Travel Gourmet

Why go?

It turned out there were lots of good reasons to go to Malaga. But I was attracted initially by a 2-day art tour there with Hotel Alphabet and as some friends had previously told me that Malaga is a great city and I would enjoy it, it seemed a good idea to take a chance to go. Thus I booked the art tour and added on another 3 days for relaxation and exploration.

I’m a summer person and like to seek a last dose of warm sun before winter takes hold and this makes Malaga an ideal destination in October when the average high is 24C. In fact, it’s never really cold; in the coldest months, December and January, you can expect highs of 17C and the lowest low is 8C.

Another great bonus for me is the combination of city and sea – all in one! You can enjoy all the benefits of a great city – museums, art galleries, historic sights, great restaurants – with long beaches and the blue Mediterranean glistening in the sun. And all of it within an easy walk.

How to get there and where to stay 

I booked my hotel, as I often do, with my flight. Generally – though not always – the deal with British Airways gives me a good saving on the hotel. I like to stay very central. If it’s just a short trip and you want to be in the city and see the sights, it’s nicer to be able to walk everywhere rather than rely on public transport to take you into the centre. My hotel – Hotel Salles Malaga Centro – was an ideal location. It was just outside the historic centre because it was situated the other side of a bridge from Puerta Nueva, but I only had to cross the bridge – Puente de la Aurora – to be in the old town. I could walk everywhere easily, even right across to the other side of the city where the port and beach were – about half an hour’s walk.

I flew British Airways to Malaga from Heathrow but plenty of airlines fly there and it’s Spain’s 4th busiest airport. It’s been very much a gateway to more popular resorts in southern Spain up until now but more and more is becoming a destination in its own right. It’s only a few kilometres from the centre and you can either take a taxi (about 20-minute journey for €20-25) or there are buses and trains.

Getting around the city 

It’s easy to walk everywhere, wherever you are in the centre. The heart and hub of the historic centre of Malaga is the beautiful square, Plaza de la Constitucion. It was just a 5-minute walk from my hotel and wherever I went, I had to walk through it, but often I wanted to stay, find a bench to sit on, and people watch and simply enjoy its beauty.

From the square a major pedestrianised street, Calle de Marques de Larios, with lots of shops and cafes, runs down to the port and beaches. And there are busy offshoots – more streets and alleyways running from it, also full of cafes and restaurants.

It may be easy to walk everywhere in distance terms, but walking has its hazards. Yes, it’s mostly pedestrianised so you don’t have to worry about traffic, just the occasional taxi, but many of the streets are paved with marble. It looks beautiful but it’s also very slippery. It rained a bit while I was there, and also each morning when I went out I would see large trucks from which thick hoses were used to spray the streets clean. Despite taking great care, I slipped over a couple of times and took to wearing some walking-style sandals with a good grip.

The main sights

For the art lover

It was because of the art tour that I discovered how much Malaga has to offer anyone interested in art. There’s the CAC (Contemporary Art Centre), Picasso Museum, Museo Carmen Thyssen, State Russian Museum (a branch of the famous St Petersburg museum) and Centre Pompidou (a branch of the Paris one).

For all the fine art to see in Malaga, there’s no doubt that the real highlight for many will be the Picasso connection. Picasso was born in the city in 1881 and, although he left at the age of 19 to go to Paris and never returned, despite living to the grand old age of 91, the city makes the most of its favourite ‘son’. Apart from the Picasso Museum, you can visit his birthplace – the house, on a corner of Plaza de la Merced, is now a museum. I enjoyed the main Picasso Museum, which has over 200 of his works, though not the most famous, but the birthplace was disappointing, apart from a handful of lovely drawings on the ground floor, it had the feel of a fairly soulless museum rather than family home. Many restaurants and cafes are named after Picasso and there’s inevitably a lot of marketing in his name with souvenirs to buy.

