Simply Moorish

After just two days in the city, I would argue it still is. No longer in the sense of the African tribe, but rather in the you-can’t-get-enough-of-it way.

Many Brits holidaying along Spain’s sunshine coast, the Costa Del Sol, will have been to Malaga, but surprisingly few spend any meaningful time there. The city’s large international airport is merely the gateway to other tourist hotspots, such as Marbella or Torremolinos.

Yet missing out on a visit to Malaga is a mistake.

I spent two days in the city, which is surrounded on three sides by the ragged Montes De Malaga (Malaga Mountains) with the deep blue Mediterranean sea lapping onto the fourth. And as enjoyable as the two days were, they were simply not enough.

Whatever your fancy, be it fine food, history and art or simply some sandy spot to bronze yourself on, Malaga has it. And being only a two-and-a-half-hour flight away from Newcastle with Jet2.com makes it an ideal getaway spot.

Malaga is Spain’s sixth biggest city and its downtown – which, unlike many tourist traps, is still a genuinely Spanish space – is a stone’s throw away from the sea. It feels like a well-kept working city, the large cranes of the docks jostling for attention with the multicoloured tower-blocks and imposing cathedral spire on the city’s skyline.

The best place from which to savour this superb sight is the Parador de Gibralfaro, a hotel and restaurant built in the old castle atop a cliff that rises up close to the city centre.

You could spend hours just gazing out over the rooftops, seeing the apartments with their windows shuttered against the scorching sun, the blue and sedate sea gently sparkling, the distant mountains jutting high into the sky.

The Parador’s fine food complements the view perfectly: the pork I tucked into was exquisite and the traditional Malaga rum and raisin ice cream made for a refreshing dessert.

Seafood is high on the menus in Malaga and one of the finest places is the El Cabra beach cafe in the small fishing village of Pedregalejo on the eastern edge of the city. Platters of prawns, sardines, anchovies, mussels, shark chunks and whole squid were being served while a singer resembling a welltanned Lionel Blair belted out hits with great gusto on the neighbouring promenade.

In between the meals, art and history are easily found in Malaga’s marbled streets. The Carmen Thyssen Museum specialises in 19th Century Spanish paintings, an interesting collection of scenes from the nation’s rich heritage.

What really makes Malaga a must for artlovers, however, is the Picasso gallery in a 17th Century former stately home.

The cubist-master was born in Malaga, and although he never returned after the age of 19, he decreed that, upon his death, his family exhibit his work in his childhood city. More than 200 of his pictures and sculptures can be found in the cooled building, a fascinating place dedicated to a fascinating person.

A short walk will find you at the city’s colossal cathedral, a Catholic haven that, nearly 600 years after work first began, is still not finished after money intended for it was diverted into various war efforts in preceding centuries.

It doesn’t feel incomplete, however, although the fact only half the windows are stained glass is a sign that there is more to be done. It is cavernous and cool inside, paintings of various religious scenes decorating the walls, a huge pipe organ and wooden chamber for gatherings of the clergy dominating its centre.

The cathedral is overlooked by the clifftop fortress of La Alcazaba, built in the 11th Century by the incoming Moors. At its base lie the remains of a Roman theatre which was last used in the Third Century, complete with one of the marble seats reserved for only the wealthiest patrons.

A short drive out of the city lies the 154- year-old La Concepcion Botanical Garden, a beautiful tranquil collection of more than 10,000 trees and plants regarded by experts as one of the finest such gardens in Europe. After all this walking and learning, there is only one place to unwind – the Hammam Al- Andalus Arab Baths. An innocuous-looking building on a sidestreet, it is understated from the outside and could easily be walked past without a second glance.

Inside, it is a rabbit’s warren of dark, candlelit tunnels leading to the main bath, a gloriously warm pool of water surrounded by beautifully ornate carved walls in the Moorish style.

There is also a warmer pool, about 50C, a hot slab to lie on and a cooling plunge pool.

And if all this were not enough to relax you, then a massage from one of the skilled staff will certainly do the trick.

Refreshed, it is time for yet another meal, and again the choice is extensive. Pimpi Bodegas winery is a wonderful option that has played host to a multitude of important guests, from Rafa Nadal and Antonio Banderas (who was born in the city), to Sean Connery and Tony Blair.

Perfect pork, flavoursome fish and wonderful wine await visitors, as well as a glass of tooth-shatteringly sweet muscatel dessert wine and mango ice cream served in olive oil.

Another choice would be the Kaleido on the Palm Grove promenade waterfront, owned by Banderas – arguably Spain’s most famous actor. It too offers a range of traditional Spanish dishes, with the cold tomato and garlic soup followed by prawn and mango salad a refreshing but filling option.

We stayed at the four-star MS Maestranza Hotel, a comfortable and spacious venue a short walk from the beach, with a rooftop terrace and hot tub overlooking the city’s bull ring, where fights are held twice a year.

Ultimately then, what is there not to like about this Spanish city?

Food? Fabulous. Scenery? Stunning. Experience?

Exquisite. There’s no doubt about it.

Malaga will leave you wanting more.

Travel facts

• Duncan flew to Malaga with Jet2.com from Newcastle. Prices start at £50 one way including taxes.
• Flights operate daily between June and October. Visit jet2.com
• Jet2holidays city breaks at the four-star MS Maestranza Hotel start from £229 per person, based on three nights room-only accommodation, flights departing from Newcastle on July 1 with 10kg of hand luggage. Visit jet2holidays.com or call 0800-4085-599.
• The Hammam Al Andalus Arab Baths are on the Plaza de los Martires, in the centre of
• Malaga. A bath costs 30 euros, baths and treatments start at 43 euros. Visit hammamal andalus.com