Malaga - The Sun Always Shines on the Costa del Sol
How could anyone resist a fun day in the sun or a night filled with excitement? Malaga is a place that is not only known as a top tourist destination but is also emerging as a cultural center.
General Info
The name Costa del Sol (Sun Coast) should say everything about Malaga’s climate and position, but it’s actually much more than sunny days and warm winters, it’s one of the largest cities in Andalucia, the place where Picasso was born and where every year, so many Yacht Charter lovers drop anchor.
Travel & Arrival
Avoiding the hassle of traffic is easy when traveling to Malaga, as the city is serviced by the country’s third largest airport, found just 11 km from the city center, and linked to it by taxi, busses, shuttles and car rental services. Yacht Charter incoming guests can take almost any major airlines, as well as some budget operators.
When driving into Malaga you should follow the A-7 E-15 motorway, running from Gibraltar to Almeria straight through the city itself and then continuing east to Murcia. If your Yacht Charter group is heading this location from Cordoba then you should arrive via the A-45. Car rental in Malaga is possible and rather cheap, but you’ll need to book ahead.
The old-fashioned train ride might appeal to Yacht Charter tourists coming from the continent, and for them the train station is situated just a kilometer west of the city center, as is the bus station.
The Costa del Sol is the last piece of European soil before Africa, and that’s why ports on this coast provide ferry trips to the African ports. In this case, Malaga has runs to Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the African coast. Boats aren’t that often and they’re always packed full, regardless of the season so book early.
Avant & Apres Sail
As always with old Moorish towns in Spain, there is an old castle or fortress to visit on some elevated terrain. In this case, the Castillo de Giblalfaro and Alcazaba will offer any Yacht Charter sailor tough enough to climb the steps a wonderful view of the town and the suburbs.
And since is the place where Picasso, the faimous painter, saw the light of day, there is the Picasso Museum and Picasso’s birthplace to be visited, as well as the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo for any Yacht Charter tourist with a soft spot for culture.
The town’s green corner is the La Conception Botanical & Historical Garden which many locals and visitors enjoy for the contrast it provides to the urban area. But no visit of Malaga would be complete without you and your Yacht Charter crew stopping by the Plaza de Toros de la Malagueta, otherwise known as the bullring.
Because shopping is always a big deal, no matter of who your Yacht Charter party is made up of (although there seems to be a shopaholic in every bunch), the places to remember are the Malaga Central Market, the Marques de Larios, El Corte Ingles and the Malaga Plaza Centro Commercial, basically every mall and market worth visiting and shopping in.
The Costa del Sol is perfect for getting a taste of Basque and Navarresse cuisine. However, there are also places that stay true to their Mediterranean heritage, but the relative proximity to the African culture has definitely left an imprint on the local Spanish populace.
As for the nightlife, it is said that no one in Malaga ever sleeps, not even during weekdays. An interesting occurrence that any Yacht Charter visitor might encounter is the “botellodromos”, places where people congregate to consume alcoholic beverages purchased from supermarkets before hitting the club scene.
Events & Actions
From the numerous events that take place here year, here are a few worth mentioning and worth checking out while here on a Yacht Charter trip: Fiestas de Carnaval (in February), Semana Santa (Holy Week in March/April), Feria del Libro (book fair in June), Festival de Cine Espaňol de Malaga (Film Festival also in June), Virgen del Carmen (July) and Feria de Malaga (August).