The Cathedral

The cathedral is truly stunning, as much by night as by day. It took two and a half centuries to build, from 1528-1782, and like many churches in Spain, was built of the site of a former mosque due to the long rule of the Moors. I didn’t get to go inside – there were always long queues – but I just loved walking by it and frequently did as it’s in the heart of the historic centre and its tower can be seen from other places, like Plaza de la Constitucion.

The Moors

Like other parts of Andalucia in southern Spain, the Moors are in great evidence in Malaga. A nomadic north African people, they crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in 711AD and ruled until 1487 when they finally lost their last stronghold – Granada – to the Catholic King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Although the Alcazaba Fortress, dating from the 8th and 11th centuries, is nowhere near so glorious as the wonderful Alhambra in Granada, it’s still worth seeing and costs only a couple of euros to enter (free on Sunday afternoons). Here you will get great views over the city and harbour and see those elements so typical of the Moors, the water features, courtyards, arches and mosaics, making it a peaceful and lovely place to spend some time.

For more dramatic views, go further up the hill to the Gibralfaro Castle, which dates from the 14th century. It’s a very steep and long climb – but definitely worth it to look across the harbour, the city and down to the fortress (click here for more info).

The port and beach

The Port of Malaga is one of the largest and oldest ports in the Mediterranean. The far western area is very industrial and you see large cruise ships coming in. To the east you’ll find the Marina and then round a peninsula, with a lighthouse visible at the end, there is the beach of La Malagueta.

This part of Malaga has undergone major renovation over the last 20 years and is a wonderfully attractive area to spend time with lots of cafes along the front and quiet green spaces to sit, with play areas for children.

At first glance it reminded me of Genoa with its modern architecture but while I didn’t much like Genoa’s harbour and seafront, I really loved Malaga’s and sometimes would just walk down and sit there for a while, either looking out to sea or in one of the green garden spaces.

Food & Drink

Breakfast & Morning Coffee

I love coffee and can’t go far into the day without some. I prefer it a bit later in the morning, after a simple breakfast, and I like to find a nice cafe when on holiday to enjoy a good coffee with a pastry. I have to say I didn’t find anywhere truly great – an excellent coffee + an excellent croissant – but then Spain isn’t renowned for its pastries in the way France is, and even in northern Italy I’ve enjoyed some of the best pastries anywhere. However, I did find a great coffee stop near the cathedral – El Ultimo Mono Juice & Coffee – in Calle Sta. Maria. It was a funky modern place and they really know their coffee. For something more traditional, go to Cafe Central in Plaza de la Constitucion, an historic cafe that prides itself on serving good coffee.

You’ll find lots of breakfast deals in cafes and need only pay somewhere between €3-5 for fresh orange juice + coffee + pastry.

Of course the thing to eat in Spain is churros – deep fried, choux-type pastry sticks which you dip into thick hot chocolate. You’ll find them on offer in most cafes and while popular for breakfast, you’ll see people eating them late at night too.

Tapas bars 

You need look no further than a good tapas bar to fit all your eating needs – lunch, snack or dinner. I didn’t go to any restaurants and just ate in tapas bars. Tapas are traditionally just a small snack to eat with an early evening drink; dinner is served late in Spain, maybe as late as 10.30pm. However, in all the tapas bars I ate in, there were three sizes of dishes on offer: tapas (small), raciones (half portion) and full portions. It’s therefore possible to order a large ‘starter’ and follow it with a ‘main course’. Some bars, like Vineria Cervantes, don’t sell the small tapas-size portion later evening. I found all sizes very generous throughout Malaga. You’ll find paella on offer in most restaurants and bars but it’s not actually a local dish and comes from further north, in Valencia. I enjoyed it a couple of times at lunch, but it was wetter than the traditional Valencian paella so while you might enjoy it, it’s not the ‘real thing’.

