Malaga.The location of Locations

Malaga is a province situated in south central Andalucía. Although best known for the Costa del Sol, Malaga has much more that meets the eye! Malaga is a portal to many places. Once here, you can transport yourself in a flash to almost any kind of location: beachside, countryside, mountains, cultural Spanish cities and even Morocco. This is all viable without flying in a matter of hours. Of course there is also an international airport less than an hour away…

Malaga city, home of Picasso, has a pretty old historical centre; clean lively and free of cars. It is typically Spanish with winding streets of all shapes and sizes, beautifully renovated apartments; chic and elegant, which are next to un-renovated buildings, deserted and asleep, like something out of an old western movie, just waiting to be woken up with a lick of paint and someone with a plan. The streets are aligned with top of the range shops, and old fashioned markets, containing the best of local produce.
It also contains many monuments and museums; aside from the Picasso Museums and beautiful cathedral and churches, there is also the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro (the first being a Muslim fortress, and the second a castle). Both rise out of the hills of Malaga looking over the city and sparkle at night. Outside of the historical centre it is not particularly attractive, a lot of big roads and not many aesthetically pleasant buildings yet the bustling city life is not for everyone and there are many parks or the city beach to just chill-out.

If you do not wish to live in Malaga itself, there are many small beach towns well connected to the city centre by train or bus. Just outside the city beach you can find many beach areas that are very nearby such as, El Palo, which is only a short bus ride away but enjoys a peaceful atmosphere and is still a predominantly Spanish zone. The beach towns on Malaga’s metro can be very touristy during the peak summer months, such as Torremolinos and Fuengirola, the rest of the year, however they are calmer.

All these towns are mainly run by people speaking English. Therefore this zone is perfect for people who do not wish to learn Spanish or for those who prefer to live in foreign communities. For a slightly more up-market tone and a 40 minute drive from Malaga, you will not find anywhere in Spain more posh than Marbella and its glamorous Puerto Banús. Nerja is a town slightly more low-key and has probably the best beaches close to Malaga (1 hour bus ride).

Malaga is surrounded with quaint mountain towns and villages, within easy reach of the city, including the great Sierra Nevada mountain range of 75km. Less than a two and a half hour drive from Malaga and containing the Iberian Peninsula’s highest peak, Mulhacén (3482m), which is snow capped almost all year.

Two hours in a bus takes you to Ronda, an attractive, lively town that is divided by the 100m gorge, El Tajo. Ronda is surrounded by lush hills with white washed villages and is close to a national park, which is great for hiking. An hour away is the stunning Antequera. The town lays on the edge of a plain, aligned with rugged mountains to the south and east.

If you want something a little more cosmopolitan and English-speaking then there is the village of Competa (2 hour bus ride). This small village is also known for making the best sweet white wine, La Axarquia. It contains walks such as El Lucero peaking at 1779m and from its summit you can see Granada and Morocco.

Andalucía contains many of Spain's most exciting and authentic cities and Malaga is placed right in the middle of its coast. Seville (2.5 hours by bus from Malaga) is the capital of Andalucía and the home of flamenco; a poetical city, where the people are trendy and patriotic and the cityscape is like something out of a fairytale. It also prestigiously holds three World Heritage Sites.

Another World Heritage Medieval city is Cordoba (2.5 hours bus ride from Malaga). This exquisite city lies beside the Guadalquiver River, where countryside surrounds the city and spreads to the horizon. Then there is the characteristic city of Granada (1.5 hours from Malaga). Granada is the Spaniards favourite. Famous for its beautiful Alhambra which dominates the city, Granada still aesthetically appears as an Islamic city. It has a large student population which keeps the city buzzing day and night.

Getting to Morocco from Malaga is very simple. The fastest way is to go to Algeciras (on a fast bus which only takes 1.45mins) where there are ferries to Tangiers (2.5 hours).

Obviously with the international airport so close and so viable by public transport the locations from Malaga are endless and full of easy and obtainable possibilities.

Belinda Milestone works as a content writer for oppSpain, a company that specialises in selling off plan properties in Malaga and the rest of Spain.

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