Spain / Andalusia / Málaga & the Costa del SolMálaga & the Costa del Sol
Picasso's Birthplace and the Sunshine Coast
A lively port city with the Moorish Alcazaba and Gibralfaro castle above it, the Picasso Museum in the house-lined old town, a cathedral nicknamed "the one-armed lady", and city beaches; and the Costa del Sol either side: Marbella, Nerja's caves and Frigiliana's white streets. The airport is Andalusia's biggest, with flights all over Europe. The Caminito del Rey cliff boardwalk is an hour inland (timed tickets). Many Indian restaurants along the coast. Winters are mild.
Highlights
- Alcazaba and Gibralfaro castle
- Picasso Museum
- Caminito del Rey cliff boardwalk
- Nerja Caves and the Balcón de Europa
- Frigiliana's white lanes
- Marbella old town and Puerto Banús
- Fried fish at La Malagueta beach
Things to do
- Alcazaba and the walk up to GibralfaroMorning · 3h
- Picasso Museum and the old townAfternoon · 2h 30m
- Caminito del Rey boardwalk (timed tickets)Morning · 6h
- Nerja Caves and FrigilianaMorning · 6h
- La Malagueta beach and the port promenadeAfternoon · 3h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: April – June, September – October
Worth knowing
August: Spain on Holiday
August is when Spain takes its holidays: beaches, islands and coast towns are at their fullest and dearest, ferries to the Balearics and trains to the coast sell out, and in Madrid and other inland cities many family restaurants and small shops close for two or three weeks. Book rooms, ferries and trains months ahead, or come in June or September.
- Holy Week (Semana Santa) — In Andalusia the week before Easter is a week of processions: brotherhoods in hooded robes carry great floats of Christ and the Virgin through the streets, day and night, to drums and trumpets. Seville's and Málaga's are the most famous. The old towns are packed and some streets impassable, rooms cost double and sell out months ahead, and many sights change their hours.
- Christmas markets and the Three Kings — From late November Madrid's Plaza Mayor and Barcelona's cathedral square hold Christmas markets of nativity figures and decorations, and the streets are lit, Málaga's Calle Larios famously. Spanish children get their presents from the Three Kings: on the evening of 5 January every city holds a parade, and 6 January is a holiday when many shops close.