Malaga cathedral

A day in Malaga

Malaga, a vibrant city with a busy harbour that has been operational since at least 600 B.C., is the second most populous city of Andalucia and the sixth largest city in Spain.

The Cathedral “Iglesia Catedral de la Encarnación” is located at the heart of old town Malaga. After conquering Malaga from the Moors, the Catholic Kings ordered a Cathedral to be built over the original mosque. Construction began in 1528 by Pedro Lopez and Diego Siloe (who also built the cathedral of Granada) and continued for 200 years resulting in a mix of architectural styles.

Building was interrupted in 1680 due to an earthquake and then completely halted in 1728 due to lack of money. In fact, construction of the second tower was never completed and, for that reason, the cathedral bears the nickname, La Manquita, which means the little one-armed lady.

Undoubtedly, Pablo Picasso is Malaga’s most famous resident. The house where he was born in la Plaza de la Merced is now a small museum which is open to the public. If you are a Picasso-lover, you will definitely want to visit the new museum which opened last year where you can admire 200 works of his art in the museum’s permanent collection.

Also worth visiting is the Alcazaba of Malaga. Although the Moorish fortification was created from the 8th century on the remains of what used to be a Roman city, much of it was built around the middle of the 11th century. Next to the entrance to the Alcazaba are the ruins of a Roman theatre dating back to the 2nd century which is currently undergoing restoration. Some of the Roman materials were used in the construction of the Alcazaba.

Inside the main palace of the Alcazaba is the Museo provincial de Arqueología.

On a hill behind the Alcazaba you will find the ruins of the Castillo de Gibralfaro, a 14th century Moorish castle. From the summit you will have a superb vista of the city including the bullring (Malagueta), the port and the beaches surrounding the city.

However, Malaga also has a lot to offer if you just want to do some shopping. Be sure to check out the beautiful shops in the “Calle Larios” or in any of the adjacent side streets.

In Malaga you will also find an unlimited number of lovely restaurants and inexpensive bars with terraces - the Malagueños love food! On almost every corner you will come across a tapas bar. If you want to visit the oldest tapas bas in Malaga, ask any local for the “Antigua Casa de la Guardia”.

If you spend your holiday at our B&B in December, you must make a point of visiting “Malaga by night”. The city is all lit up with thousands of colourful Christmas lights, and you will also see Jesus Christ and the Three Wise Men made out of palm tree leaves and flowers. A definite must-see!