Malaga monuments

The city of Malaga is full of culture and monuments

The ancient civilizations that lived on the coast, left behind a series of artistic relics that all together form a historical legacy thats beauty must not be missed.

The Alcazaba Fortress and the Gibralfaro Castle in Malaga, the Gorge in Ronda, the Menga dolmens in Antequera and other magnificent examples of Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture are definitely a must see for the visitor.

The main cultural attractions of Malaga city are: The Picasso Museum, the Cervantes Theatre and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

La Alcazaba
The Alcazaba is an ancient Moorish military fortress built in the 11th century on the vestiges of a roman citadel. The fortress is situated on a hill top with a beautiful panoramic view over the city and the mediterranean sea. It formerly consisted of 3 protecting walls (of which only two remain), more than 100 towers and a higher situated residential area with three palaces. Opening hours are from 9:30am til 8pm in summer and from 8:30am til 7pm in winter. The entrance fee is 2,10€ and 3,45€ combined with Gibralfaro. It closes on Mondays, every 1st of January, 28th of February and 25th of December.

Gibralfaro
Next to the Alcazaba is the Gibralfaro castle which is connected by two of its towers. Supposedly, it is believed that a light house was built on this very spot in Phoenician times and on its remains Abderramán III built the fortress which, in the 14th century, was modified into a castle by Yasuf I.

Roman Theater
At the foot hill of the Alcazaba we can find the Roman theatre. Interestingly, it was not discovered until 1951, in spite of its size with a radius of 31 meters and a height of 19 meters. Research has shown that it hasn´t been in use since the 3rd century and that elements of the theater have been used by the Arabs in the construction of the Alcazaba.

Opening hours during winter are from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am to 7pm, Sundays from 10am to 2:30pm and in summer from 10am to 9pm and Sundays from 10am to 2:30pm. Mondays closed. Guided night visits from 1st of May to 31st of August.

The Cathedral (see photo)
The cathedral of Malaga is built on the remains of the former Mosque-Aljaima, the major Mosque, which was destroyed when the Arabs lost the city after eight centuries. The reconstruction began in 1528, nevertheless it was not finished until 1782 and therefore the cathedral shows many different architectural styles as for instance the Gothic fundament, the Renaissance facades and the baroque towers. The left tower was never completed, and therefore has a characteristic and singular aspect which led to its popular name “The single armed lady”.

Address: Calle Molina Lario 9

Opening hours Mondays to Fridays 10am to 6pm and Saturdays 10am to 5pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Entrance fee: Adults 4€. Groups 2.50 €

Sagrario Church
The Sagrario parish church is situated between the Episcopal Palace and the cathedral. The church was built in the 15th century, as well as on the remains of a destroyed Arabian Mosque, in a gothic style. Inside the church there is an impressive altar built by Juan de Balmaseda.

Santiago Church
The Santiago parish church was built in the 16th century with a combination of Gothic and Mudejar (Moorish) style. In this church, Pablo Picasso was baptized.

Palace Marqués de Valdeflores
This palace, constructed in the 18th century, was originally planned as an exhibition hall for the locals, but in 1895 it was acquired by a noble family for personal use. The building, situated in Calle Carreteria 60, was bought back in 1986 by the town hall and nowadays hosts different associations.

Palace Episcopal
The Episcopal Palace is, nowadays, a set of buildings of different forms and styles, situated next to the cathedral and which is considered as a typical representative of the Malagueñean architectural style from the 18th century. Nowadays the palace hosts the diocesan Museum. Opening hours are from 10am to 2pm and from 6pm to 9pm. Mondays closed.

Palace de la Aduana
The Palacio de la Aduana was constructed in the 18th century in a neo-classical style and nowadays hosts the headquarters of the regional government, also holding a smaller exhibition hall. In a near future it will host the headquarters of the museum of fine Arts. The palace is situated in the Plaza with the homonymous name.

The Town Hall
Malaga´s Town Hall was built between 1912 and 1919 and is one of the most noteworthy avant-garde buildings in the city.

The House of the Consulate
The house of the consulate, built in the 18th century in a neo-classical style, has been declared a national historical monument. The building is situated in the Plaza de la Constitución. Opening hours Mondays to Fridays from 10am to 2pm and from 5pm to 8pm. Saturdays and Sundays closed.

Malaga Bullfighting Ring
The bullfighting ring, situated in Paseo de Reding, was constructed in 1874 in a neo-mudejar style, with a capacity for 14.000 people. Inside the building there is a Bullfighting Museum which offers visitors an extensive tour through the world of bullfighting. Opening hours Mondays to Fridays 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 8pm. Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.