What makes Málaga an essential visit for art lovers are these magnificent collections. Might their presence be due to Málaga being the birthplace of one of the 20th century’s leading art geniuses? To be sure, if Picasso were there to see it all, he would be proud of his hometown being so privileged. Here is a rundown of the five not-to-be-missed art spaces, two of which have just opened!

Picasso Museum of Málaga

In 1953, Pablo Picasso and Juan Temboury Álvarez, the Provincial Fine Arts Delegate for Málaga, laid the groundwork for the creation of a museum to house part of the artist’s work. But it was not until many years later – 50 years, to be exact – that the project bore fruit. This was largely thanks to the endeavours of Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the Malagan painter’s daughter-in-law and grandson, who provided an endowment totalling 285 pieces covering 80 years of work, from 1892 to 1972. The premises chosen to house the collection were the Buenavista Palace, a Renaissance building dating from 1487, erected over the remains of a Nasrid palace of which some details have been preserved. Listed as a “national monument” in 1939, it was subsequently refurbished, enlarged and converted into a museum to house the artist’s work, as well as temporary exhibitions. During one of the latest extension works, Phoenician and Roman remains were unearthed; they now form part of the items on display on the museum circuit.

Picasso diehards should also visit the house-museum where Picasso was born, the Fundación Museo Casa Natal de Picasso.

Málaga Contemporary Art Centre (CAC Málaga)

Housed in the former wholesale market building, the Mercado de Mayoristas de Málaga, the CAC Málaga is dedicated to the plastic arts, and visual arts as a whole, from the last three decades of the 20th century until the present.

Inaugurated in 2003, it contains works by such artists as Louise Bourgeois, the Chapman brothers, Gerard Richter, Paul McCarthy, Anish Kapoor, Jason Rhoades, Raymond Pettibon, Ron Mueck, Rachael Whiteread, Yoshitmo Nara, Roni Horn, Daniel Richter and Rodney Graham. Based on the model of the German Kunsthaus (house of art), it also offers complementary activities, including film cycles, courses and conferences.

Carmen Thyssen Museum, Málaga

This selection of works selected from the collection of Carmen Thyssen is housed in the historical Villalón Palace, built in the mid-16th century. With a total of around 230 works on display, this museum features Spanish artists mainly from the 19th and early-20th century, distributed in these categories: Old Masters, Romantic Landscape and Genre Painting, Précieux and Naturalist Painting, and Fin-de-Siècle.

Lastly, a curious detail – like the Picasso Museum of Málaga, the basement also features Roman ruins, which are open to the public.

Centre Pompidou, Málaga

Following in the footsteps of the Louvre, which already has a second branch in Lens (France), and another on the way outside France, in Abu Dhabi, the Centro Nacional de Arte y Cultura Georges Pompidou has just unveiled in Málaga its third branch, and first outside France. The museum is housed in El Cubo, a new building dating from 2013, noteworthy for its crowning device, from which it derives its name – a steel-and-glass cube which acts as a skylight.

On display in this space is a total of 80 paintings and photos by such artists as Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, Constantin Brâncuși, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Hélion, Frida Kahlo, Fernand Léger, René Magritte, Joan Miró, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso, Antoni Tàpies, Jean Tinguely and Kees Van Dongen. From two to three temporary exhibitions will also be scheduled, as will a number of multidisciplinary activities.

Saint Petersburg State Russian Museum Collection, Málaga

In Málaga you can now enjoy a piece of Russia’s art production. To be inaugurated on 28 March, in the former Tabacalera (tobacco factory), it will feature works from the State Russian Museum of Saint Petersburg. This compendium of 500 years of Russian art history will range from icons of Byzantine inspiration to the social realism of the Soviet era.

The permanent exhibition of one hundred works will be augmented by two annual temporary exhibitions focusing on some of the leading figures in Russian art.

Book your flight now and get ready to take in all this beauty!

Text ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos © Área de Turismo. Ayuntamiento de Málaga, Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga, Museo Picasso Málaga (© David Heald), CAC Málaga

Málaga has become the hot capital of culture, due to the recent opening of local branches of the Centre Pompidou and Saint Petersburg State Russian Museum Collection, added to other art successes with the Carmen Thyssen Museum, La Térmica, the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) and the Picasso Museum (a fine retrospective of Louise Bourgeois is currently running until 27 September). The city centre’s beautiful pedestrian precinct – distributed around the stately Marqués de Larios street as its hub – it’s pleasant climate all year around, its beaches and its gastronomy make it the ideal getaway destination. Here are 7 essential eateries you should not miss in Málaga.

1. El Pimpi

You can’t leave Málaga without stopping off at this emblematic bar with its eminently Andalusian patios filled with potted carnations. One of its draws is the casks autographed by the most variegated celebrities who have dined there, from Antonio Gala to Miquel Barceló and Pablo Alborán. It has a huge terrace, too. The food is very good and prices average about €30.