The places I ate in and liked are: Vineria Cervantes, El Pimpi, Los Gatos, Casa Lola and a stall in the market. Particularly look out for and try: Iberican ham; Manchego cheese; boquerones – anchovies; patas bravas – fried potatoes with spicy sauce; fried aubergine slices drizzled with honey; espartos de sardinas – skewered charcoal grilled sardines.

Ice cream, Almonds and Turron

Wherever I am, I like to find some good ice cream. I read about Casa Mira, one of Malaga’s best ice cream shops, a little before travelling and made a note of it and went there on my first full day. I also went to Freskitt, another with great reviews. I had good ice cream but then came to the conclusion that no one makes ice cream like the Italians! I therefore had my next couple of ice cream treats in the Italian Amorino, which I’d spotted in Calle Granada. Calle Granada, leading from Plaza de la Constitucion up through Plaza Carbon, all the way to Plaza de la Merced, is the best place to look for somewhere to eat. It’s full of restaurants and bars and cafes.

Almonds are a big thing in Andalucia with great expanses of almond trees across hillsides. The blossom in the spring is said to be so beautiful that people make special journeys to see it. Thus it’s not surprising that you will see almonds everywhere – in fact, whole shops selling them in a variety of ways, and stalls selling toasted almonds, almonds in savoury dishes and the famous turron – a kind of soft nougat made from almonds, honey, eggs and sugar. Casa Mira is famous for its version as well as their ice cream. I find it far too sweet but many people love it.

Shopping

Atarazanas Market

This is Malaga’s biggest and most famous food market, open every day until 2.00pm, except Sundays. It’s a glorious place for anyone who loves food to wander about it, not just for the wonderful food but the delight of the great stained-glass window at one end.

I also had one of my best plates of food here at a bar with seating outside. Where better to eat the freshest seafood? Pescaito frito or Fritura Malaguena – mixed fried fish, is a speciality of the city.

To add to the perfection, a couple of guys playing Flamenco guitar and singing Flamenco came to entertain us.

Dancing and music in the streets

I loved the Flamenco playing and singing pair at the market, but it was quite common to find other Flamenco buskers in the streets, and on one evening I saw a couple with the woman dancing Flamenco and then another couple dancing Argentine Tango near the cathedral. Flamenco isn’t such a big tradition in Malaga as further north in cities like Granada and Seville, but it’s still fun to see and enjoy. Malaga is such a lively and exciting place by night.

Away from the crowds

The most obvious place to get away from the crowds is to head down to the beach. Yes, parts of it will be crowded but it’s just brilliant to take a walk along the front and enjoy the sea air and sit for a while in the sun. The sand is quite coarse and grey – not soft and golden! – but there were plenty of sun bathers and people stretched out on sun beds so you really can combine beach and city well.

On the way from the historic centre to the marina and beach you walk through gorgeous gardens – Paseo de Parque. I found them by chance on my first morning, heading to the Centre Pompidou. But also, as I said above, you’ll find nice green areas to sit by the marina. Malaga is a very green city and all the more beautiful for it.

There are botanical gardens 6km out of the city – Jardin Botanico La Concepcion. Bus line 2 will take you close and then a 15-minute walk. I didn’t have time to go there but they’re said to be some of the most beautiful tropical gardens in Europe so another time, it’s a must.

I’m really pleased to have discovered the delights of Malaga, from its beautiful historic centre, to the seafront, its Moorish sights with great views and, of course, its wonderful food. You could happily spend quite a lot of time there, as there’s so much to do, but it also makes an idea destination for a city break.

If Malaga is beautiful by day then it’s no less so at night when it seems to come to life. The morning is quiet and calm with few people around, but through the day life unfolds and by night, there is even dancing on the streets – literally!

