Days of sunshine and culture

give way to nights of fiesta in the capital of the Costa del Sol.

WORDS BY Adriana Bishop

It’s June and the beach at Playa de la Malagueta in the centre of Málaga city is packed. Of course. But it’s also 1am and the party is only just getting started. This is no ordinary summer evening in Málaga; it is 23rd June, the night of San Juan, and no one will be getting any sleep tonight. I’ve just landed in the capital of the Costa del Sol to celebrate my friends’ milestone birthday. Laura and her husband Dario share the same birth date, just a year apart, and are marking their 50th by diving straight into the biggest party in the city. It feels like the whole of Andalusia has descended on La Malagueta, La Misericordia, Pedregalejo and El Palo beaches tonight to celebrate the summer solstice on La Noche de San Juan. Many people traditionally wear white, symbolising purity, although it seems that this evening, anything goes. Picnic tables pop up all along the expansive stretches of sand as families and friends noisily gather in groups around bonfires where traditional Júas rag dolls, often satirical effigies mocking popular figures, are burned at midnight. As the flames roar, under the watchful eye of the local authorities, many jump into the sea to wash away bad energy and bring good fortune for the year.

This is not my first visit to Málaga, but it is the most authentic and energetic I have seen it so far. Tourists stand on the fringes looking bemused, snapping photos, marvelling at the fireworks, while the locals show us all how to throw the best fiesta without too much fuss. I don’t know what time that celebration ended, only that it was way past anybody’s bedtime. So, the next morning, rather than attempt the impossible, I opted for something slower, Málaga’s cultural side. And where better to begin than with the city’s most famous son, Pablo Picasso. Born on Plaza de la Merced, Picasso would later revisit the city of his childhood in recurring themes in his works, especially flamenco, doves and bulls. His birthplace is now a small museum, while a short walk away, the Buenavista Palace houses a richer collection drawn largely from family holdings. After such an artistic morning, it was time for lunch, although by my Swiss watch, it was closer to teatime. I don’t think I will ever get used to Spanish meals being so late, if only because I simply can’t wait any longer to tuck into their famously delicious tapas. There’s no shortage of eateries in the city, although some veer into tourist-trap territory. But there is one that you simply cannot ignore – the institution that is El Pimpi. With its rabbit-warren series of rooms in an 18th-century house, it is as famous for its wine cellar and local cuisine as its shareholder, Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas, who owns the rooftop apartment next door. No, he did not join me for lunch.

Batteries recharged, it was time to work off those Andalusian calories by climbing up the 14th-century fortress of Gibralfaro for a jaw-dropping view of the port. You can, of course, skip the sweat and the crowds and hop on the bus but where’s the fun in that? I felt I had to earn that view, so I set off from the Alcazaba citadel below, following the trail of terraced, walled yards with Moorish archways and elaborate stone carvings, up the steep stairs and paths as I made my way to the top. And boy was it worth it! From up here, Málaga layers itself out before my eyes as I take in the 360-degree panorama, from the snazzy port, now welcoming cruise ships, to the Roman amphitheatre, part of which was used by the Arabs to build the Alcazaba fortress I had just walked through. I can also spot the bullring, which hosts the annual bullfighting festival in mid-August during the big Feria, surrounded by some rather uninspiring apartment blocks.

The solitary tower of the unfinished cathedral, affectionately nicknamed La Manquita or One-Armed Lady, dominates the view as it sticks out above the rooftops of the historic centre. But that, along with the rest of my guidebook, will have to wait for another day because it was now time to get ready for my friends’ birthday party. Just a 30-minute drive away, on the other side of the airport, Alhaurín de la Torre is a pretty, genteel, if somewhat sleepy, residential town. Its mayor is obsessed with flowers, and the main thoroughfare is trimmed with manicured trees, strategically planted to provide much needed shade during the scorching summers. Each roundabout is a sculptural attraction in its own right.

My friends tell me their house is just off the roundabout featuring a sailing boat and, lo and behold, there literally is a bronze sailing boat in the middle of the roundabout surrounded by an array of water jets. The rest of the roundabouts get even more creative as the road progresses, with one featuring a tiled pyramid and another sporting a larger-than-life mermaid-like creature. When Laura and Dario first moved here, it was the proximity to the airport, the city and the beach that sold the location to them. Not to mention the temperate climate. Whenever I video call Laura, she never seems to not be wearing a bikini, whatever the season Apart from its popularity with British tourists, who adopted nearby Torremolinos as their home away from home, the Costa del Sol is also a favourite with golfers and cyclists.

Later that week, while my husband hit the road to explore the region on two wheels, I hopped into Laura’s car to visit one of the famous pueblas blancos, with their gleaming white houses clinging to the mountainside. She takes me to the picturesque Mijas Pueblo, which offers a sweeping vista of the coast far below. It is a village of artisans, and I spend a very happy hour browsing the hand-painted ceramics and jewellery stores. I did not come away empty-handed. In fact, I am currently wearing the gold leaf-shaped earrings I bought from a mother-and-son goldsmithing duo as I write this. The white villages stretch across Andalusia, but as we drive through them, it’s the glare of sun on whitewashed walls and bursts of bougainvillea that stay with me. One of the most striking, and best known, is Ronda, just over 90 minutes’ drive from Málaga, with its spectacular 98-metre-high bridge that links the two sides of the city across the deep Tajo del Ronda gorge.

We drive back down the mountain and head towards the city along the never-ending beach. Somewhere along the way, we veer off the road to follow a dirt track that lands us along a particularly windier section where Laura’s husband Dario is kitesurfing. We lay down our towels on the sand, dig out a prepared bottle of Tinto de verano, some snacks, and watch the glowing red sunset as the kitesurfers whoosh like swallows over the sea. I cannot think of a better way to end the day, or a better reason to come back

When to visit

There’s never a wrong time to visit Málaga. Winters are mild and dry and perfect for exploring. Summers are hot and crowded but packed with exciting events like the Noche de San Juan (23rd June) and the annual Feria de Málaga held around the middle of August (this year from 16th - 23rd August). The massive, week-long celebration commemorates the 1487 Catholic Monarchs’ capture of the city, but what the locals are really interested in is the dancing, music, food, wine and the amusement rides that go on till dawn. Spring and autumn are warm and pleasant enough to hit the beach without the crowds. One of my first visits coincided with Easter. In Málaga, the Semana Santa is serious business and the spectacular processions with ornate pasos (floats) attract thousands of people.

Day trips

• Ronda: About an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Málaga, this beautiful city straddles the deep El Tajo Gorge that splits the 15th-century new town from the older Moorish part.
• Granada: An absolute must-see, and everyone else knows it too, so book your visit to the Alhambra and its other famous sites well in advance. Drive time: about 90 minutes.
• Marbella: Less than an hour away, but worth staying longer than a day. The resort is famous for its 27 kilometres of sandy beaches, golf courses, night clubs and luxury yachts at Puerto Banús marina.
• Caminito del Rey: It was known as one of the world’s most dangerous footpaths but, fear not, the route is a lot more civilised these days. The walkway along the steep walls of the narrow El Chorro gorge offers spectacular views. The 7.7-kilometre-long trek takes about three to four hours to walk from Ardales to Álora. Tickets must be booked online in advance.
• Nerja: The pretty resort town has, arguably, some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain. The Balcón de Europa seaside promenade tops a promontory with views of the Mediterranean and surrounding mountains. Don’t miss the caves with their Paleolithic paintings.

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