the sea. It's Europe's longest
avenue. All along the coast and on the land moving up the
hills toward the mountains there are luxury villas and
shopping centers.
Nevertheless, there are still many
remains of that past which fascinated travelers of the
Romantic period: just cross the Paseo Marítimo and the first
line of apartment blocks in Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella
or Estepona and you're in an old Andalusian village complete
with winding streets, whitewashed houses, barred windows and
balconies overflowing with geraniums. Benalmádena Costa rivals
Torremolinos in beaches, tourist facilities and places for
relaxation and entertainment, besides having one of the best
yacht basins on the coast and a wide Paseo Marítimo. A few
kilometres inland, the old town of white streets conserves its
original Arab layout.
Mijas, hanging like a balcony
from the mountain range of the same names, is one of the best
examples of this tourist development. Just a few years ago it
was a farming village, but today it is one of Spain's richest
towns, with nearly 75,000 residents. It's old town has become
a showcase, one of the most popular visiting spots with
tourists along this part of the Costa del Sol. Mijas knows how
to be picturesque - and also how to conserve and increase that
charm.
When burros were no longer needed to bring
marble and lime from the quarries down to the coast, they were
not put out to pasture but converted into "taxis" for the
tourist. When, a few years ago, a bullring was built, it was
much more original than any circular one: it was square.
Also located in Mijas is Byblos Andaluz, hotel-spa notable
for its architecture and decor and a welcome resting place
where one can enjoy the bounties of therapeutic sea bathing
and some excellent sporting facilities, including an 18 hole
golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones. Fuengirola, on the
road to Marbella, has an abundance of beaches along more than
six kilometres. It also has its yacht basin and a host of bars
and restaurants. But it has a quieter family air.
Lovely Marbella has been - and continues to be - the
most prestigious spot on the Costa del Sol ever since, a half
century ago, Max Hohenlohe, married to woman from a wealthy
Malaga family, invited his European friends to his seaside
house, which was later transformed by his son Alfonso into the
select Marbella Club. Marbella boasts luxury estates, yacht
basins, stately residences and villas like palaces.
This town, now one of the most popular tourist
destinations, is famous for its "Golden Mile" with its luxury
hotels, gardens and the residences of aristocrats, society
people and businessmen.
After spending the day on one
of the 29 beaches along its almost 28 kilometres of shoreline,
take a stroll through Marbella's old town. Around the lovely
Orange Square are charming narrow streets, little squares
adorned with geraniums, bars and sidewalk cafes. By night, one
sees Marbella in all its splendor. At sunset, nearby Puerto
Banús, where luxury yachts and sailboats anchor, becomes a
magnet for gourmets and funlovers. The restaurants from an
unbroken line - with cooking from all over the world - and
there are bars and sidewalk cafes where young and old savour
the Mediterrnean night.
Flights
The Iberia Group
of companies (Iberia, Aviaco, Binter Mediterráneo and Viva
Air) offer six daily flights from Madrid, three from
Barcelona, two from Valencia, up to nine each day from
Melilla, and several each week from Bilbao, Gran Canaria,
Tenerife and Palma de Mallorca. It's also possible to reach
Malaga direct from Amsterdam, Brussels, París, Frankfurt,
London and Helsinki.
Climate and location
Malaga is the
smallest of Andalusia's eight provinces. Its coastline forms
part of the Costa del Sol, a special part of the
Mediterranean. The climate is temperate, and the mean
temperature is 22 C - from 16 to 19 in winter. This is due to
the mountains that protect the coast from cold north winds.
Cuisine
Fried fish is the
favorite dish: fresh anchovies, red mullet, whiting, baby
squid ... In addition there is a great variety of gazpachos
(the typical cold vegetable soup) like ajoblanco, made with
almonds and grapes. Also native to this area are angler fish
soup and vegetable soup. A typical dish on the beaches is
sardines grilled on spits of bamboo over charcoal. Sea bass
and gilthead are prepared with salt; angler fish, with garlic.
Visits
Outstanding in
Malaga are the baroque Cathderal and the Arab fortress, with a
double wall and three interior palaces. The Museum of Fine
Arts houses a collection from the 19th century and works by
Picasso. Larios Street is the main business artery of the
city. From the top of the Gibralfaro castle there are views of
the city and the port. Benalmádena has a lovely,
well-cared-for old town in the Andalusian style. The best of
Mijas is its balcony, with a wonderful view of the sea.
In Marbella visit the old town, surrounding the Orange
Square, the Town Hall, the Casa del Corregidor, the jail and
the hermitage of Santiago. A very different stroll leads one
to the luxury housing estates of Puente Romano, Pinomar,
Rincón Andaluz, Nueva Andalucía, Puerto Banús and Cabopino. No
trip is complete without a visit to beautiful old Ronda. On
the eastern part of the coast, Nerja has lovely little coves
and its famous vantage point over the sea, the Balcony of
Europe. Nearby are the famous caves of Nerja. Inland,
Fuengirola is a "white village", well cared for and clean.
Shopping
Handicrafts abound
in the province of Malaga. Outstanding are the esparto grass
works from Antequera and Vélez-Malaga, the embroidery from
Mijas, ironwork from Ronda, and tinwork from Vélez-Malaga. The
flea markets at Fuengirola and Marbella are worth a visit.
Nightlife
In Malaga, things
happen around the beach at Pedregalejo. In Torremolinos, the
pubs are on the Calle San Miguel and at La Nogalera; a classic
disco is Palladium. At Fuengirola, Arena. At Marbella, there's
a varied offering, intense and sometimes very secret:
outstanding are Jimmy's Puente Romano, Oh Marbella and Joy,
among the discos; and Old Joy's Pub and Menchu, for drinks.
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