2. Los Baños del Carmen

This former spa opposite the beach, once a luxury baths and now decadent, preserves a charm of its own. Refurbished as a restaurant boasting an enormous terrace with a stately air, this is the ideal spot for soaking up the twilight hours. The menu du jour costs €18 and the à la carte is very Malagueñan: tapas de la bahía (from the bay), fish on a skewer, charcoaled meat… and concerts are usually held on weekend afternoons.

3. Mercado Atarazanas (Atarazanas, 10)

This lovely market with wrought-iron ceilings, colourful stained glass and a marble, Mudéjar entrance features several stalls that sell their tapas on the street, with tall tables for eating standing up. Dogfish, octopus, razor clams, prawns, venus shells, Malagueñan mixed fry… fittingly all very fresh and at excellent prices (averaging €3.5 for a half-portion). Ideal for having an aperitif.

4. Andrés Maricuchi

El Pedregalejo beach offers one of Málaga’s most prized specialities – espetos or skewered fish, particularly the sardine variety. They are charcoaled on cute barbecue boats set in the sand. Prominent among the many beach bars with a carefree, happy ambience is the Maricuchi. Instead of a menu, they recite their dishes to you. Their sardines are crisp on the outside and tasty on the inside. Around €20.

5. Montana

If you are seeking a more curated cuisine in romantic surroundings, this town palace has a gastronomic restaurant upstairs and a tapas bar below, set in a gardened terrace. Some of the recommendations: scrambled egg with whitebait and peppers in yuzu sauce, ox carpaccio with olive oil ice-cream and wasabi cheese, and timbal (tartlet) with griddled bacon, field mushrooms, foie gras and balsamic reduction. Classicism and modernity in one. Average price – €45.

6. José Carlos García Restaurante

Haute cuisine for gourmets. The chef, Carlos García, was awarded the province’s first Michelin star for creative cuisine in his Café París restaurant. They recently opened another, more distinguished, upmarket restaurant in the harbour. It comprises an intimate dining area with just six tables, a kitchen enclosed in a cube in full view of diners, a priceless terrace and an events room. Tasting menu – €110.

7. KGB

The more daring foodies should head for Kisco García Bar, a trove of world cuisine. One of their hits is pure Asian and Andalusian fusion – the Vietnamese nam de pringá (€4). They also give a nod to Russia with their vodka omelette, and to other parts of the world, as with their Peking Express bread. They also feature an array of thoroughly southern dishes, like the Ángel León-style shrimp omelette. A curiosity – the premises once housed Dani García’s gastrobar and, as a lot of the latter’s guests still came to order their excellent ox-tail hamburger, the dish has been incorporated into the menu of the bar opposite, belonging to the same owner as KGB – Wendy Gambas. 

Málaga seems to have just everything. A good climate, excellent museums and endless culinary delights to wit. Come and live it out for yourself. Check out our flights here.

Text by Isabel Loscertales (Gastronomistas)

Photos by Isabel Loscertales, Montana, José Carlos García Restaurante

The name Ronda inevitably conjures up pictures of its lofty Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) and spectacular bullring. Situated in the north-west of Málaga province, in the beautiful natural setting of the Serranía de Ronda range, it is the ideal spot for a weekend getaway.

In the course of its history, Ronda has been conquered by Celts, Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Berbers, as evinced in the city’s rich heritage. It was also occupied by the French in 1810, prompting the emergence of a bandit resistance movement known as bandolerismo.

Ronda, A Monumental City

The obvious starting point is the Puente Nuevo, one of the city’s icons.Built in the 18th century, it connects the historic town to the city’s modern districts, spanning a 100-metre-deep ravine through which the river Guagalevín flows. It is well worth crossing the bridge to see the stunning views. Another vantage point is provided by the balconies in the Jardines de Cuenca, revealing a view of the bridge in all its splendour. But, there’s more. Pre-dating the Puente Nuevo is the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge), also known as the Puente de las Curtidurías, in addition to the Puente Viejo, finished in 1616.

Another sightseeing area is the inner city with its narrow streets, particularly the Calle Manuel Montero with its characteristic white houses adorned with flowering geraniums. The area also boasts a large number of mansions and palaces, notably the Mondragón Palace. Moorish in origin, the building features harmoniously blended Mudéjar and Renaissance styles. It currently houses the Ronda Museum. Other outstanding buildings are the Palace of the Marqués de Salvatierra, the Casa del Gigante (House of the Giant), a jewel of Nasrid architecture, the Renaissance-style House of St John Bosco and the Palacio del Rey Moro (Palace of the Moorish King). The latter houses a fountainhead opened up by the Moors which provides access down to the river.

When it comes to religious architecture, a must-see monument is the Church of Santa María la Mayor, built over the High Mosque of Medina. A prominent feature of its interior is the choir, carved in fine walnut and oak woods.

There are numerous vestiges of the old Moorish settlement, as we saw for ourselves. You can still visit the Muslim Medina, of which part of the wall has been preserved, although the most striking feature is the Almocábar Gate, dating from the 13th century. However, the most important vestige of that period is the Arab Baths –the best preserved on the Iberian Peninsula –built in the 13th and 14th century alongside the Arroyo de las Culebras.

