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Compared to the hustle and bustle and cosmopolitan atmosphere of the Costa del Sol holiday resorts, Malaga is a very "Andalucian" city. The vast majority of holidaymakers pick up their hire car, venture no further than Malaga Airport and give the city itself a wide berth and in doing so they are missing a true opportunity to mix with the Andalucian people and see how life goes on.
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Historically, Malaga dates back to the Phoenicians. It was then occupied by the Romans and afterwards the Moors occupied the city from the eighth century until 1487 when during the re-conquest, the Christians retook Malaga after a long and very bloody battle. The most recent fighting took place during the Spanish Civil War between 1936-1939 when the city, by supporting the Republican cause, was severely bombed by the Italians who had come to the aid of Franco's Nationalist side.
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Anybody wishing to explore the city on their villa holiday, should do it on foot. Most of the sights are centred on Malaga's old quarter which is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and found around the cathedral, park and bullring areas. Most of the sights have a Moorish flavour but the discovery of a Roman theatre close to the Alcazaba has been very exciting.
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Visit a traditional Spanish tapas bar. Visit the port and take a boat trip around the harbour. Shop at El Corte Ingles or better still in the little old fashioned shops in the old quarter. Hop on a bus up to the castle overlooking the city for fabulous views of the city and coast and finally spoil yourself with a drink at the adjacent Parador. Malaga Cathedral is also worth visiting on your holiday to Costa del Sol. It was built in the 16th century and is nicknamed 'La Manquita', the one-armed lady, due to one of the two towers never having been completed.
Malaga's beaches probably won't be of too much interest to the average holidaymaker who will be able to enjoy their own further along the coast. However, the beaches which are closer to the city get very busy at weekends but are fairly quiet during weekdays.
Malaga has several open spaces that have been planted offering shade with the palms and colour from the bedding plants and other Mediterranean species that survive the intense summer Spanish heat.
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