MaryAnn Does Málaga

Riding the Bus

Over to the bus station we head this morning. Rain is threatening, but so far so good. It’s a 10 minute walk from the apartment, past the fountain of the newly renovated and beautiful Axarquía Square, along Calle Doctor Fleming past the Municipal Mercado and the local senior centre. We arrive with time to spare.

One of the pleasures of walking here is the courtesy for pedestrians. When a vehicle approaches a zebra crossing, it must yield to a pedestrian. There are stop lights in certain areas, but most corners have a zebra crossing. It throws you when you first get here, because you are not sure if you can trust the driver. Remarkably, they always stop. There is no honking to rush you across, the driver patience is astounding.

One of my fun activities is booking a bus ticket at the Torre del Mar station. It is always an adventure. There is a machine at the station, and there is also a wicket with a grumpy person manning their post. I’m sure it is very frustrating for them to listen to us tourists trying to communicate. We had already had experience with this lovely senora, so I headed over to the machine.

We book a return, senior fare ticket to Málaga. For the first trip, we book an all-stops bus so that MaryAnn can see the coastline, which is beautiful, and for our return ticket, we book an express bus around 8:00 pm. The cost is under 6 euro for a return ticket.

There is no signage to say where to stand to catch the bus and of course there is a different location to stand for a direct versus an all-stops route. Even the locals get confused, but it is part of the experience.

The chaos is hilarious because both passengers and locals alike are trying to figure out where to go and attempt to communicate. People get on the bus and are shooed off to different locations.

Accessibility

It can be stressful, if you have bike, or a walker and suitcase already loaded underneath the bus. Your extra baggage would need to be unloaded and reloaded on a different bus. All this pandemonium could be alleviated with a little signage. The locals know to push their way to the front of the line, and believe it or not, the system works. You just have to go with it. As much as I am a process person, I get a kick out of the chaos.

Once properly on-board, with MaryAnn in the window seat, we head to Málaga. The ride should be an hour with the multiple stops. She is mesmerized by the coastline. The sea is beautiful this morning, churned up from the previous evening storms. I add some flavour to the ride as I explain what I have learned about these areas. I had visited many of them on my scoping trip which landed me in Torre del Mar.

MaryAnn is impressed by how people with disabilities are treated. Not only is Torre del Mar accessible with ramps at street crossings, into restaurants and down to the beach, the bus system is also accessible. We witness the bus driver alight from his seat to assist a woman in a wheelchair up and into the rear entrance. Walkers are common in the storage compartment. You can comfortably get around if you need mobility assistance. Accessibility was a criteria when looking at a place to settle.

When we arrived in Málaga, it was fun watching MaryAnn’s face. She wasn’t expecting Málaga to be as big as it was. She was thinking it was going to be a little larger than Vélez-Málaga, where we visited yesterday.

The population of the city of Málaga is 592,000 (2024) versus Vélez-Málaga 87,000 (2024), and Torre del Mar (2024) 20,000

MaryAnn’s head is turning in all directions as we cross huge boulevards, and rows of plane trees whose leaves provide shade from sun and rain along the busy streets. Their massive, twisting roots are art in themselves. You can only wonder how old these trees are.

I hear Mary-Ann uttering, OMG’s and WOWs! The architecture is awe-striking and every corner inspires a new photo. She is pointing out the balconies with rod iron grates and cascading flowers.

I relive my previous trips and by memory begin to show her some sites before we meet Anne-Grete who happens to be in Málaga for a dental appointment. She will let us know when she is done.

Antigua Casa de Guardia

Our first stop is Antigua Casa de Guardia, bar/winery which was opened in 1840. I came here on a foodie tour, and I recommend you visit this place if you come to Málaga. It is bustling place with people standing at the beautiful long bar, drinking the local wine and sampling the amazing seafood.

The tradition is to drink standing up, leaning on its bar, while sipping a good muscatel wine or a Pedro Ximénez, wines from this land such as the sweet Malaga, the pajarete or the dry wine of the Montes de Málaga all stored in wooden casks along the back stone wall.

