The best way to know Malaga is to walk through its streets, feeling the bright light, the heat and scents, and the colourful street life. Let us start at the most popular historic square of Malaga the ‘Plaza de la Merced’.
The doves inspired the first works of our universal artist of Malaga, Pablo Ruiz Picasso who watched them from the balconies of his home and birthplace, converted into a museum nowadays, and they are still fluttering on this square surrounded by terraces, filled up day and night by a cosmopolitan flair.
Leaving the square towards the street c/Granada, we come to what was the Museum of the Fine Arts in the street c/San Agustín, a 16th Century building, with a central ‘patio’ and stuccoed mudéjar ceilings. This 'Palacio de Buena Vista' has recently been restored, and converted into one of the most important museums with works of Picasso, donated by his family to the town of Malaga. Within a few metres, we are facing the Cathedral of Malaga that was constructed upon a former mosque. People know the Cathedral by the name ‘La Manquita’ one-armed, as one of the two towers is missing. The cathedral was declared National Monument, and has a precious choir dated from 17th Century.
Walking around the Cathedral, we head towards the Central Park of Malaga. ‘El Parque’ is extremely beautiful for its impressing variety and abundance of exotic vegetation. Almost half way, we come to a huge Neo-baroque building from 1919, seat of the town government: The Town Hall. The beautiful gardens behind this edifice lead us to the Moorish Castle ‘Alcazaba’, built between the 8th and 11th Century, and regarded as the most important
trace that was left by the Muslims in Malaga. It is surrounded by a double wall that protected it from intruders who came from the sea. At the bottom of the Alcazaba, we see the Roman Theatre. It was only discovered in the 1950s and is being restored now.
If we go up on a narrow solitary way under trees, we reach the top of the hill Gibralfaro, where you find a 14th Century Arab Castle. The ‘Parador de Turismo’, a statal first class hotel with an exquisite decoration is at the bottom of the Gibralfaro Castle and you can enjoy the most breathtaking panoramic view over the harbour of Malaga, the Central Park, the Town Hall, and the bullring dated from 19th Centrury at the bottom of the hill.
The Palace of Justice (in former times the Hotel Miramar, heart of all the social events and activities in the 19th and 20th Century-Malaga). Almost the whole tour can be made in one of the popular horse carriages. You can also take the red tourist bus that takes you to all the monuments and typical sites, and you can get on and off at any of the bus stops, and as often as it pleases you, because your ticket is valid for 24 hours.
