Norwegian flies to Malaga from Copenhagen all year round. The flight takes about 3.5 hours. As usual, I like to travel south in April, during the Easter Holidays so this time I chose Malaga. Malaga is the city in the southern Spain, autonomus comunity of Andalusia, situated on the Costa del Sol.

As always, I chose a 3-star hotel in the center of the old town, bad and breakfast. The hotel is called Hotel Premuim Malaga (https://www.hotelmalagapremium.com/) located next to the church of the San Juan Bautista (Iglesia de San Juan). Breakfast is classical, yogurt with fruit, and a sandwich with Spanish ham. There is a rooftop bar on the top floor of the hotel, from which you can see the whole of Malaga, especially the old part of the city. They make excellent cocktails there. In the evenings, when we return back to the hotel from a walk, we loved to go up there for a cocktail and to enjoy warm evening with no wind. From the rooftop bar, you can also see the cathedral, museums, the fortress and other sights.

The histrorical center of Malaga (Centro Historico) has the largest number of pedestrian streets in Spain. It is considered the most walkable city in Spain. If you like cities, architecture and walking tours in the city, you will like Malaga. It takes few days to get used to navigate the charming narrow streets. The most beautiful street in Malaga is called Calle Larios. The other strees are Calle Granada, Calle Alcazabilla, Calle Nueva etc. You can buy a fridge magnet with Larios Street.

We were staying in the old part of the city, but there is also a new part of the city going along the coast. This part would be more suitable if you are going in the summer, because of the beach. The closest beach is 15 minuttes from the city center.

If you ask me Malaga or Marbella, I choose Malaga, because it is bigger and more interesting. I don’t know what the beach is like in Marbella, but the one in Malaga is wide and long and is called La Malagueta. One part of the beach is covered with grass and green-blue parrots walk on it.

Don’t forget to visit Zara. Zara, here, is different from the one in Copenhagen or Belgrade. You can buy unique clothes and trust me, you definitely will be noticed, when you return home. We spent 3 hours in Zara, trying on different clothes and shoes, calculating what to buy, and how much money we have to spend. In the end, we bought a dress, a pair of shoes, 2 shirts, a set for my niece and clothes for my brother’s children. I don’t remember how much money we spent… You should also add two bags from Parfois, a jumpsuit from Cortefiel, sandals from a local store and another one, from a fancy store in the center.

For our men, we bought two bottles of wine: a rose Jabega Cabernet Souvignon – Tempranillo 2022 and a red Pago El Espino 2021, both from Sierras de Malaga.

The market in Malaga is located in a hall and is huge. My mom loves markets and when we travel together, we always visit the market. Locals sell various types of known and unknown fruits, all in XL size, hams, cheeses, fish, octopus, etc. You need at least an hour to go through the market and try everything.

I recommend a visit to the Picasso Museum. The paintings cover all phases of his work, from his early years to his late experiments, which provides a rare comprehensive insight into his development. They show how he changed styles: Blue Period → Rose Period → Cubism → Surrealism → late works. The most interesting paintings are Women in Chairs, which show female figures sitting in chairs or armchairs, depicted as Cubism or Non-Surrealism, where the chairs are in bright colors. Some paintings are combinations of styles.

There are also paintings from the war and post-war periods (1937-1950). Six paintings are from the last phase of his life: Toreador, Personage, Chld with the shovel, Bather, Musketeer with the Sword and Man, Women and Child (1970-1973). There is also a large number of wooden sculptures. (https://www.museopicassomalaga.org/en)

The Renaissance cathedral with its Baroque façade is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The cathedral was built on the site of a former mosque after the Christian conquest of Malaga. It is located within the boundaries of the former Moorish walls, near the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro. Tickets cost around 13 euros. (https://malagacatedral.com/)

It is best to buy museum tickets in advance and online.

It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the beach from the city center. It is a completely different part of the city with tall buildings and apartments. It stretches for about 1.3 km. The beach is called La Malagueta.

There are numerous cafes and restaurants in the historic center of the city. You can have lunch for little money. We had lunch for 13 euros: a mixed paella starter, fish as a main course and a chocolate dessert. Of course, there are also Michelin-starred restaurants you can visit. We opted for smaller, cheaper restaurants.

From Malaga you can go on numerus day trips, such as Ronda, Caminito del Rey, Nerja, Cordoba, Seville, Marbella, Mijas, Porto Banus, Granada-Alhambra, Gibraltar, you can even cross Gibraltar and come to Tangier in Morocco.

We decided on Mijas-Marbella-Porto Banus and Granada-Alhambra.

Mijas is one of the most beautiful white villages located in the mountains above Malaga, where there are not many residents but it is nice to see and take a short walk. The streets are in Spanish style with flower pots hanging on the walls. It has small squares and viewpoints from which you can see the Costa del Sol. It is about 25 minutes drive from Malaga and has a large number of shops with souvenirs and local products.

Marbella is a glamorous resort with luxury hotels, yachts and exclusive boutiques. The trip to Marbella was just as short but we saw Dali’s sculptures and the old town centre. The sculptures are located on Avenida del Mar, a pedestrian promenade that connects the centre of Marbella to the sea. It is a wide, marble walkway surrounded by palm trees, fountains and views of the sea. There are about ten bronze sculptures on the promenade. These sculptures are placed so that you can see them up close, without admission, 24 hours a day.

The old town is reminiscent of Malaga. Plaza de los Naranjos is Marbella’s main and most famous square, located in the heart of the old town (Casco Antiguo). It is the historical and cultural center of the city, surrounded by whitewashed houses, the orange trees from which it is named, and important Renaissance buildings. The square is full of terraces of cafes and restaurants and orange groves. We had seafood paella near the square.

Puerto Banús is a luxury marina with yachts, designer shops, and nightlife; one of the most famous places in Spain. You can spend the day in Puerto Banús and watch the yachts.

Granada is a city that combines Moorish elegance, Spanish Renaissance, and mountainous landscape into a unique whole. Like all the churches in Granada, they are a combination of Islamic and Christian culture, so you can see a Christian church with Arabic tiles. Granada was the last Muslim capital on the Iberian Peninsula, until 1492. This long period of Moorish rule left a deep mark on architecture, urban planning and culture. Stroll through the streets of Granada, the central square is called Plaza de bib-rambla and there are cafes and restaurants where you can have lunch. Albaicín is an old Moorish quarter with white houses and narrow streets, also under UNESCO protection.

Granada and the Alhambra were the most interesting excursion. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress on a hill above Granada, known as the pinnacle of Moorish art in Europe and one of the most important monuments of Islamic architecture in the world. The complex was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1984 for its exceptional cultural and architectural value.