The Málaga marina is perfectly tropical today, palm tree lined with whispy clouds floating high in the otherwise clear sky. There is also music floating on the air from the annual fair, already underway, and the fortress at the top of the hill promises sweeping views. What’s more, it appears to be only a short walk away.
Not so. Drawn in by the Petite Jardines de Pedro Luis Alonso (park and gardens) as well as the Ayuntamiento de Málaga (City Hall) acting as a backdrop, we continue, somewhat unwittingly, up the steeply ascending path through the Puerta Oscera Gardens and the steep and winding path takes us up, up and up, rather further than we had anticipated, to the Castillo de Gibralfaro. Luckily there is the excuse to stop for photos along the way which allows us to catch our breath whilst also enjoying the views of the steep ascent thus far.
When we reach the top we join a short queue for entry and before long we are up on the ramparts surveying the city below us from the battlements.
These fortifications are really just that. Built during the Islamic period of the 11th Century with construction continuing into the 13th and 14th centuries, Gibralfaro (derived from the Arabic Jebel ’mountain’ and Greek Farouk ’lighthouse’) are military fortifications that were built to defend the city against pirates and other invasions. The palace, Alcazaba, which is connected to Gibralfaro by tower walls that plummet down the slope, is no longer accessible to the touring public.
We explore the heights a little more before pausing for an espresso at the excellent little cafe here, La Terrazita de Gibralfaro, in a beautiful backyard setting. Then we take a quick look through the small exhibition prior to navigating our way back down the steep decline to the palace.
Alcazaba sits on the lower side of the hill adjacent to the fortress and next to the town proper. It is, as previously mentioned, connected to the higher set fortress by thick defensive walls that run along the awkward terrain up to the top of the hill. This connection was a critical aspect of the defense mechanism of the city, enabling soldiers access to the battlements from inside of the palace fortifications.
Today Alcazaba serves as an historic attraction and what remains is more of a series secret gardens than a palace. The high defensive walls, gates and pathways give way to terraced courtyards overflowing with summer blooms, fountains, water features and little damp and shady nooks and crannies, a welcome reprieve from the heat of the summer’s day.
The gardens give a lush and exotic feel to the complex of interconnected passages. The stone walls that separate the various enclosures are restored in parts, crumbling otherwise and the order of the manicured shrubs and roses laid out in symmetrical formations are in stark contrast with the haphazard layout of the structure itself, which meanders along creating unexpected corners that contain water features that bubble and trickle as well as glimpses to the word outside.
There is a small series of interconnecting buildings right at the heart of the complex that would have served as part of the palace. The architecture here is distinctly moorish and seemingly more organized than the path that leads to it with high arches and tiled courtyards featuring as repeated themes throughout.
After a look around the small exhibition inside the palace buildings we are done with exploring the area and take a quick look at the ruins of the Roman Theatre as we return to the town where the day’s festivities are in full swing. We seem to have landed here in the middle of the Málaga Fair, an important Andalusian festival dating back to the 15th century which commemorates the Catholic Monarchs entrance into Málaga.
Thankfully there are no tickets required for the celebrations taking place in the streets and we pause to watch impromptu music, singing and Spanish dancing in the narrow cobbled alleyways, in the piazzas and on stages and podiums around town.
The atmosphere is joyous. The fair takes place every August lasting for ten nights and nine days, finishing on a Sunday. On 18 August 1487 the city was taken into the Crown of Castile (Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon) whereby they gave the city a religious statue, the Virgin of Victory. A tradition was formed to celebrate the occasion which coincides with the time of the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) and over the years the celebrations expanded to incorporate bullfights, fireworks and processions as well as music and dancing.
Each year the fair attracts around 2 million visitors and is organized into a Day Fair in the central historical district where the streets are decorated with colorful paper lanterns and floral displays and locals dancing the flamenco. In the evening the festivities move to the Night Fair where the music and dancing continues in casetas (booths/marquees) with significant amounts of cerveza (beer) and fino (sherry).
We explore the streets pausing to watch the dancing and listen to the music before pushing our way a bit further through and into more crowds. I buy a flower for my hair and feel just that little bit more part of the celebrations. Eventually we choose somewhere to sit for a cerveza refreshment and a little rest.
After our rest, we are tempted by gelato on the way to have a look at the Málaga Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Church built between 1528 and 1782 on the mosque that previously stood here. It is a spectacular example of Renaissance-Baroque architecture and a testament to the wealth of the city at the time.
Back out in the streets the music and festivities continue and as we walk back along the Paseo España park and waterfront near the marina, I long to stay dancing and drinking into the night in this city with its locals and their clear sense of relaxed fun and celebrations.
Would I Return?
Yes. Preferably for flamenco, fino and cerveza with the locals during the August festival.
One Reply to “Málaga”