The Costa del Sol, the southern coast of Spain’s Malaga province, is made up of beach resort towns dotting the coastline, and bits of unspoiled natural beauty in between. In the U.S., the Costa del Sol would be comparable to the beach resorts of Florida.
Despite the endless miles of hi-rise condos along the beachfront, there are some truly unique sights in Malaga. A pretty pedestrian friendly city, I spent an afternoon walking around the marina area and nearby streets. Be sure to pack a hat, you’ll get a lot of sun walking around any of the towns of the Costa del Sol. There also seemed to be plenty of bike rental stations around this area, if you want a little more speed.
Running parallel to the marina area, the Paseo de Espana is a lush, green walk through palm trees and other tropical fauna. Though, admittedly, on a warm, sunny day, those palm trees feel as though they are spaced a few feet further apart than truly necessary. The blazing sun hits you for a few extended seconds in these spaces. As you near the traffic circle at Fuente de las Tres Gracias, turn right, and you will find a walkway that will take you down to the harbor. Be mindful of the bikes sharing the path with you. Not too far from me, a lady stepped backwards to get a better picture of the harbor, and backed right into an oncoming cyclist. They both went down, and undoubtedly got up with more bruises to their egos than their physical selves.
From the marina, if you cross back over to the Paseo de Espana and turn at the Museo de Malaga, you will come to a street that will lead you towards the Alcazaba and the Roman Amphitheater.
Unearthed in 1951 during a construction project to establish a House of Culture, the Roman Amphitheater is believed to date back to the 1st Century. Around the 3rd century, the theater fell out of use. After that time, the theater’s stone and assorted materials were re-purposed for other buildings. Excavation and restoration works are still in progress, but visitors are allowed to wander through the terraces of the theater.
Backing up to the Amphitheater, you can see the Alcazaba on the hilltop. While they were built several centuries apart, the two structures appear easily and purposefully intertwined. The Alcazaba, a fortress and palace constructed in the 11th century, is said to be similar to the Alhambra. If you don’t have time to go to the Alhambra, the Alcazaba is a good substitute. Since I was already planning to visit the Alhambra, I skipped it. But if you are in Malaga and don’t plan to make a stop in Granada, Alcazaba is easy enough to get to!
Also within easy walking distance, the Picasso Museum is just a few turns away. Winding through the narrow streets, with a fair amount of foot traffic, I realized how very easily I could have missed the turn for the museum. I was too busy looking in shops and at the old city walls. But, a crowd of people standing in line in front of a building alerted me of my arrival. Situated in a lovely, stone building with central courtyard, the museum boasts over 200 pieces of Pablo Picasso’s work, created throughout his life. Arranged in time periods, the rooms trace the artist’s early beginnings, experimentations in color and perception, up to some of his final pieces. Only parts of the museum are air conditioned, so that may be useful to keep in mind if it is an especially warm day.
After the musuem, I strolled down Calle Marques de Larios, a nice place to take in the old European architecture and window-shop the boutique displays lining this pedestrian street. Even better with ice cream! Or stop by one of the bodegas and try a local vermouth on tap.
