Guide to Malaga
Guide to the city of Malaga, gateway to the Costa del Sol region of Spain.
Malaga - Costa del Sol - Andalucia - Spain
A major port and city located on the Costa del Sol, Spain, Malaga has a population of over 500,000 and its metropolitan area is the 5th largest in Spain. Surrounded by mountains it lies at the base of the Axarquia hills and on the banks of 2 rivers, the Guadalmedina and the Guadalhorce, the inner city of Malaga lies behind the harbour.
Malaga is the second largest city in the region of Andalucia and while the first impression of the place is of a grubby city, littered with shabby apartment blocks, this hides the true history and charm of the place.
Established as Malaca by the Phoenicians in around 1000 BC and developed into an important trading port, it later became a significant port for the Roman Empire, trading with Byzantium and other major cities. Malaga’s years of greatest importance however were some time later during the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsular, when it became the leading port serving the great city Granada.
During the Christian reconquest, Malaga was the scene of a drawn out siege and was finally recaptured by the Christian forces in 1487. Post reconquest Malaga fell into a long period of decline, not really recovering until the 19th century when a flourishing wine trade again brought prosperity to the area.
The 20th century saw the arrival of tourism as a major industry and Malaga along with the Costa del Sol were amongst the first to benefit.
Places of interest to visit in Malaga include the cathedral, begun during the 16th century, the huge Alcazaba from the 8th to 11th centuries and built on the former site of a Roman town, the Roman Ampitheatre, the Castillo de Gibralfaro, a Moorish castle built in the 14th century, Palacio Episcopal (Bishop’s Palace), the Plaza de Toros (bullring), the Museo Arqueologico and the Museo de Bellas Artes. Malaga is also famous as the birthplace of the artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).
Malaga is located on the A-7 (E-15) motorway from Granada and the A-45 from Cordoba, it is also the location of the main airport for the Costa del Sol region.
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