Some 25 years ago, the Mayor and Council of Málaga City put into a motion an
important project. Málaga, a city in decay in the 90s, required cleaning. It also required
direction in its offer to the tourist trade, to make the city attractive to the visitors staying at
the Costa del Sol Tourist resorts (Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas & Marbella).
The first step was to clean up and recuperate the buildings and monuments of the
historical centre. Malaga is actually one of the oldest cities in Europe (founded in the 8 th
Century BC). The historical contents of the downtown area is very impressive and a joy for all
visitors. The success of this endeavour was actually so notable, that a new invasion of
visitors to the city has become the norm.
To add to the attraction, the direction that was so needed came as a massive
injection of culture in its most impressive form. Approximately 40 museums have been
opened around the city. Many are situated in the historical centre. This addition has made
Malaga the cultural gem of the Mediterranean.
Of this massive amount of cultural venues, you can explore online listings to find the
ones that most suit your personal tastes. But to start you off, we suggest that your visit to
the city include the following five:
1) The Picasso Museum – This is a compulsory visit as it is the birthplace of Spain’s most
international painter. Born in Málaga in 1881, it was the express desire of the artist
to have an exhibition space in his birthplace. It was Actually opened several years
after his death (2003) and contains 233 of his own original paintings. The museum
offers free entry on Sundays after 18:00.
2) Centre Pompidou – This is a “branch office” of the Pompidou Museum in Paris. It sits
in the Port Area known as “Muelle 1”, in a glass building known as “the Cube”. It
holds 90 works of art from the original museum, and is subject to constant
temporary exhibitions. It can be visited for free from 16:00 on Sundays.
3) Museum Carmen Thyssen – The Baroness von Thyssen is an impressive patron of the
arts with a massive museum in Madrid and this one in Málaga to contain her
collection. Carmen Cervera offers the city of Malaga a vast collection of pieces
dedicated to reflect profound Spanish traditions. The museum is situated in the
Villalón Palace and offers free entry on Sundays as of 17:00.
4) Automobile and Fashion Museum – Situated in the old Tobacco Factory, this
impressive collection of historical vehicles and a vast exhibition of hats, dresses and
suitcases from some 50 different designers, occupies 10 halls. It also offers occasional
social events and even facilitates the celebration of weddings in this historical venue.
5) The Malaga Museum – This is the largest museum in Andalucía and the 5 th in Spain. It
offers the visitor over 15.000 archaeological artefacts and over 2000 paintings. All of
these are bound to the history of Málaga. It is an impressive selection that can be
seen in the “Customs Palace” for free by Malagueños and EU citizens. For non EU
citizens, the entry price is 1.50€. It is closed on Mondays.
