Malaga has undergone a remarkable renaissance — the Picasso Museum in his birthplace house, the Centre Pompidou Málaga's French collection, and the new MARO contemporary art venue have turned Andalucía's Mediterranean port into a serious cultural destination. The Alcazaba fortress and Gibralfaro castle above the city trace 1,000 years of Moorish and medieval history, while the Soho arts district below has filled former warehouses with murals, galleries and the city's best new restaurants. Malaga's tapas culture is its own: the fried anchovies (boquerones fritos), sweet Málaga wine from the Axarquía hills, and the pescaíto served in the Atarazanas market hall are as distinctive as anything in Seville. Sunshine here averages 320 days a year.
- Suggested duration: 3–4 days
- Best time to visit: March to June and September to November; winters are mild and the city is at its most local.