There are also versions in Spanish, French, Italian and German.
Translated into English by Sherri Ann Beñasco Zaragoza
Translated into English by Sherri Ann Beñasco Zaragoza
Authors of the photographs: Sherri Ann Beñasco Zaragoza, Carlos Domínguez Bonnemaison, Carolina Robles Sánchez and Daniel Chiaradona, students of the Image and Sound department.
Malaga is a city in which you can enjoy the sun almost 300 days of the year compared to in most of the other capitals of the Iberian Peninsula. The city is protected by the mountains situated to the north and by the Mediterranean Sea to the south; with an average temperature of 19ºC, we enjoy a climate that favours outdoor activities, which without a doubt marks our character and the way we relate with one another. This includes tapas bars with their tables placed in the streets, a numerous amount of chiringuitos (open aired restaurants that are located along the seafront which often serve sardine skewers and fried fish), and more recent, terraced bars on the rooftops of buildings, to which we will dedicate at least two entries on our blog.
The best rooftop bars are situated in various hotels of the city centre, and as Malaga is a relatively small town, you can get a surprisingly amazing panoramic view from any of them, which constantly changes depending on what time of day is chosen to visit them. The night visits are especially spectacular. Some are ideal to see the historic centre, others if what you want is to contemplate La Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle and other to enjoy excellent views of the port.
Which are the best? It’s a personal decision based on the tastes of each one of us. Sometimes it’s the service received which it is decided on, others the price, or the variety on the menu or the way our favourite cocktails are prepared. We recommend that visitors check out their web pages for organized activities, especially during the summer. To give you some examples, a theatre cycle has been realized on the rooftops, as well as concerts, themed parties, catwalks, gym classes, language exchanges, expositions,... The times that we give you are summer opening hours, for other periods, its best you take a look at their web pages or Facebook. Here you have the first article. We will especially emphase the accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
Hotel Room Mate Valeria
Location: Plaza del Poeta Alfonso Canales 5th floor
Google maps in 3D: CLICK HERE
Best views of: The Park, La Farola (The lighthouse) and the port of Malaga.
Open since: April 2006
Opening hours: From Sunday to Wednesday: 16:00h to 24:00h. Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 16:00h to 02:00h.
Description: Really good accessibility, it’s the closest to the port of the city. It has a small swimming pool for the hotels guests. From southwest to east, the ferris wheel of the port, the walk of La Farola (The Lighthouse), Muello Uno (Dock One), the Palmeral de las Sorpresas (Palm Grove of Surprises). Towards the east, Plaza de la Marina (Marine Square), Paseo del Parque (Park Walk), Palacio de la Aduana (Palace of Aduana, La Alcazaba and Gibralfaro. Towards the northeast, in the background you can see the only tower of the cathedral. And in the foreground, to the north, the La Equitativa building.
Terrace of the Hotel AC Malaga Palace
Location:Calle Cortina del Muelle, 1 (15th floor)
Best views of: The Parque (Park) and the port of Malaga.
Open since: 1957
Opening hours: From midday to 01:00am during the week, a little later at the weekends. The glassed area opens all year round, the swimming pool area only in good weather.
Description: Good accessibility. It is the dean of the city terraces, since its opening it forms part of the city frontage seen from the port. There is always a lot of people in Malaga, some of them tourist, that come to enjoy the best views of the area. To the south, Paseo del Parque (Park Walk), the Palmeral de las Sorpresas (the Palm Grove of Surprises), Muelle Uno (Dock One), Paseo de la Farola (The Lighthouse Walk), to the north, the cathedral and its dome. To the east, the Palacio de la Aduana (Aduana Palace), Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, to the west, the Alameda Principal (Alameda Main Street) and The Equitativa building. From the private area, it is easy to see various celluloid stars during the celebrations of the Film Festival of Malaga. It’s not recommended to go up on windy days.
As an improvable aspect: The public terrace sometimes is too small to cope with the demand that it’s put under and the doormen get overwhelmed by the influx of people, but this should not put us off from visiting it at a different time.
Hotel Molina Lario (Molina Lario swimming pool lounge)
Location: C/ Molina Lario, 20-22 (8th floor)
Best views of: The cathedral of Malaga, El Parque (The Park), La Farola (The Lighthouse) and the port of Malaga.
Open since: 2006, the terrace since 2009
Opening hours: From 17:00h until 23:00h during the week, a bit later during the weekend. Closed from November until All Saints Week (March-April).
Description: Good accessibility to the main terrace on the eighth floor, once up there, there isn’t much space because there is a step to access the swimming pool and the balcony of the terrace. It consists of two small joint terraces on different levels, on the seventh and eighth floor, connected by stairs. To the south, it offers views of the amazing park, also of the port and the walk to the lighthouse. Looking to the northwest, you can appreciate the tower of the church of San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist), to the right the bell tower of the church of San Pablo (Saint Paul), in the neighbourhood of La Trinidad (The Trinity) and between both of them, closer, the octagonal dome of the church of La Concepcion (The Conception). To the north, it has an excellent view of the cathedral with its unfinished tower, and to the northeast, at the back; on the highest point of the mountain you can see the castle of Gibralfaro, and the Viewpoint with the same name.
