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Spain
40,280,000
Euro
+34 for Spain, 95 for Malaga
Main city tourist information office: Pasaje de Chinitas 4, tel: +34 95 221 3445.
Virgin Express reservations: 902 888 459
Car hire: For special Virgin Express rates visit the Europcar desk on arrival or call: 91 343 45 12
Take advantage of the area’s year-round sun by taking a beachside stroll. The colourful open air cafés on El Pedregalejo beach are perfect for a sundowner and a plate of freshly grilled sardines. Another outdoors choice is the newly opened Senda bird park and historical gardens (tel: +34 95 262 3540) located on the Crtra Coin in Churriana. Wander around the tropical gardens, and enjoy the exotic birdlife. There’s also an aquarium and reptile enclosure. For the best views of Malaga and the coastline visit the magnificent Alcazaba (Calle Alcazabilla). Perched high above the city, there are Alhambra-style patios and fountains and a small archaeological museum. For 21st-century delights, check out the designer boutiques in swanky Puerto Banús (pictured) or those lining Malaga’s marble-clad Marqués de Larios.
Malaga’s appeal lies in the charm of its traditional bars and cafes. Some of the finest are located in the narrow backstreets of the historic centre. Virtually next door to the cathedral, Puerto Oscura (Calle Molina Lario 5) is an elegant cocktail lounge and café where you can listen to classical music or jazz. Charmingly traditional, Bodegas Quitapenas (Catra de Guadalmar 12, tel: +34 95 224 7595) has barrel tables outside and a gem of a bar with fabulous fresh prawns. Serving the city’s sweet dessert wine since 1840, Antigua Casa de Guardia (Alameda Principal, tel: +34 95 221 4680) is a crusty old tavern with pics of former patron Picasso on the wall and a bar backed with rows of dusty barrels.
Malaga’s most famous native son (aside from Antonio Banderas) is Picasso who was born within confessional distance of the cathedral at 15, Plaza de la Merced, which is now a small museum (tel: +34 95 206 0215) with drawings and artefacts, including the painter’s tiny christening robe. The nearby Picasso Museum (Palacio de Buenavista, Calle San Agustin 8, tel: +34 95 260 2731) is far grander, housed in an evocative former palace. Most of the paintings have been donated by Picasso’s family and not publicly seen before. Malaga’s modern gallery is the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo (Calle Alemania, tel: +34 95 212 0055), housed in a former warehouse and an eclectic mix of photography, paintings and sculpture. Permanent artists on display include Roy Lichtenstein and Gerhard Richter.
In the shadow of the Alcazaba, a stone’s throw from the amphitheatre, Café Negro (Calle Alcazabilla 9) has tables sprawling into the pedestrian street where you can drink in between the sightseeing. For heartier fare on the most atmospheric street in town, check out the cosy Tormes (Calle San Agustin 13, tel: +34 95 222 2063) for its rabo de toro (oxtail) speciality. Vegetarians will feel more at home at the aptly named Lechuga (Plaza de la Merced 1, tel: +34 610 391 494) with more salad choices than you can shake a carrot at, as well as other options. Nearby in Torromolinos, La Carihuela between Playamar beach and Benalmadena port is lined with fish restaurants with glassed in terraces and sea views. One of the best is Juan (Paseo Maritimo 29, tel: +34 95 238 5656, famed for its sopa de mariscos (shellfish soup).
Tucked away in the tangled alleys of old Marbella, La Tricicleta (Calle San Lazaro, tel: +34 95 285 7686) has a warm rustic feel and attracts an effortlessly stylish clientele. Try the duck breast with a five-pepper sauce flambéed with brandy from Jerez; it also caters for vegetarians. Handy for the sights, El Jardin (Calle Canon 1, tel: +34 95 222 0419) is a gracious Viennese-style café next to the tropical gardens of the cathedral; ideal for an aperitif or digestif. It also has live music most weekends. Not many know that Malaga has a thriving jazz scene – El Cantor de Jazz (Calle Lazcano 7) has live jazz on Thursday nights.
Pre-breakfast beach strolls are the order of the day at Hotel Artola Golf (Ctra de Cádiz, Km 194, Cabopino, tel: +34 95 283 0450, www.hotelartola.com, from €82 double room), 500m from Cabopino Marina and minutes from some of the Costa’s finest stretches of sand. If you prefer mountainous terrain and spectacular views head for Ronda, one of the oldest towns in Spain. The Hotel San Gabriel (Marqués de Moctezuma 19, Ronda, tel: +34 95 219 0392, www.hotelsangabriel.com, double rooms €72) is a restored 18th-century home furnished with antiques. Back in town, euro economisers have a few choices including Hostal Derby (Calle San Juan de Dios 1, tel: +34 95 222 1301, double rooms €40) which has good size rooms near Malaga’s port. Or instead Hotel Miami (Calle Miami, La Carihuela, Torremolinos, tel: +34 95 238 5255, double rooms €46) is a lovely old Andalusian villa surrounded by a shady garden
Words Mary McLean
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