To my surprise Malaga turned out to be a highlight of our trip that included several heavier-weights such as Granada and Morocco. The old city of Malaga is very pretty, lively, and clean; the castles are old and remarkable, the newly developed port area is ultra modern, Apparently the locals have invested heavily in the last decade to spruce up the whole city, including the lavish marble-paved main streets of the old city, the avant garde parks and playgrounds at the port, and a spacious modern airport terminal. Public transportation is convenient and cab rides are inexpensive. What's most surprising are the high quality of the main sights in Malaga.
Malaga was founded by Phoenicians around 3000 years ago as "Malacca", a trading post on the Mediterranean Sea. Other than being the main port of the medieval Granada Kingdom, Malaga's mountainous hinterland made it a backwater for most of its history, under the shadows of its numerous illustrous neighbors - Cordoba, Seville, Cartagena, Granada. Its warm subtropical climate however, has become a drawing card for massive numbers of northern European tourists in recent decades.
Malaga's oldest sight is the Alcazaba, the Moorish castle dating to the 11th century when Malaga was its own Muslim taifa kingdom. The Alcazaba contains a modest suite of palaces in the Moorish style that was later perfected in Granada. Intricate Moorish geometric patterns with Arabic calligraphy adorn the palaces; beautifully situated terraces allow unobstructed views down the mountainous coastline; along the sloping paths luxuriant palms, bougainvilleas, and ubiquitous orange trees sway in the warm breeze.
The Gibralfaro fort higher up on the hill was built by the Nasrid kings of Granada in the 13-14th century when Malaga was its main port that controlled trade with Africa. From the top of its ramparts one can take in grand views of the Mediterranean coast line and the high peaks of Malaga mountains.
Pablo Picasso was born and raised in Malaga, a fact not widely known. Although Picasso did not return to Malaga since he left home at age of 19, now one can appreciate his great works in this museum set in a former count's palace, itself an architecturally interesting building with an elegant courtyard.
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