Malaga has undergone a real cultural and culinary transformation. In recent years, museums such as the Pompidou Centre of Paris and the Russian Museum of St. Petersburg have appeared in the city, adding to the city’s thirty exhibition centres. This is combined with a lively cultural and artistic life, a calendar full of events and a varied culinary offering for all tastes and pockets.
History and monuments
Throughout its history, Malaga has been a zone of passage for different civilizations. This, as well as giving it an open and welcoming character, has left a legacy of monuments and a unique architecture. Strolling through Malaga’s historic centre, you’ll find the Roman Theatre, the Arab Alcazaba Fortress, the Cathedral and numerous churches that are real jewels. As for urban architecture, you’ll find narrow streets of Arab origin, as well as buildings typical of the 19th century, whose masterpiece you will see in Calle Larios.
Malaga has also become one of the favourite cities of street artists. One example of this is Soho, in the area between the Alameda Principal and the Port of Malaga, where impressive murals by international urban artists such as Obbey or D’FACE are displayed.
A tour of the museums of Malaga
The museums you can visit in Malaga cover a wide variety of styles. Contemporary art is represented at CAC Malaga, the Pompidou and the Picasso Museum. For its part, the Carmen Thyssen Museum houses a valuable costumbrista collection, with works by Andalusian painters.
If you want to get to know local artists, we recommend the Museum of Malaga, located in the Palacio de la Aduana (Customs House), with an impressive collection of fine art composed mainly of works by artists from Malaga. Another of the museums that surprise those who visit it is the Revello de Toro. It exhibits more than 100 works by the portrait and figurative painter Félix Revello de Toro, and in addition the interior of the building is a wonderful example of seventeenth century domestic architecture.
From traditional tapas to haute cuisine
Malaga’s cuisine has also undergone an enormous evolution. New restaurants and bars have emerged where you can enjoy dishes ranging from traditional Malaga cuisine to the most international choice and variety. In addition, many chefs have opted to reinvent the local cuisine and have merged it with new flavours, giving the Costa del Sol one of the most cosmopolitan culinary offerings.
One of the many bars and restaurants in the historic centre of Malaga is an ideal place to enjoy the local cuisine. If you want to try pescaíto frito (fried fish) in this area, the Atarazanas Market has several tapas bars. Although, if you want to enjoy it in the most traditional way, we recommend you go to the neighbourhoods of El Palo, Pedregalejo or Huelin, on whose beaches you will find Malaga city’s best chiringuitos.
Do you want to know more about culture in Malaga? Don’t miss our suggestions:
How to make the most of a day in Malaga
Routes for taking in Malaga’s best museums
The most international urban art is alive in Malaga
Atarazanas Market, a space for gastronomy and tourism
Malaga, in nine dishes
