Malaga
Málaga is a large city in the Spanish region of Andalucia. It has a hot climate all year round and is also the birthplace of the artist Picasso.
The A-7 E-15 motorway runs along the coast to from Gibraltar to Almeria and through Murcia and on.
The A-45 motorway runs from Cordoba to Malaga.
Malaga has the third biggest international airport (AGP) in Spain, which a lot of budget airlines fly to. From there you can get a train, a bus or a taxi into town, or hire a car. A taxi to the city center will cost about 15€. The bus no. 19 costs 1€ and is very convenient, running every 30 minutes and stopping at Alameda Principal and Paseo del Parque, where most of the local buses that serve the city stop as well. Renting a car at Málaga's airport is relatively cheap, but booking in advance for the best offers is advisable.
A Ferry Route exists between Malaga and Melilla in North Africa. It is best to book early to avoid disappointment.
From Malaga it's possible to travel within a few hours to many other interesting places in Andalucia: Granada, Cadiz and Ronda can all be reached by coach, Seville can be reached by train. There are also several tourist holiday resorts within reach: Torremolinos, Nerja, Marbella
El Pimpi: Typical tavern, even though they serve food, this place is famous for the local wine they sell. Sold in bottles of one or half liter. Be careful, the wine in Malaga is very sweet, but also has a high quantity of alcohol. El Pimpi is inexpensive and frequented by locals of all age groups. It´s in Calle Granada, very close to the Picasso Museum (don't miss it - the gate is quite small, even though the place is big). Inside you can find pictures of famous people that visited this place.
Beaches: The nearest beach to the centre is La Malagueta - this is fine for a day's sunbathing although quieter and prettier beaches can be found further eastwards. It can be a nice (if rather long!) walk along the waterfront to reach these beaches, otherwise you could get a bus from near the bull ring in the direction of El Palo (e.g. line 33).
Picasso: As Picasso's birthplace Malaga has two museums, one art museum and another in his actual birthplace.
Tea: There are several nice Moroccan-style tea houses in Malaga town, serving an amazing variety of teas in addition to other interesting non-alcoholic drinks. An evening in one of these can make a relaxing change from bars.
Offer you traditional and typical andalusian dishes.Soups, salads, meats and fishes or sandwiches, cakes, croissants or baguettes... Star dishes: Gazpacho andaluz, Paella, Porra Antequerana, Rabo de Toro, Croquetas caseras, and too many Breakfasts and meals with inexpensive prices.
Along the coast there are dozens of restaurants and chiringuitos (beach restaurants) where you can have fish, seafood, paella, sangria, etc. One of the most famous chiringuitos is El Tintero, at the east end, where there is no menu: the waiters sing out what they are carrying and they leave you a plate at your signal. From time to time one of them offers to give you the bill. The most typical thing to eat in Malaga is espetos, sardines in a stick grilled over a fire; and pescaíto frito: all types of deep-fried fish from anchovies to squid. A speciality of Andalucia is fish (most commonly dogfish "cazon", although sometimes other fish such as tuna, "atun") marinated in a garlic and vinegar preparation - look on the menu for "Cazon en adobo". Try also the coquinas (small clams cooked in white wine).
