At WalkingWomen we have writers
We seek out women who are happy to write about their experiences with us. It is so much better to hear from someone who went on the trip rather than from us. Thank you to Jan for sharing her thoughts of our festive trip to Malaga this December.
Like many people, I’ve been to Malaga several times – but only to fly into the airport and immediately transfer to somewhere else. I was thinking it was about time I visited the city properly, and what’s better than a winter city break in the sun? Well the answer to that turned out to be a WalkingWomen trip to see the Christmas lights switch-on!
It’s a “one-goat” holiday, based on the WW levels of activity.
Now, I’m more sloth than any type or number of goats, so I decided to book an extra night both before and after the holiday so that I would be sure of some rest opportunities, and WW made it very easy to do this, with a seamless booking at the hotel.
To note the Mariposa Hotel is run by two sisters and we love it for its location, its breakfast and for its roof top bar loved every year!
This is probably a good time to comment on the hotel. I was expecting something smaller, maybe homely, which can sometimes feel a bit too personal – I prefer the anonymity of a larger place. So I was pleasantly surprised by the Mariposa. It’s definitely up there with professional international hotels, but not in that robotic conference centre chain zone. In fact it hit just the right level of holiday hotels, with spacious and comfy rooms, including air-con that you can turn off and a window you can open! The breakfast was ample and varied, and the staff were always friendly and helpful.
There’s a roof-top bar, which was the venue for our first meet-up, and became the go-to spot for our end of the day debrief. Well, that’s what we called it!! So a couple of us met up there on the first evening, easily facilitated by the holiday WhatsApp group – such a great idea. And we all met up with our guide there on the official first night, when we headed into Calle Lario for the entertainment.
The lights were absolutely beautiful, more tasteful than tacky, and stretched along the street as far as the eye could see. There was a newish moon rising to complement the view, and it was just magical. I don’t as a rule like crowds, but there was a great atmosphere, and no sign of jostling or pick-pockets. I’ve only just realised there wasn’t even a visible police presence – that’s how laid back it was.
After a few numbers from the bands on stage, we went in search of food. I’ve visited Spain many times, and have to say that if you don’t eat ham and cheese, it can be a bit challenging.
Malaga’s food offerings were brilliant
there’s even an organic vegan café on the sea-front! We ate mostly traditional Spanish food, but everywhere we went could accommodate our varied eating habits, and we certainly weren’t in danger of going hungry.
Next morning, our first foray was into the Mercado de Atarazanas – the Shipyard Market. The sea used to come up to here, until the land between was reclaimed in the 19th century, and the market built on the site of the shipyards. The market building is fronted by a wonderfully preserved arch from the 14th century. They built the ships inside here, and dragged them through this huge arched passageway to launch them into the sea. The rest of the market is 19th century cast iron and stained glass, with a treasure of food stalls. I love the huge glass Malaga-scape at the back that acknowledges the main elements of the city’s history.
Beyond here, we admired the 1925 Sagasta building and popped in to the somewhat older church of St. John. There were numerous enticing alleys to explore, eventually bringing us to Plaza de la Constitución – Constitution Square. This is set with several large steel plates that reproduce the newspaper front pages of 7th December 1978, commemorating and celebrating the new constitution of Spain after the end of Francoism.
One of the first victims of Franco’s purge in 1936 was Frederico Garcia Lorca. He was gay, a writer, a socialist and an outspoken anti-fascist. There is a wonderful bronze statue of him propping up the bar in Café de Chinitas, where you can share a drink with him. I do admire Malaga’s political art, on display here and elsewhere.
We ate at a womens’ restaurant in Plaza de la Merced, where the trees are filled with green parakeets, and the air with their screeching. After this we had a couple of hours break. Having some free time every afternoon was a relaxing aspect of this holiday, and a few of us visited the Museo de Vidrio. This is the private glass collection in the home of an eccentric financier, who gives personal tours of his shelves of Gallé, Lalique, Whitefriars and much more. Obscure and hard to find, this little gem manages to be in the heart of Malaga yet off the beaten track; I was very glad we made it!
A more usual tour would be of Malaga Cathedral; unfinished, with its one tower, and so known locally as La Manquita, the one-armed woman. For a couple of € extra, you can also explore up on the roof, for unrivalled views of old Malaga.
Our evening walk was along the promenade, with a fabulous sunset,
Our walk to a chiringuita – a beach bar. This was the longest walk, but arguably not the most arduous. No, that could be the hike up the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro, Malaga’s two separate old fortresses. These were built from the 11th century onwards, using some of the Roman stone and columns of previous occupants, so there is a wealth of history and architecture to see here. The Gibralfaro is the city’s highest spot, and the walk was certainly rewarded with panoramic views. For other sloths like me… well it’s a city, so taxis are available.
On the last evening, we had front row seats in a Flamenco bar. It was an amazing performance, particularly by the dancer who was even blurred to the naked eye – how can anybody possibly move so fast? It was a fitting finale to an immersive weekend.
We were a small group, but that worked out well too;
we all got on great with our guide and each other, and the company definitely enhanced the visit. Overall, I have to say I was bowled over by the history, beauty, politics, architecture, and atmosphere.
Malaga is in my heart now, and I intend to go beyond the airport again!
We run this holiday every year and look out for a week long trip in 2026
