Every year, millions of tourists are attracted by the monuments, beaches and famous landmarks in Malaga and Costa del Sol. Close your guidebook and be ready to discover five amazing spots in the Province of Malaga that few people know.
1. A castle dedicated to Christopher Columbus houses the smallest church... in the world!
Hidden inside the Colomares Castle in Benalmádena, we find nothing but the world’s smallest church! This chapel, dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, is even featured in the Guinness Book of Records. A tiny size but a big experience, since the castle has the incredible shape of a caravel, in honour to the 5th Centenary of the Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.
2. The biggest Buddhist temple in Europe
The Buddhist stupa of Benalmádena is located in the mountains of Mijas. Worthy of note is the quadrangular white base and its incredible vault with a sharp cone-shaped golden top. The design symbolises the enlightenment of Buddha and all the basic elements of buddhism are represented on it: earth, water, fire and aether. Remember that, inside this kind of monument, you ought to walk clockwise as you make your wish...
3. The best sunset spot… also the most revolutionary!
Baños del Carmen in Malaga, which is now in ruins, was once a thermal bath spa located by the sea. Today it provides, without a doubt, one of Spain’s best sunsets. Built in the early 20th century, it was the first in the country to allow mixed bathing.... to the upper class, though.
4. Hand of Saint Theresa in Ronda
In the Convent of La Merced in Ronda, we find a valuable relic of the Catholic Church: the incorrupt hand of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, an essential personality of the Spanish Mystics. Protected with a silver glove, it also has gemstones embedded.
5. The Smurf Village
It seems that Smurfs enjoy life in the best climate too! Of course there is no better place to spend an eternal life than Costa del Sol… Júzcar, an idyllic place for children, is a blue painted village, where some corners are decorated with these animated characters.
