Web Images Video Shopping News Maps More | MSN | Windows Live

Ciao - for people with opinions

Latest reviews Write a review

Best picks Latest videos

SHOPPING

Reviews

Questions

Similar offers

I WANT TO

RELATED TAGS

SHOPPING > Travel > Europe > Spain > Malaga > Malaga Experience > Málaga (Spain) > Reviews

Málaga (Spain)

User reviews (10)

Ask a question

Write your own review

Keep on the move with 3 from £15 a month. Choose from phone, mobile broadband & laptop deals

New customers receive 40 free prints when registering and uploading photos with Truprint!

Review »

Show all Reviews for Málaga (Spain)

Malaga, nice but they still kill bulls...

Jan 23rd, 2003

Advantages:
Shops etc open late, Beautiful Beach, Amazing Cathedral .

Disadvantages:
Noisy, dirty, has Bull Ring .

Recommendable Yes:

Detailed rating:

Value for Money

Sightseeing

Shopping

Nightlife

Ease of getting around

woodnymph

woodnymph

About me:

Thanks to all who read me, think I should get writing again really... Niki... *smiles*

Member since:18.10.2002

Reviews:30

Members who trust:60

I've not even been back a week, but feels like months ago that I went to Malaga. Back in the cold and gloom!

I have never been to Spain before, and the decission was partly due to availability. I was waiting on the return of my Passport from Passport House, and so no holiday could be booked until then. I booked online at about midnight on 11/01/03, and we flew out at 6.25am on 12/01/03. So no time to buy phrase book, or learn any lingo! This was our downfall.

If I advise anything, it's take a phrase book. On our return a friend kindly told me that you will deffinately have more fun out there if you can speak some Spanish. (Thanks, that's real helpful now!) Once out there, we could not find any Phrase Books, and did not even find a Guide Book in English until our third day! I felt held back by this, and would deffinately want to know some minimal Spanish at least, next time. (Oh yes, I want to return, maybe not to Malaga, but near by.)

We flew into Malaga Airport from Gatwick, and arrived there at 10.15am (their time)The Airport was pretty quite, probably due to it being sunday morning!
There was no staffed info desk, or anything written in English that we could see. So we headed out the front with cases in hand, to try and figure out what to do. Spotted a bus stop to the right of the main arrivals exit, and walked over. Buses run every 30mins into the centre of Malaga and it only costs 1 Euro. (However it was pretty full with people and cases, so we ended up sat on our cases.)

Just as you leave the confines of the Airport you will pass the San Miguel factory, for those of you who care! (Which I beleave you can tour.)

Once we had arrived in Malaga centre we sat and had a coffee in the Bus depo cafe, and looked over a list of Hotels and map the lady from the Information Desk at the Bus station had given us.(Much more helpful than the airport!) We quickly chose one within our budget, walked literally around the corner from where we were, and checked in. The good thing about going this time of year, is that even if you don't have accomadation booked, you will deffinately be able to get what you want once there.

Our Hotel was only supposed to be 1 Star, but we thought it was great! Not the Grande Vere or anything, but nice and clean with friendly staff.(None of which spoke English though) It also had a En suite with shower and bum-wash etc.

Bags dumped, we were ready to explore. We were in the New part of Malaga, which had the Bus station, an Underground station, Cinema, many Shops, Restaurants and Bars, as well as the Larios shopping centre. Larios Centro is huge! It has 125 shops, restaurants and a cinema. Oh yeah, and a Supermarket downstairs.
You could easily spend a day just in there! Generally though I found this part of Malaga quite dirty and noisy.

It is one of the largest cities in Spain and is known as the capital of the Costa Del Sol. It has 6000,000 inhabitants and is surrounded by mountains which protect it from the cold from the interior.

I prefered old Malaga, were the buildings are outstaningly beautiful and there is a much slower pace. The shops wind all through many little lanes here, and reminded me quite alot of shopping in the Lanes in Brighton, at home. There are more bars and restaurants here, and alot more with English Menu's than in the part were we were staying!

The Cathedral is in Old Malaga, and it must be seen while you are there! I'm not religous, but feeling of awe this building gives you is amazing. Sta. Inglesia Cathedral has recently been restored, and you can have a look around inside for the bargain price of 2 Euro's. It is full of sacred art, paintings, altar pieces and statues by, Ventura Rodriguez, Nino de
Guevara, Alonso Cano and Claudio Cello. (Are they famous?)

There is a square called Plaza De La Merced lined with bars and eateries which I believe in the Summer is extremly busy with tourists drinking etc. This is just at the foot of the hill where the Gibralfaro Castle is situated.(Castillo de Gibralfaro) The castle was built between the XI and XIV centuries, and is one of Spain's most complete.

