Malaga is a beautiful city in Andalusia, Costa del Sol, and is surrounded by mountains, knows as the “Hills Axarquia.” The name “Axarquia” is not Spanish, but Arabic, and it means “land in the east.” This is in contrast to “Algarve”, that means “in the West Country”.

The Axarquia is the region in the southeast of the province of Málaga and in the east of Málaga city. The whole area has a mild Mediterranean climate in summer, even in the winter, with temperatures around 20 degrees. The high mountains of the Sierra Nevada keep the cold from the north away and also ensure that the warm southerly winds from Africa do not escape. However, Malaga does not suffer from the extreme heat like Seville.

In the town itself you will find an impressive cathedral and all kinds of nice alleys. Beautiful Museums for example, the Piccasso museum, Museo de Arte Flamenco and the Museo de Malaga. For more modern art, Centre Pompidou and the CAC Málaga.  The centre is car free and you can spend hours walking the narrow streets and see beautiful houses with their iron balconies and beautiful squares. The inhabitants of Malaga are known as “Malagueños” and they are also sometimes called “boquerones” (sardines).

The long Moorish occupation can be found everywhere. Málaga still has a lot of things from the 750 years of Moorish domination. The Alcazaba, the fortress of Malaga, and Gibralfaro Castle are the best preserved Arab monuments.

Feria de Malaga is a celebration in honor of the victory of the Catholic Kings, Fernando of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, over the Moors, . They drove the city to recover from the Moorish invaders and they turned the city into part of the Catholic Spain.

To commemorate this conquest, they celebrate the day of the “Asunción” (Assumption of Mary on August 15). Subsequent years, this celebration was expanded slowly and it has grown into a ten-day extravaganza with lots of live music, bullfights and drink.