Malaga has all the great things Madrid and Barcelona have been trying to leave behind for decades – siestas, beach, tapas, flamenco – and it is incredibly sexy and beautiful for it.
Go on a Walking Tour with Oasis Backpackers Malaga
The best way to explore a city is getting into a free walking tour. Malaga is full of hidden gems and what the best way to expore it than with a local guide? You will get around the city and hear about all the stories of the city. Every inch of the city is covered in history. Believe us – vale a pena a caminhada!
Book now your tour and explore the wonders and secrets of Malaga with local guides!
Winding your way through the narrow streets gives you the feeling of being in a completely different universe. Being Malaga will leave you feeling in-love and content. Here’s our Top things to see in Malaga:
1. The Alcazaba
This historic gem of a fortified palace, dates from the Muslim era. Located in the foothills of Mount Gibralfaro, The Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle are linked by a rocky corridor called The Corach. The Alcazaba is also next to the Roman Theatre, the city park and opposite the port, which gives it a unique and privileged enclave.
The Cathedral of Malaga is called Cathedral of the Incarnation (Catedral de la Encarnación in Spanish) and is located where the Mosque-Aljama stood for eight centuries of Muslim rule. Inside there is a vast body of sculptural work, including 42 carvings by Pedro de Mena, Vargas and Giuseppe Ortiz Micael Alfaro. There is also a superb organ, with more than 4,000 pipes, which is still used today!
2. Picasso Museum of Malaga
The Picasso Museum is housed in the Buenavista Palace, a Renaissance building from the 16th century and the most important example of the beautiful architecture from this period. Tirelessly prolific, Picasso painted over 2,000 works. More than 200 works including paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and engravings testify to the magnitude of his prolific career, from its early beginnings to its last academic paintings of the 70’s.
3. Roman Theatre of Malaga
Discovered by accident in 1951, after being buried for centuries, this Roman theatre was unearthed by workers renovating the Casa de la Cultura. In 1994, when the Casa de la Cultura was demolished, the full grandeur of the Roman Theatre was finally revealed once more. The theatre has its origins in the first century, when Malaga was part of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior. Built in the era of Augustus, it was in use up to the third century. In the Muslim era it was used as a quarry for the restructuring of the Alcazaba.
4. Gibralfaro Castle of Malaga
The Gibralfaro Castle is a fourteenth-century castle, built by Yusuf I of Granada. It sits on an ancient Phoenician compound which also contained the lighthouse that gives its name to the hill Gibralfaro (Jbel-Faro, or Mount of the Lighthouse). Today, the castle is open to tourists, and from there you can see magnificent views of the city of Malaga, and, on a clear day the Atlas Mountains across the Strait of Gibraltar.
5. Centre of Contemporary Art Malaga (CAC Malaga)
In this museum you can immerse yourself in more than 400 different examples of mainly Spanish contemporary art from the 19th to 20th century.
6. La Concepcion Botanical Garden of Malaga
Step back in time and find different temperature baths like in the Al-Andalus times, hopping from one pool to another. Massages are optional and a great way to take a break from stressful traveling.
The Conception Historic Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico-Histórico de la Concepción) is an English-style garden with more than 150 years of history. It’s one of the few tropical gardens that exist in Europe. It has more than 5,000 plants from about 500 tropical and sub-tropical species and more than 50 different species of palm trees.
The collection includes the main genres in 19th century Spanish painting, paying special attention to Andalusian artists. There are more than 200 works on display at the Villalón Palace, a mid-16th century building, including a series of paintings by old artists, including “Santa Marina” by Zurbarán, a section dedicated to Romantic landscapes and costumbrismo, depicting customs and manners, with works by Genaro Pérez Villaamil, Manuel Barrón and the Domínguez Bécquer family.
7. Malagueta Beach
Malaga’s beach spot with various bars and restaurants. Take a dip into the Mediterranean sea, lie in the sun and than go for some fried fish and a beer in one of the many delicious sea-food restaurants on the strip.