Close by there is a Roman Theatre (Teatro Romano) which is in the process of being re-built. Opposite which is the site for the new Picasso museaum, in the process of being built. This is due to the fact that this is were Picasso used to live and you can even visit his old house. (Casa natal de Picasso)

Also near to here is the dock, which at sunset can look pretty stunning on it's own, complete with working Lighthouse(Farola). The lovely tropical park runs along parallel to the dock road, and if sat in the middle of it, you wouldn't know you were in a city. It has amazing oversized plants (subtropical to be precise!), and a small, clean kids play-park in the middle.

The Bull Ring is near here, but that is all I am willing to write about it! :(

There are numerous beautiful churches dotted around the city: Iglesia de San Juan, Iglesia de Santiago. Iglesia del Sagrario and Iglesia de Los Martires to name but a few.

Other impressive buildings are: Baroque style Ayuntamiento (City Hall) and the Palacia de Justica (Law Courts) both the work of architect Guerrero Strachan.

I found the people generally friendly, but a few seemed not so. Maybe due to our complete lack of knowledge of their language, perhaps? As it was when trying to communicate that they became less friendly. One couple we treid to speak to for directions, just walked off! Didn't give us a second glance, and of course this was at our 'lost' point in the trip!

We did check the beach out even though it wasn't really hot and it was pleasent and clean, with lots of shells to pick up! We had an early evening stroll along it one night before our tea, and it was most relaxing. The shells are so much more colourful than ours, lots of rich oranges, browns and even purple.

I loved my time here and will deffinately be going back to Spain!!

Thanks for reading my opinion. xx

Pictures of Málaga (Spain)

Malaga Beach Dusk

Write your own review

Next review »

Add a bookmark

How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines

Products you might be interested in »

Sallés Málaga Centro, Malaga Hotel - C/ Marmoles, 6, 29007 Malaga, Andalusia, Spain Rate it now Buy now for only £ 46.38	Monte Málaga, Malaga Hotel - Paseo Maritimo Antonio Machado 10, 29002 Malaga, Andalusia, Spain Rate it now Buy now for only £ 57.85
Husa Guadalmedina, Malaga Hotel - Pasillo Del Matadero 16, 29001 Malaga, Andalusia, Spain Rate it now Buy now for only £ 54.11	Silken Puerta Málaga, Malaga Hotel - Héroe De Sostoa 17, 29002 Malaga, Andalusia, Spain Rate it now Buy now for only £ 46.38
Gran Hotel Costa del Sol, La Cala de Mijas Hotel - Urb. La Butibamba s/n, 29649 La Cala de Mijas, Spain - 4 Stars - 302 Rooms Rate it now Buy now for only £ 30.92	Atarazanas Malaga Boutique Hotel, Malaga Hotel - Atarazanas, 19, 29005 Malaga, Andalusia, Spain Rate it now Buy now for only £ 38.65

Comments about this review »

dreamscancometrue 09.02.2007 21:15

an exceptianal review of a super place.

daylehall 27.10.2006 22:34

Great review. Very informative. I especially like the fact that you are against bull fighting!! xx

Smiley_Scarly 24.04.2006 20:26

I went here last year and know I missed loads of things. Great review. Scarlett x

read all comments

More reviews »

Málaga (Spain) - review by TORITOBRAVO

Advantages: landscapes
Disadvantages: -

TORITOBRAVO 26.10.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Málaga (Spain)

Málaga (Spain) - review by hollie1408

Advantages: shopping
Disadvantages: nightlife

hollie1408 10.03.2009 (10.03.2009) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Málaga (Spain)

Málaga (Spain) - review by feoffee

Advantages: Fantastic weather, lovely views, Amazing holiday
Disadvantages: Dirty, alot of constuction work

feoffee 09.01.2007 (12.01.2007) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Málaga (Spain)

Málaga (Spain) - review by h229books

Advantages: quiet, pretty lanscapes, value for money, nice friendly people, relaxing, good amount of sunshine all year
Disadvantages: not a destination for everyone, need to know a little of the lingo, not very well developed area yet!

h229books 16.06.2004 (16.06.2004) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Málaga (Spain)

Málaga (Spain) - review by Rido

Advantages: Pleasant treatment and much diversion
Disadvantages: The Cortijo de Torres is very far

Rido 01.09.2001 (01.09.2001) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Málaga (Spain)

Show all reviews

Are you the manufacturer / provider of Málaga (Spain)? Click here

Málaga (Spain)

Malaga, nice but they still kill bulls...

More reviews »

Best/worst »

Similar »