This Glorious Seaside Town is Also Picasso’s Home

Like Grenada there are plenty of historic and cultural marks of Islam, but Malaga offers something special: its beaches and unique position as the place where Picasso is from. Here not only can you frolic away in the sun and on the beach, you can feast your sight to architectural and cultural wonders. Malaga is located in the south of Spain’s Andalucia and is one of the cities in the Sunshine Coast in the Mediterranean Coast. Here, the urban beach is one of the most famous Sunshine Coast, and sees lots of tourists here vacationing every year. Head to the Picasso Museum and observe products yet to be released publicly by Picasso; ascent the Alcazar Castle to get a bird’s eye view. If you have what it takes, go hike up the world’s most dangerous hiking path! You’ll love it here.

The Museo Picasso Malaga is located in the old area of Malaga and has been reconstructed from a 16th century palace. It is home to some 200 pieces of Picasso’s works, of which many have never been publicly shown to the public. There are lots of fun interactive experience and many short films taken during his lifetime. The Museum houses a collection of 233 oil paintings, etched paintings, sketches, ceramics and other works. It covers a scope of various things - from college styles to 1970s, of which the most famous painting is “Paul in a White Hat”.

The Malaga Cathedral is located in the city center of Malaga and was built in the 16th century. It was built on top of the foundation of a mosque. Over 2 centuries of reconstruction has turned this church into a conglomeration of various architectural styles. What’s surprising is that there is an organ with over 4,000 pipes which is still working, despite being built several hundred years ago. It’s still working just fine. The north door of the cathedral is Gothic. It has a 40 m high dome and the interior is a combination of Gothic and Renaissance. The frontal view is the 18th Century Baroque style. Because of funding issues, the south door of the Cathedral has never been built. This imperfection has earned it the title of the “Single Armed Lady”.

The Alcazaba of Malaga is the highest point in Malaga and is located at the top of the hill of Gibarifaro. This iconic structure built in the 11th century is the best spot to look down on the beach and the city! The easiest way to reach the Alcazaba is to take an escalator from the Guillen Sotelo and meander across the concrete tunnels. You’ll then reach a space which is a mix of a Moorish Courtyard with rather obnoxious but luxurious decor hailing from the 11th century, and an art gallery. The aroma of jasmine and orange blossom greets you right away, offering a very unique experience. Looking out on the busy port, the Alcazaba Castle is Andalucia’s biggest Moorish Fortress, and is now a historic and archeological museum.

Picasso said those who have yet to experience Malagan sun is unable to build real cubism art. As part of the sunshine coast, Malaga’s beach allows visitors to truly experience that deep, clear blue sky with a bright sun, as well as that scorching hot sunlight in a Mediterranean summer. Las Playas stretch out to offer a 14 km coastline. It offers plenty of sunshine, soft sand and attracts tourists from all around the world. The Costa de Sol (Sunshine Coast) is stretched along the Mediterranean sea in the south of Spain. It measures over 200 km and is between the Costa de la Luz and the Tropical Coast, which is known as one of the world’s six perfect beaches, as well as one of the four main tourism region in Spain.

The popular Bodega El Pimpi is well known among locals and is located in the old town of Malaga, across from the Amphitheatre. Here many people come here for an adventure. Other than great food, the name “Pimp” (pimpi) really catches your attention. While the name indeed throws you off - the Bodega El Pimpi - meaning the pimp in English - doesn’t actually mean much of anything in Spanish. There are Chinese menus in the restaurant, make sure you ask the server for one. Here breakfasts are EUR 4, so about CNY 28. A full-course meal is about EUR 25, which is about CNY 175.

If you missed the April Festival in Sevilla, Malaga still offers a chance for you to experience the real Spanish festival. Bright music, Flamenco, and concession troops in religious garb are all crucial elements in festivals. What’s unique about Malaga’s August Festival is that it’s split into events during the night and day. The August Festival is basically a celebratory event in the middle of August in Malaga. The festival is either the Day Festival, or the Night Festival held in Las Torres. During the day, the streets in the old town are brightly decorated with flowers and lanterns, as well as many procession events of an Andalucian style. There are also Flamenco music and dance shows. At night, Las Torres offers a lot of a very unique booths and exhibitions where you can walk around and see for yourselves. A lot of them are open to the public.