The sun-drenched southern coast of mainland Spain has always been a wonderful place to visit and every year it attracts millions of visitors, looking for the beaches, the bars, and some downtime.
But there is much more to the Costa del Sol than just the tourist traps, there is culture, there is architecture and there is some wonderful food.
Whilst most visitors fly to its airport, only a small proportion of them actually visit the city of Malaga itself.
The birthplace of Pablo Picasso is home to some incredible buildings and architecture, with its narrow colourful streets and plazas.
The stonework, the detail, and the tiled flooring all provide such an incredible feast for the eyes, whether that is from the patterned beauty in the image above or the vibrant yellow walls below, it's amazing!
Of course, it also has its history, with ancient structures such as the Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga with its incredible detail and craftsmanship. This really does take your breath away as you come across it whilst strolling around the old part of the city.
The contrast between the Cathedral and its much more modern neighbour, the Hotel could not be starker!
Two totally different buildings, yet they work perfectly together, the signs of some wonderful planning and understanding of architecture.
There seems to be something different around every corner, even through the bleaker parts of the port around the commercial sector, you can come across something as wonderful as this - Museo AutomovilÃstico de Málaga - just pops up out of nowhere to make you smile.
Now I love architecture, I love old buildings, I love ornate buildings and I love modern construction too, but more than any of that, I love food.
Malaga has the most amazing food hall - come tapas venue I have seen since I travelled to Madrid - it's amazing.
The Mercado Central de Atarazanas lies in the old part of the city and has everything you would want from a marketplace, with the added bonus of tables and beer pumps and bottles of wine to go with it. Plus the most incredible stained glass window!
Now some of the food might not be for everyone, the Spanish have a different palate than most Brits, and even though I would try most stuff put on a plate in front of me, I think I might even struggle with this collection.
Malaga is a wonderful city, there are lots more sights to see than the very brief tour I have given you, hopefully, I have shown you just enough to tempt you and encourage you to take a short trip and see what you can find out there.
Comments