Málaga, Picasso’s city: the back story

About Málaga, Picasso’s city: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Marbella Editorial Team

Málaga is the capital of the Costa del Sol: a lively port city with the Alcazaba fortress, a Renaissance cathedral and a cluster of museums, including the Museo Picasso Málaga.

The old city

The Alcazaba, a Moorish fortress-palace, rises above the Roman theatre at the foot of Gibralfaro hill. Below it, the cathedral and the pedestrian streets of the old town lead to the port.

Picasso and museums

Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881. The city has the Museo Picasso Málaga and the Picasso Birthplace Museum, along with the Centre Pompidou Málaga and the Carmen Thyssen Museum.

Málaga turned itself into one of Spain’s great museum cities in a single generation.

Getting there

Málaga is about 50 km from Marbella, around 45 minutes by car or a direct Avanza bus.

Our advice: start at the Alcazaba early, spend the afternoon in one or two museums, and finish with tapas in the old town.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Málaga, Picasso’s city: the back story before you go.