Introduction

Malaga is a vibrant port on the Mediterranean Sea. This very Spanish city is both historical and modern. The center offers visitors narrow old streets, broad boulevards, beautiful gardens, impressive monuments, modern shopping and culture.

Population

Malaga is the sixth largest city of Spain. It is also the largest city of Andalusia. In all, the city has 547,000 inhabitants.

Location

Malaga is situated on the east coast of Spain, about 150 from the smallest stretch of the Straits of Gibraltar. Malaga itself is on the Mediterranean.

To the north and east of Malaga, there are beautiful hills, some of which are part of the Parque Natural de los Montes de Malaga. If you move further down the coast from Malaga, you will pass the Costa del Sol, which begins at Malaga.

Economy

Malaga's economy has slowly grown since the 1950's and 1960's. This has to do with the fact that the city benefits from the spin-off that is caused by the increase of tourists on the Costa del Sol. The city depends heavily on tourism which is hardly surprising, seeing as the Costa del Sol is the most heavily frequented coast of Spain. The city is under continuous construction to be able to offer the tourists better accommodations and restaurants. In addition, new tourist attractions are added to maintain and promote tourism. In addition to providing jobs in construction, tourism also provides employment in catering, service sector, museums, hospitals, etc.

Airports

Malaga has one airport: Malaga Airport. This airport is the largest in Andalusia, and it is very busy. The airport processes flights from Spain itself, but also from large European cities.

Public transport

If you do not have a rental car at your disposal, you will find public transport in Malaga to your liking. From the airport you can take a train to the city center, a journey that takes about 11 minutes. Also, bus number 19 will take you from the airport to the city center. In addition, there are city buses in Malaga. From Malaga you can take the train to, among other places, Madrid and Barcelona. You can also take the bus to various places in Spain.

Traffic and Parking

Malaga is not a very difficult city to drive in with your rental car. During the peak season, at the end of June, July, August and the beginning of September, it will be the most difficult, because of the many tourists. During that period, we recommend that you do not park your car in the city center, but just outside the city center, and proceed on foot.

Hotels

In Malaga you will find a variety of hotels. If you decide to visit Malaga during the off-season, there is little need to book ahead, although you might want to, just to be certain. During the peak season, booking ahead is a must.