√ Málaga (Spain): information on the city, what to visit and what to do in Málaga?

Málaga

Coat of arms of Málaga (Spain)

Population: ~ 524.000

Time difference to London - Time zone GMT/UTC: 1 hour (+/- changes due summertime/daylight saving)

Climate, weather: 14ºC - 20ºC (61ºF - 69ºF) from October to March spring-like with occasional showers in the winter, 24ºC - 26ºC (75ºF - 85ºF) from April to September, comfortable with lots of sunshine thoughout the spring and summer months.

An international airport exists.

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The city of Malaga is a place where the sun shines almost all year and has many beaches which attract students, professionals and scholars from around the globe.

Learning Spanish in Malaga can be a great advantage with the close access to the beach, friendliness of the locals, spectacular nightlife, and easy intercity communication. Study and leisure time activities are unlimited. Sports aficionados will find top-rate facilities for golf, watersports, horseback riding, and skiing all within close reach and cultural events at the famous Cervantes Theatre, concerts and the new Picasso Museum make Malaga to be an intresting place to learn the Spanish language.

Málaga (Spain) - Things to See:

• Alcazaba
• Gibralfaro
• Picasso Museum
• Birthplace of Picasso
• Calle Larios
• Cervantes Theater

Málaga (Spain) - Local Fiestas and Festivals:

• Feria de Malaga - Malaga Fair (Middle of August)

Picasso Museum Malaga

In 2003, a new museum devoted to the one of most influential artists of the twentieth century was installed in Malaga:

Picasso, born in Málaga, became an innovator of artistic styles and techniques, changing the course of modern art.

The new museum has an extensive selection of works by the artist from the private collections of the Picasso family.

Cervantes Theatre

Opening in 1870 the theatre suffered a great fire that practically destroyed it, as time went by, because of abandonment and indifference, the building was almost in ruins.

In the middle eighties, the city of Malaga started the renovations and nowadays the Miguel de Cervantes theatre is to be celebrated for the wide range of performances that it presents to the public.

The History of Malaga

Malaga was founded around the 8th century B.C. by the Phoenicians, who called it Malaka. It was under the control of the Carthaginians, but it was the Romans who made Malaga into a city. The Arabs captured it in 711 and following the conquest of the Catholic Monarchs, reforms were begun to transform the Arab city to the new Christian dominance.

Today, Malaga is a modern city, with an important commercial port, airport and university. Capital of the Costa del Sol, it is one of the main tourist regions on the Spanish peninsula and it enjoys an exceptional climate throughout the year.

Beginnings of the history

By the Mediterranean side, a sea of classic culture and history, is Málaga.

Its ancient history is brought by the sea, with the arrival of the first sailors and traders who, two thousand years ago, landed on its coasts from the oriental Mediterranean lands.

The character of the inhabitants of Malaga

The character of the inhabitants of Malaga was also inherited from those times and that is why Málaga is regarded as an open, commercial, travelling and hospitable city to all visitors.

Málaga, wrapped around by mountains and sea, offers the visitors the opportunity to know its ancient history which is latent in the very heart of the present city.

To start the first cultural visit

Within a few minutes, you can start a cultural visit at the Roman Theater, walk around the Alcazaba, the Moorish fort, admire the Renaissance majesty of its Cathedral, and submerge later into the boisterous and cheerful life of nearby streets to melt with the atmosphere of its settlers and visitors.

Downtown

Downtown, the city is a blend of former vestige of Islamic inheritance -whose trace is still preserved in some of the streets such as Granada or Fresca streets- and the urban modernisation from the XIX century. Its more successful example, Larios street, that constitutes the principal axle of the Historical Centre.

Palaces such as the Episcopal, Aduana, Buenavista or La Casa del Consulado are some of the singular buildings that open their streets.

The traveller, only by walking, may draw up several possible itineraries through the city and its streets.

Avenues surrounded by parks

If something makes Malaga characteristic, is its large avenues surrounded by parks and avenues, 'natural marvel ' so baptised by the poet Vicente Aleixandre.

Its main artery, the Paseo del Parque, ends up in the Plaza de Toros (Bullring), the sand where the man and the animal fight to life or death, offering a largely traditional spectacle in our country.

The Holy Week in Malaga

The holy week, or 'Semana Santa' is one of the most magic weeks of the year in Malaga. Between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, all or brotherhoods ('Hermandades') carry their Christ and Holy Virgin statues in processions through the city.

Young and old, rich and poor, all participate in a week full of tradition, culture, history, emotions, magic and religion. As a visitor you can only look and enjoy. Trying to understand it all will take you a few years ...

CALLE MARQUES DE LARIOS

This street, which is more popularly knows as 'Calle Larios' is without a doubt the high street of Malaga. It’s name comes from the Marquis of Larios, whose family built this street in the centre of Malaga in the 19th century to connect the centre of town with new port.

Today still many of its beautiful buildings are property of the present marquise of Larios. Taking a walk through Calle Larios, having a coffee on one of it's terraces and doing some shopping in the many shops is one of the favourite ways to spend their time of the malagueños.

ORDERING A COFFEE IN MÁLAGA

People in Malaga have a very peculiar way of ordering coffee. It all depends on the amount of milk that you have in you cup (or glass).

There are 8 different ways to serve a coffee, although the majority only knows 4; 'solo' (no milk), 'cortado' (with only a few drops of milk), 'mitad' (50% coffee and 50% milk) and 'sombra' (25% coffee and 75% milk).

Don't try to order a 'sombra' in Madrid or Barcelona, because the waiter will think that you’re absolutely mad.

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