As with other coastal cities and towns in Andalusia, Malaga was founded by the Phoenicians as a trading post. During the Roman occupation, the city became renowned for its Garum factories, the remains of which, together with those of a Phoenician wall belonging to the ancient harbour, can be seen in the basement of the Chancellor's Building of Malaga University.
Gibralfaro Castle and the Roman theatre at the foot of the Moorish Alcazaba figure among Malaga's main attractions, along with the Picasso Museum and the Cathedral. Work started on the latter soon after the Christian Kings conquered the city in 1487, and it took nearly three centuries to build. Nonetheless, it was never completed: the Galvez family of Macharaviaya used the money earmarked for the construction of the second tower to support the war effort of the American colonists during the War of Independence.
The resorts of the Costa del Sol have the very best in hotels, meeting facilities, services, attractions and leisure activities, as well as the largest number of golf courses in the region, with over 45 to choose from. Yet there is much more to Malaga than its coast. The chestnut groves of Grazalema, the rugged peaks of the Serrania de Ronda, the villages of Sierra de las Nieves, the wide plain of Antequera at the foot of El Torcal, the lush Axarquia highlands, the province conceals many wonderful surprises.
Fine examples of the province's Neolithic and Megalithic cultures can be found in the Rupestrian paintings in La Pileta cave and in the dolmens of Menga, Viera and El Romeral, in the vicinity of Ronda and Antequera, respectively. Ronda's bullring, regarded as the cradle of modern bullfighting, and Antequera's historic centre, most of which dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain's "Golden Age", are both well worth a visit.
The province of Malaga has many culinary specialties, from fried and grilled fish on the coast to chickpea stew and roast kid in the countryside, and a variety of fortified wines.
Some places of interest:
Alhaurin de la Torre, Alhaurin el Grande, Alora, Antequera, Archidona, Axarquia, Benahavis, Benalmadena, Cartama, Casares, Coin, Costa del Sol, El Torcal, Estepona, Fuengirola, Guadalhorce, Los Alcornocales, Malaga, Marbella, Mijas, Montes de Malaga, Nerja, Pueblos Blancos, Rincon de la Victoria, Ronda, San Pedro de Alcantara, Sierra de la Nieves, Sierra Tejeda, Torremolinos, Torrox, Velez-Malaga…
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