Malaga

It is obvious why Malaga is dubbed the Capital of the Costa del Sol. Since the opening of the Picasso Museum, tourists have been flocking to the city to see it and the other cultural exhibits in the historic centre of the old town.

As well as the Picasso Museum itself, other important historic monuments include the imposing Baroque Cathedral, known locally as ‘La Manquita’ (One Armed Woman), because of its odd appearance due to the lack of an east tower. High above the city is the Parador, one of a chain of hotels run by the Spanish state. It is an important buildingwhich was once a Moorish castle with fantastic views over Malaga city and the port and sea.

Although much was damaged in Malaga during the Spanish Civil War, there is still evidence of the Moorish occupation. You can visit the Moorish Alcazaba fortress, built in 1065, which has a fascinating archaeological museum. There are many churches in and around the centre, of great architectural and historic interest well worth visiting. Please note that most of the attractions are closed on Mondays, even in the height of the tourist season.

The biggest party in Spain, the Malaga Feria lasts nine days from midnight on the 11th August until the 20th August. It was originally a celebration of Malaga's entry to the domain of the Castilians in the 15th Century.

During the day there is a lot of entertainment with stallsand street entertainers, someon stilts..
The horse driven carriages that ply their trade throught the year are all decked out in finest livery.

In the town itself the bars compete with each other to see how loud they can play Spanish disco music. Many people were are in traditional Spanish dress,
It is in the evening that it really comes alive though. The Palacia de Feria, to which there is a shuttle bus service, is packed every night until the following morning with thousands of revellers