Málaga
Málaga
Málaga – this Mediterranean city acts as the capital of the tourist-friendly Costa del Sol area, a major holiday destination for Europeans and other who strive to enjoy the fruits of this dynamic region. The Gibralfaro castle, along with other sites such as the Alameda Princpial avenue and the La Farola seaside promenade, set a positive tone on this enclave for the rich and famous (especially those who own villas here). Visitors come here to enjoy the region’s mild climate, beaches, and golf.
Of course, as part of Andalucía province, Málaga has its own history. Although this seaside town’s existence goes back to the Phoenicians (when it made a settlement there called Malaka about 770 BC — changing hands later to Carthage and the Roman Empire), Málaga eventually became part of Moorish Spain (as Mālaqa), before falling to the Catholic Spanish monarchs in 1487.
Málaga, as an engine of tourism in Spain, actually goes back to the 1960s, when the Spanish government starting promoting the Costa del Sol region internationally. These days, the port of Málaga plays a vital role in attracting tourists, with 638,845 cruise ship passengers visiting the city in 2011 (both those whose ships started or ended their Mediterranean cruises in Málaga, as well as those ships that came from elsewhere). Some visitors also arrive via air, coming through Málaga Airport (the fourth busiest in Spain) – making it the main air gateway to the entire Costa del Sol region. Of course other travelers arrive in Málaga via train (through the AVE train service that connects Málaga to Córdoba and other regional cities).