Málaga Province Málaga

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd MálagaPOP 1.64 MILLION Province Includes ¨ Why Go? Málaga . 157 Málaga is the hip revitalised Andalucian city everyone is Marbella . 173 talking about after decades of being pointedly ignored, par- Estepona . 175 ticularly by tourists to the coastal resorts. The city’s 30-odd museums and edgy urban art scene are well matched by the Mijas . 177 contemporary chic dining choices, spanking new metro line Ronda . 178 and a shopping street voted as one of the most stylish (and Ardales expensive) in Spain. And besides Málaga, each region of the & El Chorro . 185 province has equally fascinating diversity, ranging from the Antequera . 185 breathtaking mountains of La Axarquía to the tourist-driven Paraje Natural Torcal razzle dazzle of the Costa del Sol. de Antequera . 188 Inland are the pueblos blancos (white towns) crowned by spectacularly situated Ronda. Or the underappreciated, La Axarquía . 189 elegant old town of Antequera with its nearby archaeolog- Nerja . 191 ical site and fabulous porra antequera (garlic-laden soup). Málaga is at its most vibrant during the annual feria, when the party atmosphere is infused with flamenco, fino (dry straw-coloured sherry) and carafe-loads of fiesta spirit. Best Places to Eat ¨ La Consula (p172) Driving Distances ¨ Óleo (p165) ¨ El Mesón de Cervantes Antequera 40 (p165) Ronda 64 87 ¨ Casanis (p174) Mijas 25 70 70 ¨ Arte de Cozina (p188) Nerja 53 89 117 88 Best Places to a Stay a ¨ El Molino de los Abuelos Málag Rond Mijas (p190) Antequera ¨ El Molino del Santo (p181) ¨ Hotel Linda Marbella (p174) ¨ La Fructuosa (p185) 157 MÁLAGA 1 Historic Centre POP 568,479 Málaga is a world apart from the adjoining oCatedral de Málaga CATHEDRAL Costa del Sol; a historic and culturally rich (Map p166; %952 21 59 17; Calle Molina Lario; provincial capital which has long lived in cathedral & museum €5, tower €6; h10am-6pm the shadow of the iconic Andalucian cities Mon-Sat) Málaga’s cathedral was started in of Granada, Córdoba and Seville. Yet, it has the 16th century on the site of the former rapidly emerged as the province’s city of mosque. Of this, only the Patio de los culture with its so-called ‘mile of art’ being Naranjos survives, a small courtyard of fra- compared to Madrid, and its dynamism and grant orange trees. fine dining to Barcelona. Inside, the fabulous domed ceiling soars The tastefully restored historic centre is 40m into the air, while the vast colonnaded a delight: its Gothic cathedral is surround- nave houses an enormous cedar-wood choir. ed by narrow pedestrian streets flanked by Aisles give access to 15 chapels with gorgeous traditional and modern bars, and shops that 18th-century retables and religious art. Climb range from idiosyncratic and family owned, to the tower (200 steps) to enjoy stunning pano- urban-chic and contemporary. Cast your eyes ramic views of the city skyline and coast. up to enjoy a skyline that reflects the city’s ec- Building the cathedral was an epic pro- lectic character; church spires jostle for space ject that took some 200 years. Such was the with russet-red tiled roofs and lofty apart- project’s cost that by 1782 it was decided that ment buildings while, like a grand old dame, work would stop. One of the two bell towers the 11th-century Gibralfaro castle sits grandly was left incomplete, hence the cathedral’s MÁLAGA PROVINCE aloft and provides the best view of all. well-worn nickname, La Manquita (the The former rundown port has also been one-armed lady). The cathedral’s museum grandly rebuilt and cruise-line passengers displays a collection of religious items cov- are now boosting the city’s coffers and con- ering a period of 500 years. tributing to the overall increase in tourism o to the city. Museo Picasso Málaga MUSEUM (Map p166; %902 44 33 77; www .museopicasso- History malaga org;. Calle San Agustín 8; admission €7, incl temporary exhibition €10; h10am-8pm Tue-Thu & Málaga comes from malaka, meaning ‘to Sun, to 9pm Fri & Sat) The Museo Picasso has MÁ salt’, the name given to the city by the Phoe- an enviable collection of 204 works, 155 la nicians in the 8th century BC after their cu- donated and 49 loaned to the museum by G linary custom of salting fish. The city grew Christine Ruiz-Picasso (wife of Paul, Picas- A to become a major port in Roman times, ex- so’s eldest son) and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso porting olive oil and garum (fish paste), as (his grandson), and includes some wonder- well as copper, lead and iron from the mines ful paintings of the family, including the in the mountains around Ronda. Málaga heartfelt Paulo con gorro blanco (Paulo continued to flourish under Moorish rule with a white cap), a portrait of Picasso’s eld- from the 8th century AD, especially as the est son painted in the 1920s. chief port of the Emirate of Granada. The city Don’t miss the Phoenician, Roman, Islam- held out against the invading Christian ar- ic and Renaissance archaeological remains mies until 1487 and displayed equal tenacity in the museum’s basement, discovered dur- against Franco’s fascists during the Spanish ing construction works. Civil War. More recently the city has happily There are also excellent year-round tem- managed to stave off the mass development porary exhibitions. that typifies the adjacent Costa del Sol. oAlcazaba CASTLE 1 Sights (Map p166; Calle Alcazabilla; admission €2 .20, Málaga’s major sights are clustered in or incl Castillo de Gibralfaro €3 40;. h9 .30am-8pm near the charming old town, which is situ- Tue-Sun) No time to visit Granada’s Alham- ated beneath the Alcazaba and the Castillo bra? Then Málaga’s Alcazaba can provide a de Gibralfaro. A good place to start your taster. The entrance is next to the Roman exploring is the landmark cathedral, which amphitheatre, from where a meandering towers above the surrounding streets and is path climbs amid lush greenery: crimson thus reassuringly easy to find. The port area bougainvillea, lofty palms, fragrant jasmine is home to a further three museums. bushes and rows of orange trees. Extensively .

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