The city of Málaga sits practically at the geographic centre of the Costa del Sol, dividing the provincial coastline into eastern and western regions. This circumstance has made it the main land communications link between the coast and the interior and allows travel between the different towns in the province and the rest of the cities of Andalusia.

As is the case with most Mediterranean cities, the capital of Málaga has made room for all known western civilisations. According to traces found in the subsoil of the historical district, however, it was the Phoenicians who founded a permanent settlement between the eighth and eleventh centuries BC on the slopes of the hill where the Alcazaba now stands and who should be credited with founding the city. Beginning during that period and extending right up to the present day Málaga has experienced an endless succession of historical ups and downs that few cities can match, and along the way has accumulated a fascinating historical and artistic heritage that places it in the pre-eminent position in the province itself and in the Community of Andalusia. Of this legacy special mention should be made of the Alcazaba, the Cathedral, the Gibralfaro Castle, the Roman Theatre, the historical district and the most noteworthy recent cultural infrastructure with which the city has been blessed, the Picasso Museum—which rates a separate visit—and the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC Málaga).

The Alcazaba, in the centre of Málaga’s historical district, is an imposing edifice that was built between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries and that served as a fortress and palace. Here lived the rulers of Muslim Málaga. It has a very irregular floor plan, with all its living quarters at different levels in order to conform to the terrain and concentrated within two walled compounds. The most notable sights in the first of these are the Arch of Christ, so called because for years it served as a chapel, and the Patio de Armas (Parade Ground), which like much of the premises has now been turned into an Arabic-style garden. In the second compound, similarly walled and strongly defended, is found the palace zone, the most noble of all the areas and containing three courtyards. This place is most remarkable for its caliphal arch work that opens onto a hall by way of which one enters the sixteenth century tower and the Maldonado tower. These have original slender marble columns and are a magnificent vantage point from which to view the city. This architectural complex was disused for a long time but was reclaimed in the 1930’s and shored up and beautified a decade ago. It is possible to get to the Alcazaba’s upper area by means of a lift on the south side of the hill on Guillén Sotelo Street, right behind the city hall.

The majestic Cathedral was erected during the first half of the sixteenth century although work on it continued until the eighteenth century and, even at that, the walls remained unfinished. That is why, since it is lacking one of its towers, it is popularly known as “La Manquita” (the One-Armed One). This temple was built over the former congregational mosque and combines several architectural styles, but Renaissance and Baroque features predominate. Some of the most renowned master builders of past centuries worked on it, including among others Diego de Siloé and Diego de Vergara, a student of Andrés de Vandelvira. The most significant work of art contained in the temple is the choir room, which with its 42 figures by Pedro de Mena, Ortiz de Vargas and Giuseppe Micael Alfaro is considered one of the most beautiful in Spain. The two organs built in the eighteenth century are also noteworthy. They are perfectly preserved and have a total of more than 4,000 pipes. The Virgin of the Rosary, a canvas of large dimensions and very high artistic quality by Alonso Cano, stands out among the large collection of paintings.