Also worth exploring is Ronda’s Roman past, the major landmark being the Acipino Archaeological Site. Located some 20 kilometres outside the city, the standout feature in this complex is the Roman theatre.

Ronda – A City of Bulls

As intimated at the beginning of this post, the Bullring is another icon for which Ronda is famous. The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, unveiled in 1785, is one of the oldest and most monumental bullrings in Spain. Interestingly enough, its design is attributed to Martín de Aldehuela, artificer of the Puente Nuevo. For those who wish to explore the world of bullfighting, the bullring includes the Museo de la Tauromaquia (Museum of Tauromachy) which is open to the public.

However, Ronda is not only well-known in bullfighting circles for its bullring. It was here that modern tauromachy emerged, as did the Corridas Goyescas, and the city is the cradle of powerful matador dynasties like the Romeros and the Ordóñez. This is precisely why Ronda was frequented by its two best-known international aficionados, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, and the ashes of Orson Welles were deposited in the Ordóñez family estate in Ronda.

Ronda – the Home of Good Food and Drink!

The best way to round off a tour of Ronda is to try its culinary specialities, notably their sopa de castañas (chestnut soup),migas con chorizo (cured pork sausage crumble), rabo de toro (bull’s tail stew), conejo a la rondeña (Ronda-style rabbit) and perdiz al tajo (Tajo-style partridge).The ideal accompaniment to these dishes is any of wines produced in the nearby Serranía de Ronda, designated either DO Málaga or DO Sierras de Málaga.

Ready to explore all the cities concealed in Ronda? Secure your Vueling here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by SuperCar-RoadTrip.fr, Elliott Brown, Julia Kostecka, Antonio

If you go to Málaga in February, you are likely to be rewarded with a festive surprise over and above the city’s historical heritage, its incredible variety of museums, its beaches and its cuisine, in the shape of their Carnival. Indeed, when it comes to carnivals, Malagueñans would not be outclassed by the famous Carnival of Cádiz.

This year, from 30 January to 7 February, Málaga will be decked out in all its fancy-dress finery and turned into a veritable fiesta, a tribute to one of the raciest celebrations of the year – Carnival. But, what makes these festivities so special as to become a must-see?

1. A Splendid Climate

Situated in the south of Spain and bathed by the increasingly warmer waters of the Mediterranean, Málaga has a mild winter, enabling people to enjoy any outdoor activity to the full. This is also true of Carnival, known locally as the Fiesta del Invierno Cálido (Warm Winter Fiesta).

2. Murgas, Troupes and Quartet Gatherings

One of the highlights of this carnival are the gatherings of murgas, comparsas and quartets in the Teatro Cervantes, where they compete to be the wickedest band on stage and to see who delivers the wittiest song lyrics. While we’re at it, if you’re thinking of attending any of these performances, be sure to book ahead to avoid missing the shows.

3. Culinary Schedule

It couldn’t be otherwise – gastronomy plays a crucial role in Málaga’s Carnival, where traditional fare takes pride of place. The dishes you are most likely to encounter include berza (collard greens), potajes (vegetable stews), noodles, rices and paella, while the ongoing carnival background music is provided by the songs known as coplas.

4. Parades, Goddesses, Drag Queens and Even a Flower Fight

No carnival worth its salt could be without its parades, designed to delight the crowds with the colourful display of their variegated fancy dresses. One of the Malagueñan traditions that has endured to the present is the Flower Battle, which takes place in the Alameda Principal, at which petals and coloured paper flowers fly in all directions. The event has its origins in the 19th century, when the working classes took advantage of the carnival atmosphere to “assault” the privileged classes by throwing flowers at them as they filed past in their posh floats.

High notes of the parades include the election of the Carnival Gods and the Drag Queen Gala.

5. The Anchovy Burial

The anchovy, a fish which abounds in Málaga, is the protagonist of the last day of Carnival. At the “Anchovy Burial”, known here as the boqueroná,a procession is held at which a huge anchovy-shaped figure is paraded through the streets, from the central Calle Larios to La Malagueta Beach, where it ends up being torched.

Málaga – Aside from Carnival

Once you’re in Málaga, frenzied carnival merrymaking permitting, do take the chance to visit some of the many marvels to be seen in that beautiful city. We can wholeheartedly recommend Málaga Cathedral, built on the orders of the Catholic Kings when they conquered the city; the Alcazaba, a formidable Moorish fortress dating from the 11th century, the Roman Theatre and the beautiful Atarazanas Central Market, built over a former Nasrid naval shipyards of which the original marble door has been preserved. And, as befits the birthplace of Picasso, make sure you visit some of the art centres, which have turned Málaga into one of the favourite destinations of art lovers.

Put on your fancy dress and take a Vueling to Málaga to delight in its magnificent Carnival.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Fundación Carnaval de Málaga