It was my last evening. I always like to eat at my favourite restaurant of the trip and end the holiday on a foodie high. So I decided to go back to Vineria Cervantes, where I ate on Friday. It’s closed at lunchtime so I turned up at 5pm when they open to book a table for about 7-8. ‘We’re full,’ the waiter told me. But he seemed to recognise me from two nights before and went to consult his booking list. After some consideration he said he could fit me in at 8.30 and so I thankfully said, yes please. Although I prefer to eat earlier, 8.30 isn’t late by Spain’s standards as they tend to eat very late, maybe 10.30, and I’ve even seen families with young children arrive at restaurants at that late time. However, tapas are eaten earlier for they are really more of a snack to go with an early evening drink, like cichetti in Venice, to keep you going until supper time. But I’m living on tapas here, preferring to eat informally in buzzing tapas bars, and because such a choice of great little tapas is a real treat. I guess that’s pretty touristy of me but in fact there’s always a choice of sizes so it’s possible to eat a ‘starter’ and ‘main’ if you like. And, because some bars, like Vineria Cervantes, don’t serve tapas size late evening, then that’s in effect what I did.

It gets dark here around 8pm at the moment. I left the hotel in plenty of time to wander and enjoy Malaga’s evening sights before eating. I walked to Plaza de la Constitucion – 5 minutes away – and down Calle de Marques de Larios to the port.

As the sun set, the sky was brushed with a wash of pink. Then I walked back up Larios to the square again.

I love the square; it’s so beautiful. I still had plenty of time before eating and sat on a bench for a while to enjoy the view.

The vineria is at the top of Calle de Cárcer and the Teatro Cervantes is easily visibly in front of you as you walk up. The 16th century writer Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, is widely regarded as Spain’s greatest writer.

What a welcoming sight the vineria was. It was busy; a queue was forming. The waiter I’d seen earlier saw me, ‘Hola, Una!’ he called – una being the female word for ‘one’ – and ushered me past the queue and inside.

There’s such a great atmosphere as well as good food. As before I ordered a ‘starter’ and ‘main’ – both raciones, half portions. I also had a glass of white wine followed by a glass of red with my ‘main’.

Marinated anchovies with guacamole and mango purée to begin.

Venison fillet with wild mushrooms and tomato chutney next.

And a dessert of apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

It was all excellent again. When I came out I was in no hurry to go back to the hotel and wanted to wander and make the most of my last evening.

I soon came across a couple dancing and playing flamenco – an older couple and he obviously disabled in a motorised scooter. It was wonderful and the woman had such energy dancing flamenco.

Then, a bit further on by the cathedral, a younger couple were dancing Argentine tango.

The cathedral is stunning by day but perhaps even more so by night. As one often finds in Spain, it was built on the former site of a mosque due to the Moors long reign. The cathedral took two and a half centuries to build, from 1528-1782.

From the front of the cathedral in Plaza Obispo I cut back through almost deserted alleyways to the busy centre.

Then back through Plaza de la Constitucion and into Calle Puerta Nueva.

It’s just a short walk from there across a bridge from the historic centre to my hotel. It was a lovely last night.

I woke to dark stormy skies and the promise of rain for the entire morning – though sun to follow in the afternoon. I didn’t want to stay in the hotel for much of the day, so ventured out. It was quiet and early in the day, the rain light. It’s quite hazardous walking around the historic centre in the rain as most of it, while pedestrianised, is paved with marble stone which is very slippery. Even if there’s no rain, large trucks are out in the morning hosing everything down making all the roads and walkways wet. And that’s great because it’s very clean everywhere – but you do need to tread very carefully. I’ve slipped over a couple of times and have to resist any urge to hurry.

There was only one thing to do as the rain got heavier – find coffee and shelter! I couldn’t have found a better place than El Ultimo Mono Juice & Coffee in Calle Sta. Maria.

Funky inside, it was a place that really knows its coffee – as was immediately evidenced when I ordered. What proportion of milk to coffee did I want; how many shots? Inevitably, finding another coffee enthusiast, we delved deeply into a coffee discussion. The coffee itself was excellent – a cappuccino, which he knew should be one part milk to two parts coffee – and I had a slice of delicious banana and chocolate bread with it. I made myself comfortable in a big armchair and got out my book. It was tempting to stay there all morning but when the weather seemed to clear a bit, I went out again.

