Malaga
Sometimes you just need an escape
This trip was never supposed to happen, instead I was supposed to be in Morocco with a friend of mine, and enjoy the warm weather and great food there and I was already excited for it. But it didn’t work out, and the thought of going on a solo trip felt a bit overwhelming given how tired I was. But, I also realized that a small break would be nice, so I made up my mind and started exploring. I finally settled on a city in Spain, which is warm for most of the year. I also didn’t want to do just a city, so I chose one surrounded by mountains and water, so that I get mix of both hiking the mountains and sitting by the water.
Malaga had a comparatively longer flight than I would have liked. But my first impression once I landed and got off the plane wasn’t bad, because we’re surrounded by mountains, and as I got outside, I also saw palm trees, which instantly gave me a beach city vibe. I took a cab to reach the hotel and by the time I stepped out to explore the city, it was almost 4 in the evening and I was badly in hunt of a proper meal since I hadn’t had one since morning. Plus in Europe if you must know something, all the restaurants close at 3 pm after lunch and open again in the evening for dinner. I was out of luck, since all the places I went to in search of good food were closing, and I had to settle for an all-day brunch cafe. The coffee there was amazing, but sadly I didn’t enjoy the meal a lot, but at least I was feeling more energized and ready to go around the city with whatever energy and day light was left.
I started walking around the center, the main square had trees laden with oranges in the middle and was adorned with a big Christmas tree. The Christmas decoration was also on another level here. This year, the famous street, La Larios was decorated with so many Christmas lights and the theme was related to the Jesus. There was also a light show every 2 hours in the evening, and the entire street was filled with music, lights and people dancing with their families. It brought a smile to my face.
I also heard from the guide on the walking tour the next day that they change themes every couple of years and on one of the years, the theme was gothic-inspired since they don’t have a lot of Gothic buildings.
The squares of Malaga are quite small compared to other cities you might see in Europe. It’s also because it was ruled by Muslims for almost 800 years. They kept squares small as a feature of medieval Islamic city planning.
I also went to the Malaga port which was only a short walk away from the center, the big cruises were lined up, but the weather by that time was very cloudy and windy especially by the water. I could also see the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro forts from the port.
I saw a different culture in Malaga, instead of coffee cafes, there were a lot of espresso bars instead, which would serve pastries and specialty coffees. These were quite small spaces which didn’t have enough space to sit, but you can grab a good coffee and a small snack on the go.
It was getting cold, and there was a wind warning, so after getting some coffee and a donut, I decided to head back to my hotel after getting some dinner on the way. Luckily the hotel was only a 2-minute walk from the bus stop, so the bus was the most convenient way to get there.
The next day once I had a good sleep and felt more refreshed, the plan was to take a day trip to Nerja, a small coastal town which was also famous for its stunning Mediterranean views from the Balcón de Europa (Balcony of Europe). Unfortunately I didn’t get a lot of sun as I would’ve liked on this trip but on this particular day the sun was at its brightest, it felt amazing with temperatures around 17-18 degrees.
One thing I noticed was Malaga was definitely less International than other cities in Spain like Barcelona, so everybody speaks Spanish and a lot of people didn’t speak English, so it took some time to also figure out things at the bus stop and get tickets from the machine.
By the time I was on the bus it was already 12.30 pm, I sat on the window seat with sun falling on my face, the bus was going around mountains with white houses lined with brown roofs, the sky was blue, my head felt heavy, because I hadn’t had a chance to have a proper breakfast. So, I was looking forward to getting there while being lost in my thoughts.
Finally when we did, I followed other people getting off the bus thinking given it’s a small town, everybody must be going towards the same thing, the most iconic thing, the Balcony of Europe, and I was right. While on the way, I stopped by an espresso bar, got some matcha, and something to eat, so that I can eat it while enjoying the beautiful view.
The sun was beautiful but it was also quite windy, but once I sat down and finally ate something, it finally felt peaceful, and I got enough energy to go around this coastal town. It had cobble stones, a small church, a cute Sunday flea market. I found myself lost in a lot of alleys, and hidden corners where I got amazing views of the Mediterranean. There were walls lined up with beautiful pots and doors with different colors, I could almost imagine how it would feel like living there with all your family and friends living close by, surrounded by beautiful water, hidden corners, local restaurants and beautiful cobblestone roads and maybe where everyone knew everybody else.
I was thinking to stay until sunset since I could imagine how beautiful the sunset would be, but I was also tired, and there wasn’t much to do and I still had a few more hours to kill, so I took an early bus to Malaga city. Once I came back, I decided to try Spanish tapas, which I thoroughly enjoyed before heading back to the hotel.
The next day I had booked a walking tour of the city, and it also was my last day in the city. I decided to start with a brunch at a good place, since I had missed out on breakfast the past two days, I decided to start my day slow. It was Sunday and there was a big marathon in Malaga. The roads were blocked and public transport was also paused. But at least my walking tour wasn’t cancelled, and I almost luckily made it on time.
We started from the main square Bishop’s Square, went to the famous La Larios street, where the tour guide told us the flats here might be as expensive as €5000 per sqm . We then went towards the famous cathedral of Malaga, which is Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, all in one, and was built on a former Mosque, the part was also called the Gate of Forgiveness.
Malaga is also the city where famous painter Pablo Picasso was born. We saw the building where Picasso lived when he was very young . He also like his father started painting pigeons. Picasso’s dove symbol of peace became iconic later. He also named his daughter Paloma, which is a Spanish word and female name and means Dove. Picasso created around 13,500 paintings and drawings in his lifetime. There is also a statue of him sitting in one of the parks gazing towards the city center.
After the tour was over, I decided to head to Castillo de Gibralfaro in the mountains for a small city hike. It’s a great place to get a panoramic view of the city, with mountains on one side and water on the other, with the city in between. By the time I got down, I was already hungry, so I decided to get something to eat followed by some souvenir shopping.
Malaga wasn’t a different surprise for me, it was almost like Nice, surrounded by mountains and beaches , but maybe that’s what I was looking for. I was quite happy with the weather, it felt comfortable, a good change from gloomy and wet winters in Amsterdam. I think I felt better after I came back, maybe less tired, and more energized and also with a new respect and motivation for home cooked food.
Probably this trip was more about just change of scenery, a slow, easy trip where I could take my own time, I could go by the day as I wanted to, come back and relax as I wanted. And just forget and take a mini escape from daily life and sometimes an escape is not as bad as we say travel sometimes is, because sometimes that’s all you need.
I’m taking a leap of faith, believing in myself and in the possibility of becoming a good writer one day. If you’ve ever read my work and seen even the smallest bit of potential, I would be so grateful if you could leave a comment or share my work and, if you’re feeling generous, perhaps buy me a cup of coffee or matcha (my new favorite these days). I could really use a little extra caffeine to fuel my writing:)