Blog Archives - Malaga Guru

1 September 2024

Why does Malaga Airport have the code AGP?

If you’re a frequent flyer, you’ll be familiar with the concept of airport codes. Normally they are based on the letters of the city’s name. For example, AMS is Amsterdam, Madrid is MAD, Barcelona is BCN, Brussels is BRU… So why then is Malaga AGP? It really doesn’t follow any pattern. Lots of urban legends It probably comes as little […]

23 March 2024

5 tips for surviving Semana Santa in Malaga

If you didn’t already know, Semana Santa (Holy Week or Easter Week in English) brings Malaga to an absolute standstill every year. Easter in Spain is not just a religious festival, it’s a deep-rooted tradition that dates back centuries and brings whole communities together. In Malaga city alone, between Palm Sunday and Good Friday, there are more than 40 processions (plus […]

16 August 2021

What causes the ‘taró’ fog that closes Malaga’s beaches every summer?

If you’ve been in Malaga in the summer, you’re quite likely to have experienced ‘el taró‘ at least once. Taró is a type of dense fog or mist that is especially common between Malaga and Ceuta during August, producing a notable drop in temperature of between 4 and 5 °C. However, unlike coastal fog in other locations, it doesn’t always […]

9 June 2023

Lagunillas: Malaga’s alternative Barrio de las Artes

An obscure maze of alleyways, plazas, and vacant lots, hidden in plain sight behind Plaza de la Merced, Lagunillas is a slice of authentic urban Spain perfectly preserved amongst the city’s most touristic neighbourhoods. Lagunillas looks unremarkable from the outside, and is easily overlooked by art aficionados visiting Malaga in favour of the better known Sojo district, which features several […]

6 September 2024

The FOUR best bookshops in Malaga

The vibrant, diverse landscape and culture of Malaga and its surrounding area has long attracted visits from great authors seeking inspiration, including the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote in his travel memoir In Spain, published in English in 1870, that “in none of the Spanish towns have I been so happy, so entirely at home, […]

24 March 2024

Why does it always seem to rain during Semana Santa in Malaga?

Every year, without fail, as Semana Santa approaches, the people of Malaga look skyward, anticipating the arrival of an uninvited guest: rain. This phenomenon seems to persist regardless of when Easter falls, with many processions either being cancelled or considerably shortened due to the wet weather. It’s a recurring scenario that has puzzled Spaniards for years. So, why does it […]

21 March 2024

Calima, the Saharan dust that turns Malaga’s skies orange

Given the city’s close proximity to North Africa and the Gibraltar Strait, the people of Malaga are no strangers to weird and wonderful weather phenomena. One, which is quite common throughout the year, is that of calima. This suspension of Saharan sand dust in the skies is a natural phenomenon. It casts a hazy hue over the province and, depending […]

26 March 2023

Why’s there an obelisk in Plaza de la Merced?

Anyone who has visited Plaza de la Merced will have doubtless spotted the enormous obelisk located right in its centre. However, you may be surprised to find out that it actually sits atop a mass grave. It contains the remains of General José María de Torrijos y Uriarte, and 48 others, who were put to death after leading an ill-fated […]

30 May 2021

Atarazanas market, a former Arab shipyard

Nowadays, Atarazanas is a marketplace and a major hub of activity in Malaga city centre. However, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, when it was first built in the 14th century, the city was very different. Large parts as we know it today (Paseo del Parque, Muelle Uno…) were underwater, and the sea shore came right up to where […]

4 July 2020

What’s so ‘noble’ about the Hospital Noble?

If you’ve lived in Malaga for some time, you’ll have passed this building hundreds of times. Located beside the Fuente de las Tres Gracias roundabout, from which you can get spectacular views of the Alcazaba, is the Hospital Noble. You’ve probably never been inside because these days the building houses council offices. So why is it called a hospital? And […]