Trip Recap: The City Picasso Was Born In – Malaga, Spain

When my brother and I flew from Paris to Malaga, we didn’t have any expectations. We had about 6-8 hours to spare before taking a bus to Seville, Spain. I mean, even in our guidebook, there was barely anything written about this city.

The moment we landed at the airport, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of surrounding mountains and the endless Mediterranean sea. I knew that the day ahead was promising!

Our commute to the bus station was super easy and fast: All we had to do was to take a train from the airport. Not even 15 minutes later, we were there. I got changed into lighter clothes *it was +31 Celsius compared to +8 in Paris* and checked in my luggage into a locker. Conveniently, all major attractions were within a walking distance from the bus terminal. Without any hesitation, my brother and I picked up a map and headed to the nearby port.

port

*It was soooo refreshing to wear a dress for the first time this year!!!*

There was quite a bit of people trying to get us to sign up for a boat ride, but they weren’t too pushy. I definitely appreciated it. Right next to the port, we discovered Playa de la Malagueta.

Malagueta

The water was very cold, but this didn’t stand in my brother’s way to jump in for a short swim *a very bad choice in retrospective*. As he was showing off/taking videos of himself swimming on his GoPro *I love you nevertheless!!! Haha!* , I took in beautiful surroundings while sitting on the warm sand.

beach

I must assure you that it didn’t take too long for me to feel the burn. Thankfully, my brother was pretty cooperative, and we went into the city in search of a sunscreen. *Silly, silly me for not bringing it with me. A long Canadian winter definitely messed with my head! Haha!*

flowers

By the time we found it and walked around some more, we were REALLY hungry! Without giving it too much thought, we turned into the first street. It turns out, it one of the best decisions we made that day. The entrance to the Alcazaba of Malaga was right there! We rested a bit while consuming a big amount of food which was very welcome and went to explore the citadel that was built in the early eleventh  century by the Hammudid dynasty.

architecture

The Moorish architecture is very different from what I’d ever seen. That being said, the Alcazaba is very well preserved, and it was super interesting to explore because it was almost like a labyrinth. All we wanted to do was to reach the top, but kept on getting lost. *Which was lots of FUN too!*

bath at Alcazaba

I also appreciated the amount of detail. Look at the floors! I can’t even imagine the amount of time and number of people it took to finish this project. *They were like this EVERYWHERE!*

kids

 

The fortification overlooks the port and I consider myself lucky to have witnessed this view.

view from Alcazaba

We were short on time and had to go back to the bus station but wouldn’t give up on this adventure. So it took some sprinting up hill to make it to the top. Needless to say, I was super happy to see this canon. *It was super comfy too! Haha!*

canon

When I looked around, I was in love.

view from the top of Alcazaba

Let me tell you this. When later on I found out that Picasso was born in Malaga, I wasn’t a bit surprised that he grew to be a genius. There is so much beauty around, it’s unbelievable!

– Trip Recap: Paris Is Always A Good Idea (Part 1)
– Trip Recap: Paris Is Always A Good Idea (Part 2)

Have you ever stopped by a city you didn’t plan on loving just to be completely smitten by its charm?

xoxo
Olena

36 Comments

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36 responses to “Trip Recap: The City Picasso Was Born In – Malaga, Spain

  1. I love Malaga – I have been a few times and I have always had an amazing time!

  2. Wow, your pics are gorgeous. I have been to Barcelona and am heading to Madrid in Sept, but have never been to Malaga, it looks AMAZING!

    • Barcelona is very beautiful too (the recap is coming up eventually lol!), but for some reason, I liked smaller cities more. You should definitely give them a try once you’re there again 🙂 Oh and you are so lucky, I haven’t had a chance to visit Madrid: too short on time. Enjoy! ❤ xoxo

  3. absgoldberg

    So beautiful! Yet another place I need to visit one day!

  4. I’ve never heard of this city, but it looks beautiful!

  5. What a charming place! I absolutely loved the photos. I went to Savannah, Georgia once to check out grad schools with my sister and absolutely fell in love with the charm of the place. It was full of history and southern hospitality. Coming from a city girl, after that trip, could see myself moving down south. Love unexpected vacations! =)

  6. First of all, cute dress! You look amazing and the sunshine there makes the water a gorgeous colour. I was so smitten with Brugges when I visited. it was cute, medieval and I never wanted to leave.

  7. That might be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Goodness gracious.

  8. Malaga looks absolutely gorgeous!!

  9. Your pictures look gorgeous!!! Looks like an amazing place!!

  10. Holy moly what a phenomenal looking place!! I don’t think I’ve ever really cared about going to Spain before just this moment. You have the most epic travels, my friend! xo

  11. I know you’ve already been nominated, but I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Looking forward to reading more from you!

    Very Inspiring Blogger Nomination

  12. I love this – and it’s so awesome to know we’ve both been travelling to warmer lands!! Cannot wait to read the rest of your adventures as I write up mine 🙂

  13. Oh my gosh, I’m in love!!! Such fabulous pictures!!! What amazing views!!! XOXO!!!

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