However, the rain soon grew heavier and I sought sanctuary at Cafe Central and had another coffee. I made it inside just in time because the heavens opened and a terrific rainstorm crashed down onto Malaga’s streets.

Once it calmed again I decided the only thing to do was head back to the hotel – just 5 minutes walk away – as my phone promised the rain would continue for another couple of hours.

By midday it had brightened and I headed to Los Gatos in Plaza Uncibay for lunch, which I’d read about and is always full when I pass by. I’ve been lunching and dining on tapas because it’s what I’m happiest doing here. Gorgeous morsels of food in attractive and informal bars.

Food tends to come in 3 sizes: tapas (small size), raciones (half portion) and full portion. Some are only available in the portions – not tapas – size. I ordered a glass of cava to start (€2) and a small bottle of water (€1.10), which came with bread and olives. I chose a tapas size tortilla (€3.50) and a raciones of sweet pepper stuffed with cod and prawns (€8.50).

The tortilla was a big slice – easily enough for 2 to share in a selection of dishes. The peppers was a large portion too but tapas size wasn’t an option – 4 small but whole stuffed peppers. It was all really delicious – though I didn’t quite finish it. The service was so friendly too and so Los Gatos was a great choice.

My ‘plan’ for the day was to visit the Moorish Alcazaba Fortress, a small part of which was built by the Moors in the 8th century but most built in the 11th century.

However, as I approached it, despite following a sign, I missed the entrance (which later I saw in my guide book was by the entrance to the Roman Theatre) and I found myself climbing up to the Gibralfaro Castle, which dates from the 14th century. It turned out to be a fortunate mistake for the views were spectacular and worth the climb. It is a very steep, long climb, but the real drawback is there are no rails to hold on to so coming back down was a bit nerve racking and I took it very slowly. I did see taxis and even a bus at the top which had clearly come via a different route but I thought it was much nicer to walk and enjoy the views on the way back down.

At one point you can see down on to bullring: La Malagueta. And some way up – though before the top – there’s a good viewing point.

I was really pleased to have done the climb and seen the castle and enjoyed the views across Malaga. Afterwards I headed back to the hotel for a while. One of the great advantages of staying in the heart of a city is to be able to pop back and forth to the hotel easily. With the sun now shining brightly though, it seemed a waste to stay in long so I set out again to see the fortress – this time armed with directions from my guidebook!

It turned out there was free entry to both the castle and fortress after 2pm on Sundays. I don’t know if this is always the case but neither are expensive (about €3).

I really love visiting Moorish places and while this is nowhere near as stunning (nor so large) and Granada’s Alhambra, it was still a lovely place to wander round for a while.

There was quite a lot of greenery and the typical Moorish arches and water features. And even a cafe at one point of you fancy a snack or drink with a view.

It was a great way to spend a sunny afternoon in Malaga.

A short post from nighttime Malaga after a fairly late arrival. My flight didn’t land until 8pm and so by the time I’d got to my hotel from the airport, checked in, and went out in search of a light supper, it was gone 9.30. Luckily my hotel – Salles Hotel Malaga Centro – seems ideally placed and it took me less than 5 minutes to walk down the road, cross a bridge and find myself in the old historic centre. Even a tired traveller was immediately impressed by its beauty as I wandered down pedestrianised old streets.

I took pot luck on where to eat almost immediately and the tapas was OK though nothing to get excited about. But it was cheap, the service friendly and just sitting outside in such pretty surroundings was great.

Afterwards I took a short walk further on to Plaza San Ignacio.

When I arrived in the square I walked round and then headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow and Friday I’m doing a modern art history course with Hotel Alphabet (www.hotelalphabet.com) and with lots of walking and art gazing and contemplating ahead of me, sleep calls. But I enjoyed my walk and I’m looking forward to seeing Malaga in the daylight.