I recommend you enjoy your wine with some tasty tapas or portions of shrimps, canaíllas, and mussels. Your bartender will keep track of your drinks/tapas by writing it with chalk on the bar.

We had just arrived, and maybe a little too early to indulge, but I hope to get back soon. The seafood in Málaga is incredible.

Mercado Central de Atarazanas

Winding our way through the streets, we make our way to the main food market (mercado), the Mercado Central de Atarazanas. It was fun weaving our way past the fish stalls. MaryAnn is gobsmacked by the assortment of fish and seafood. Her camera is clicking away. People are leaning up against counters eating freshly made nibblies and sipping more wine. It is almost lunch time so trying to get close to a counter is impossible.

The Mercado de Atarazanas dates back to 1870 when this market was rebuilt, but the original mercado occupied a boat yard back in the 14th century. It is hard to wrap your head around all the history. The main gateway and beautiful stained glass facade is a cultural highlight.

Locals come to do their shopping here, but it is struggling to keep its authenticity as more and more visitors from the cruise ships and tours fill the aisles.

We needed to head towards the cathedral where we would be meeting Anne-Grete and vowed to return later to buy some treats.

Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica de la Encarnación de Málaga

For 10 euro, 9 euro for seniors, we enter the cathedral and even though this is a return visit for me, I can’t help but get emotional. The beautiful architecture touches my heart. MaryAnn and I look at each other with teary eyes and hug each other. Beautiful! MaryAnn wishes her mom, Carrie could be here to witness its beauty and grandeur. She lights candles for those gone before.

I decide against the audio headset, walk around and relive previous moments while MaryAnn enjoys the stories behind the sculptures and artwork.

Lunch with Anne-Grete

We make our way over to the restaurant Tatanegro to meet up with Anne-Grete. We enjoyed a lovely lunch of Gambas Pil-pil, a must when in the Málaga area and a seafood paella. Anne-Grete threatened the waiter with a painful death if the paella wasn’t good.

A proper paella comes from the Valencia region; for the educated, this dish we were eating would be considered a rice (arroz) dish. It was delicious even though there wasn’t a socarrat which is the cherished crust at the bottom of a paella pan. Adults and children alike fight over a taste of the socarrat. I guess you can’t expect one when made in a tourist area. Regardless, it was perfect for the three of us.

MaryAnn skillfully deals with the langostinos looking at her. She didn’t have any trouble with the shrimps, mussels, clams or calamari though. Sitting there, sipping on tinto de verano (red wine and citrus) and snacking while looking at the cathedral is a spectacular experience. We even got to eat outside with a little sun shining. Thank you Mr. Sun! ☀️

Hop On/Hop Off Bus

Bidding farewell to Anne-Grete, we walked to the Málaga Gardens by the port to purchase a ticket for the hop on/hop off bus. This would give MaryAnn a broad view of the main points of interest of the city.

We head to the port and see the cube, then off we go to the beautiful streets, past Playa Malagueta, the bullring, and up the hills to Castillo de Gibralfaro. The view of the city and the sea is breathtaking. I can do without having a window seat as the bus navigates the hills. The bus is too long to make a proper turn up the steepness so has to do three-point turn to make it. I just hold my breath as we wind upwards.

My knee was acting up a bit and once off the bus, it was going to be a major descent so MaryAnn continued on to see the lookout and grabbed some awesome shots of the bullring from up above. I will add them, if I can find them. People walk 30 minutes uphill to see the views. We didn’t bother going into the Castillo and timed catching our bus perfectly.

We finished the tour and headed back into the historical area with the intent of visiting the market again but it was closed. We walked along the broad Calle Marqués de los Larios and enjoyed the beautiful high-end shops and windows filled with colourful candied fruits and Iberian ham sandwiches. We were hungry and found Lolita where we noshed on tapas before heading back home.

Chaos at the bus station in Málaga was no different than at Torre del Mar. People wondering which bus is direct versus all-stops. We found our bus, grabbed a seat and enjoyed the bus ride back to Torre del Mar. The bus driver was playing music as we rocked to it.

I know I will sleep well tonight. Our step monitors were happy with our count today.