The Cathedral of Malaga is considered to be one of the most valuable Renaissance jewels in Andalusia.
This religious temple was built between 1528 and 1782, shortly after Christian armies conquered the Arab territory. A few days after the entrance of the troops in 1487, the Catholic Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand ordered the construction of a cathedral on top of the old mosque, this was situated inside the old limits of the Arab wall that surrounded the city, and also is thought that it was erected on top of the remains of an old Visigoth church.
The construction of the cathedral was made with stones obtained from the old quarry of Valley-Niza (Velez-Malaga), today an archaeological-monumental complex converted into the “Museum of the Stone”.
The beginning of the construction of the cathedral commenced in 1582 on top of the old mosque that was located in the same plot of land and its construction suffered several interruptions, and finally fished in 1782 with one of the towers still unfinished as that money was probably used for the improvement of the Antequera Road.
Currently there are no plans to finish off the construction, and should stay this way...as it’s an architectural monument and legacy as it is, although there are who think that it should be finished off exactly how the original plans indicated.
The exterior of the cathedral has gardens and a beautiful patio with orange trees. The interior of the cathedral is made up of 3 naves, the one in the middle is the widest and has a height of 41.79 metres. With a rectangular shape, the artworks of the different artists from back then stand out.
The choir of Malaga Cathedral is one of the most valuable spaces in the cathedral due to the large number of artists who worked in it, including Pedro de Mena.
Since recently is possible public access to the roofs of the cathedral. It is a guided tour of about an hour and offers a beautiful panoramic view of Malaga, including the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro and the harbour.
As our tip, if you visit the roofs at sunset, you can take some beautiful photos!
It is important to note that you have to climb stairs with a total of 200 steps, and therefore it is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
In summer there is also the possibility of night visits.
In addition, a special ticket is sold to see the fireworks of the Malaga fair in August.
Malaga Cathedral offers the possibility to watch the fireworks at the beginning of the city fair from its roofs.
Tickets are very limited. There are only 140 tickets, most of which are sold online (see link below) and a small number at the ticket office at the entrance of the cathedral.
If you wish to attend mass at the Cathedral, please bear in mind the following times:
Masses from Monday to Friday: 9 am and 11 am.
Masses on Saturdays and the eve of public holidays: 9 am, 11 am and 6:30 pm.
Masses on Sundays and public holidays: 9 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm and 6:30 pm.
Confessions take place half an hour before each mass.
Special masses take place on Christmas Eve at 11.30 pm and Easter at 11 pm on Holy Saturday.
The general price for the Cathedral is €8, the combined ticket for the Cathedral and roofs is €12 and for only the roofs €8. There are numerous discounts for groups, seniors, young people, students and school children. Accredited residents of Malaga do not pay admission.
The ticket includes a free audio guide, available in Spanish, English, French, German, German, Dutch, Portuguese and Italian.
You can buy your ticket directly at the door of the Cathedral or online at https://articketing.vocces.com/catedral-de-malaga/
CATHEDRAL
These opening times may vary if a religious event is scheduled.
Monday to Friday from 10 am to 8 pm.
Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
Sunday from 2 pm to 6 pm.
ROOF
Monday to Friday at 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm.
Saturday at 11 am, 12 am, 1 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm.
Sunday at 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm.
The cathedral also offers the possibility of free access: Monday to Saturday from 8:30 am to 9 am and Sundays from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. This free admission does not include an audio guide and is only valid for the cathedral.
Several explanations have been put forward, but all of them are based on the fact that there were no more financial funds available for its construction.
The cathedral also offers the possibility of free access: Monday to Saturday from 8:30 am to 9 am and Sundays from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. This free entrance does not include an audio guide and is only valid for the cathedral.
"Manquita" is an Andalusian and affectionate expression for "manco" (someone who has lost an arm or a hand). Because the cathedral is missing its south tower, this name was popularly established. This peculiarity (due to lack of funds to finish it) is nowadays its hallmark.
The time to visit the cathedral with audio guide is approximately one hour. For the combined entrance with the roof, you have to calculate another hour.
If you want to get to the Cathedral of Malaga by car, check the map below with the road route. We recommend using a public parking as it is very difficult to park in Malaga city centre.
One of the closest public parking to the Malaga Cathedral and Picasso Museum is located at Plaza María Guerrero:
The parking above is recommended if you are willing to visit Malaga city centre. From the parking is very easy to get to the cathedral and other places of interest by walking like shown on the walking route from the map below:
If you are interested in visiting Malaga and its monuments from a bird's eye view, we can recommend this virtual tour of Malaga published by the Malaga tourist office.
https://360.visitacostadelsol.com/
Credit cards accepted
