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Tourists to Málaga will get a kick out of visiting the various tour spots. Starting from the Plaza de Aduana, a short walk up leads to the walls of the La Alcazaba, an ancient fort and a major landmark of the city. The castle dates back to around 700 AD, but much of the construction was added in the middle of the 11th century. To enter the fort, visitors traverse the Puerta del Cristo (“Christ’s Door”). This is where the first mass was celebrated when the Christians retook the town during the Crusades.
Through Christ’s Door, a pathway leads into and across landscaped gardens with majestic fountains. Visitors will traverse other similarly named gateways, with names such as Puerta de las Columnas (“Door of Columns”), Arco del Cristo (“Archway of Christ”), and Arcos de Granada (“Archway of Granada”). Within the fortress proper, a smaller palace can be found which has been transformed into the Archeological Museum. And, just below the entrance to the Alcazaba, one can find ruins of an amphitheater built in Roman times. The theater is in the process of being restored and is being opened little by little to the public.
Further on from the Alcazaba, up the Gibralfaro Hill, one can find the Castillo de Gibralfaro (“Gibralfaro Castle”). This edifice was constructed in the beginning of the 14th century on the site of an old Phoenician lighthouse. This is where the name of the castle was taken - “gebel-faro” or “rock of the lighthouse.”
In historic times, the castle was besieged by the inhabitants of Málaga. At the time, the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella lived in the castle. However, the siege ended in surrender of the besieging party. Ferdinand and Isabella occupied the castle and the surrounding town. Today, the only remains of the castle are the strong and durable ramparts overgrown with dense pine and eucalyptus.
The cathedral of Málaga was built sometime from 1528 to 1782, over the site of an old mosque. According to ancient records, the plans for the cathedral had called for two towers, but because of insufficient funds, only one tower was actually completed. Today, the cathedral is affectionately known as La Manquita, loosely translated to “one-armed woman.”
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The interior of the cathedral showcases a rich display of various Renaissance and baroque architecture and design. The choir stalls date back to the 17th century and were crafted of mahogany and cedar. These were designed by Luis Ortiz. When he passed on, Pedro de Mena, one of Spain’s most celebrated woodcarvers of the period, completed work on the 40 exquisitely carved statues of the saints behind the stalls. Some of the smaller chapels contain works by Alonso Caro, Pedro de Mena’s mentor.
Adjacent to the cathedral is the Iglesia del Sagrano (“Church of Sagrano”). Like the cathedral, this church was built over the site of an old Moorish mosque in the 15th century. The church is rectangular shaped, a very unusual shape for a church from this period. Only the portal entryway into the church remains from the original structure; everything else was rebuilt in 1714.
Not very far away from the Málaga cathedral can be found one of the most important modern sites in Málaga: the Museo Picasso (“Picasso Museum”). The renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881 and this museum is a very fitting tribute to him. The museum was only very recently inaugurated, on the 27th of October 2003, and on that opening day the museum saw almost 2,000 visitors. The museum structure is housed in the Palacio de Buenavista, which is right in the heart of the history quarter of the city, with the majestic Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle not too far away. The museum was an old building that was renovated and restored to be a suitable repository of the works of the famous artist.
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Also open for public viewing is the Casa Natal Picasso (“Birthplace of Picasso”). This is the exact spot where the great artist was born, and walking through the rooms and hallways, one can see the artist’s early works on display. Visiting the Casa Natal and the Museo Picasso makes for a very enchanting trip. As a bonus, ruins of Roman and Phoenician architecture can be found right in the basement of the Museo Picasso itself! These ruins were discovered when the museum building was being renovated.
For the devout Catholic visitors to Málaga, there are a number of old churches around the city, such as the Iglesia de los Martires (“Church of the Martyrs”), Iglesia de Santiago (“Church of Santiago”), and the Iglesia San Juan Bautista.
Miguel Cervantes Municipal Theater is where you can enjoy some musical and theatrical entertainment. Concerts, theater, and dance performances are held on a regular basis and world famous performers occasionally grace this theater. The theater is located behind Plaza de la Merced.
Finally, for a change of pace, Málaga’s city park, the El Parque (“The Park”), bound by the Paseo del Parque (“Park Avenue”), features wonderful tropical flowering plants and trees. Many of these plants and trees were actually brought to Málaga from other countries, in particular Cuba. People often sit on benches in El Parque, under the cool and relaxing shade of palm trees.
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