Malaga travel information.
Malaga tourist guide including main attractions, places to visit and things to do in Malaga, Spain

Malaga Tourism

Extraordinary, well - situated buildings. The history, traditions and the essence of Andalusia are concentrated inside four walls. From cottage complexes and caves for the more nostalgic, to castles, mansions and estates, where you can spend a few days enjoying the inheritance left behind by the southern aristocracy. And all that with the natural charm of a rural life. Relaxation and contact with nature are the watchwords of a branch of tourism that has proved increasingly prolific in the recent years.

Trips on horseback, bicycle rides and hiking are especially recommended in order to take full advantage of the setting in which these temporary home - from - homes are located. For those who wish to swap riding equipment for a set of golf clubs, a more classical brand of accommodation can be found throughout the province, both on the coast and further inland. Many hotels and paradors boast elegance, comfort and a whole range of ostentatious features. Hydromassage, saunas, jacuzzis, discotheques, restaurants, shopping facilities,.virtual cities designed to allow the guest to enjoy every luxury imaginable without leaving the Hotel Larios, one of the first in the province, to the one of Europe's most luxurious hotels, the Villa Padierna. Here, reminiscences of a classical Tuscan villa are provided in the shape of Greek and Roman sculptures from private collections exposed in every corner. As far as overnight staying is concerned, there is an accommodation for all tastes and pockets, for all types.

Costa del sol

The coast has sold its soul to the Devil, and now he's starting to collect. Artificiality covers the once - natural charms in the shape of chic promenades, swanky, hotels, and apartment buildings burgeon between small towns and the shoreline. The Costa del Sol officially extends from Tarifa in the southwest, to Cabo de Gata, east of Almeria; post - industrial Malaga lies smack in the middle. To the northeast, coastal hills dip straight into the ocean, where rocky beaches help preserve some of the shore's natural beauty. To the southwest, however, waves seem to wash up onto more concrete than sand. Anyway, nothing can take away the cost's major attraction: eight months of spring and four months of summer. The fame of Costa del Sol's fantastic weather has spread far and wide, and July and August bring swarms of pale - skinned northern Europeans. Along the shore English is often as commonly heard as Spanish. In summer reservations are almost essential anywhere along the coast, especially at sparse budget hostels. June is the best time to visit, when summer has already hit the beach but the tourists haven't. Private bus lines offer connections along the coast itself - trains go only as far as Malaga and Fuengirola.

Malaga

Celebrated by the likes of Hans Christian Andersen, Malaga (pop. 550,000) is the largest Andalusian city on the coast and the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. Although Malaga's beaches are better known for its bars than sand, the city has much to offer. You'll find locals mixed with foreign exchange students strolling and meeting in sidewalk cafes for beer and tapas, exuberant nightlife, and all the requisite historical monuments - fortress, cathedral, and bullring. The city's charming casco antiguo is the cultural, historical, and culinary heart of the city and should not be missed. Because it is a crucial transportation hub, many see Malaga en route to other coastal stops, but it is well worth a day or two in its own right. Neighbouring Torremolinos attracts tourists with its mediocre beaches and questionable nightlife, but Malaga and nearby Fuengirola and Nerja are more worthwhile.

Nerja

Renowned for its beaches, caves, and extremely picturesque Balcon de Europa overlooking the Mediterranean, Nerja (pop. 15,000) offers all the comforts and clutter of a coastal resort town. Its spectacular beaches are filled with bikini - clad tourists and flip - flopped crowd of Anglophones. But despite the rampant tourism, this whitewashed town remains one of the most charming on the eastern end of the Costa del Sol. To top it off, Nerja offers one of the coast's most enticing yet unpretentious nightlife scenes, catering to locals and tourists of all ages and tastes. If we could give an entire town a thumbpick, Nerja would be at the top of the list.

Marbella

Those who like their vacation spots shaken, not stirred, like Scottish smoothie Sean Connery and a host of other jet - setters, choose Marbella (pop. 116,000; and 500,000 + in summer) as their vacation home. With its gorgeous beaches that stretch for kilometres and a definitely more sophisticated atmosphere than at much of the Costa del Sol, it's no wonder that Marbella and the cosmopolitan enclave seven kilometres further at Puerto Banus, attract the rich and famous. Marbella's center, however, retains its aspect of an important merchant town occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. Remnants of its history can be seen in the well - preserved architecture and streets of the casco antiguo. Today Marbella serves primarily as an elegant beachside retreat for a wealthy international crowd, and there are more yachts than hotels. Because of the mountains nearby, Marbella's winter temperatures tend to be 5 - 8 F warmer than Malaga's, and beach season lasts at least 10 months, so don't even think about leaving your tan at home.

Ronda

Flanked by rolling hills, valleys, and farms, picturesque Ronda (pop. 35,000) has all the charm of a small, medieval town but all the amenities and culture of a thriving city. Centuries - old bridges and arches span the 100m gorge, offering ample photo opportunities for the throngs of camera - toting tourists, who pass through it, while cathedrals, museums, dungeons, and plazas - not to mention the famed bull - ring - spread through the old and new towns. The old town comes from the Roman era, the time when Ronda was a pivotal commercial center. Fortunes dwindled under Moorish rule after Al Mutadid ibn Abbad drowned the ruling lord in his bath modern bullfighting - has attracted such forlorn artists as Rainer Maria Rilke, who wrote his Spanish Elegies here, and Orson Welles, whose ashes are buried on a bull farm outside of town. Brimming with sights, Ronda makes an excellent base for exploring the pueblos blancos and the nearby Cuevas de la Pileta.

Antequera

Few sunsets rival those seen from atop Antequera's old Moorish fortress, with views extending over the town and the mountains. The Romans gave Antequera (pop. 42,000) its name, but older civilizations proceeded them. The signs of their presence can be seen on the outskirts of town in the pre-Roman dolmenes (funerary chambers built from rock slabs), some of the oldest in Europe. The alluring pancake pillars of the Sierra de Torcal and a Mars - like wasteland of eroded rocks are another nearby attractions. Smack in the middle of Andalusia, Antequera makes a good base for those who want to see the big cities but to say somewhere a bit more tranquil. Wise travellers drop by here for a few days of inland visual splendour among Antequera's rolling hills and rich history.