Blog Two: Málaga

We’d both only previously visited Málaga for a day, off a cruise ship in 2019. Having disembarked, we caught a taxi into a beautiful tree-lined square (Placa de la Constitution), climbed up to the Alcazabar for the wonderful views of the bay, and visited the excellent Carmen Thyssen Museum in the old city.
The impression we formed then was of a sunny, bright and enjoyable city and, of course, we were back on the boat for dinner! This time around we take a taxi from the railway station into the old town, and walk down the Calle Granada to our hotel.
When we go out to orientate ourselves, by finding the Placa I mentioned previously, we wind our way downhill and gradually realise that Malaga is not like any other Spanish city we can think of. The streets are teeming with tourists of every nationality, proximity to the Costa del Sol dictating that the majority are Brits.
Every bar and restaurant (and there are many) seems to be full to bursting point at all times of the day and night. There are lots of groups of young males and others of young females, including a few Spanish stag and hen nights, milling about.
The restaurants look OK but when we sample one, the attitude is very different from the hospitality of Córdoba and the food is nothing special. Fi has more difficulty getting her dietary requirements taken seriously. Well actually, they serve her a chicken dish and a prawn tapa, both swimming in oil, which don’t go down well.
When we eventually locate the Placa de la Constitution, it looks like a building site, as a large structure is being erected in its centre. Cockroaches run between the seats. The general atmosphere is probably something like George Street on a Saturday night and the teeming hordes are beginning to get a bit annoying.
Next day it is raining so we visit the Carmen Thyssen Museum. As luck would have it, there is an exhibition of Sorolla in Andalucia – he is becoming one of our favourite Spanish artists – which runs only for one more day. The exhibition is really good and the gallery is a bit of a sanctuary from the crowds in the streets.
We have a better dinner and, when we emerge from the restaurant, we discover that some of the hidden Spain which seemed to be absent from the city is pushing its way to the surface. We join a four or five-person deep crowd that is awaiting the Silent Procession.
“Silent processions” feature a slow procession in absolute silence with candles going out as the members move forwards, creating a solemn atmosphere.
First come young, smartly dressed kids and teenagers wielding long, lit candles, followed by adults of increasing ages. Then a “float” topped by effigies of Christ and the Virgin Mary, held up by dignitaries, followed by a band.
The whole spectacle is quite moving, even if you are not religious, and the procession slowly snakes up the Calle Granada and past our hotel. Incense hangs in the air as the quiet crowd moves upwards too.
We stop for a final drink in the Bar Pimpi, a famous Málaga institution that welcomes all ages and races into its quirky interior, the walls lined with huge and faded feria posters. Miraculously we get a table, which appears to have been reserved for someone else, from which we can observe some unusually inebriated Spanish women.
So some of traditional Catholic Spain is lurking beneath the veneer of tourism and commerce, and we’ve been fortunate to experience it, to rebalance our view of the city, at least a bit.
On our final day, the sunshine is back, so we take the open-top bus tour around the City. This lets us see the port and the Bay of Málaga, and some grand residential districts on the hillside between the waterfront and the old town.
Before we leave, we have a final lunch in a traditional restaurant between the port and the hotel. The food is excellent, and the surroundings are nice. The only problem comes when we come to pay the bill. The staff blame poor wifi as four attempts are made to charge it to a card. All appear to be unsuccessful, but luckily Fiona can see that the sum has been deducted from our Starling account.
The Head Waiter (presumably) is rude and dismissive, and he refuses to accept that we have paid and an argument ensues. He has met his match in Fiona, however. Eventually, they re-examine all of the card machines they have used and discover that the first attempt did indeed go through. We are offered a somewhat less than fulsome apology. Hasta luego Málaga!
We’re glad that we chose to spend the bulk of our trip in Córdoba, which has become a new favourite city. Malaga has its attractions but we’ll not be rushing back to its busy centre in a hurry.

My dozen favourite images from our stay in Málaga are included in the gallery below. Click on a thumbnail to see a bigger image. If you’re using a mobile phone, turn your screen sideways to see the bigger image to best effect.

Image Gallery