The terrace restaurant of the Art Centre of the Tauromaquia (CAT)
Location: Plaza del Siglo, 2 (4th floor)
Best views of: The north tower of the cathedral of Malaga and Plaza del Siglo (Century Square).
Open since: February 2015
Opening hours: It opens every day of the year.
Description: Good accessibility. It has wooden floors, a sober decor and it’s painted in elegant light colours. You can obtain a great view from the top of the layout of calle Molina Lario (Molina Lario Street). The speciality on the menu, according the waitress, is the stewed bull’s tail in red wine.
The Alcazaba Premiun Hostel Terrace
Location: Calle Alcazabilla (5th floor)
Best views of: It offers unbeatable views of the Alcazaba, Roman Theatre and Palacio de la Aduana (Aduana Palace).
Open since: February 2015
Opening hours:
North terrace: From 16:00pm to 02:00am during the week (Monday to Thursday).
South Terrace: From 17:00pm to 02:00am.
Both close a little later during the weekend (Friday to Sunday).
Description: Premises very frequently visited by tourist and malagueños that discover new points of view of the city. It’s divided into two well resolved and comfortable to use spaces (*). The north side has the worst views because of its location, but on the other hand, it has less transit of people, allowing for a more relaxed and conversation appropriate environment. The south side opens later, we suppose it’s because the Batik restaurant finds itself just below, also with unbeatable views. This side, to the left of the lift, is the best situated for views of Calle Alcazabilla (Alcazabilla Street). Lots of people take photos of themselves with the already mentioned architectonic background in them; you can even see the ferris wheel installed in the port of Malaga.
The Alcazaba terrace is the initiative of three businessmen, two of them malagueños: Juan Garcia Postigo, Mister Spain in 2006 and Mister World in 2007 and the player of the ABC and of the Spanish selection, Carlos Cabezas Jurado. The third partner, who is madrileño, Jose Manuel Montalvo, obtained the title as Mister Spain in 2008.
As an improvable aspect (*): The north terrace isn’t wheelchair accessible, at the south terrace there isn’t a problem. Sometimes there is a queue to go up in the lift, which is a sign that the terrace is very busy. If this is the case then it’s probably better to look for another terrace close by and come back another time, because it’s well worth it.
Terrace of the Viewpoint of Gibralfaro
Location: Castillo de Gibralfaro S/Nº
Open since: 1948
Opening hours: From 11:00 am to 02:00 am.
Best views of: The bay and the city of Malaga.
Description: It’s situated next to the muslin castle from which it gets its name. It’s the best watchtower from which to gain unique panoramic views of the city. It’s surrounded by a pine forest. To the west, it has path you can go down to get to the city, which travels alongside the wall that communicates the Alcazaba with the castle on the south side. It has different viewpoints that offer different perspectives of the city, either that be towards the Plaza de Toros (Bullring) and the neighbourhood of La Malagueta, the Paseo del Parque (Park Walk) and of the port, or towards the city. If you really want to contemplate a beautiful panoramic view, you have to go up to the top to see the sunset over the mountains.
To access it you have to use public transport, you can get the Nº35 bus in the south of the Paseo del Parque (Park Walk).
To know more:
· From Malaga to heaven, route through the rooftops of Malaga Part II, CLICKING HERE
· Other places up high to see Malaga, CLICKING HERE
· Malaga in 3 days, routes proposed by www.malagaturismo.com information only in Spanish, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Picasso Malaga (Picasso Museum of Malaga). Palacio de Buenavista (Buenavista Palace). San Agustin, 8. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Fundación Picasso, Museo Casa Natal (Picasso Foundation, Native House Museum): Plaza de la Merced, 15. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Carmen Thyssen Malaga (Carmen Thyssen Museum of Malaga). Compañia, 10. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Centro Pompidou de Málaga (Pompidou Centre of Malaga): Pasaje Doctor Carrillo Casaux, s/n Muelle Uno Malaga port. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Arqueológico y de Bellas Artes de Málaga. (Archaeological and Fine Arts Museum of Malaga) Palacio de la Aduana, Plaza de la Aduana, 1. See on the map, CLICKING HERE
· Colección del Museo Ruso de San Petersburgo (Russian Museum of Saint Petersburg): Avenida Sor Teresa Prat, 15. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo del Automovilismo y de la Moda (Automotive and Fashion Museum): Avenida Sor Teresa Prat, 15. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Centro de Arte Contemporaneo CAC (Contemporary Art Centre CAC). Calle Alemania, s/n. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Félix Revello de Toro (Félix Revello of Toro Museum): calle Afligidos, 5. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Interactivo de la Música (Interactive Music Museum): calle Beatas, 15. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Cementerio ingles de Malaga (English Cemetery of Malaga): Avenida Pries, 1. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Taurino de Malaga (Taurino Museum of Malaga): Paseo de Reding s/nº Plaza de Toros de la Malagueta (Bullring of the Malagueta). See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo del patrimonio municipal de Malaga (Municipal Heritage Museum of Malaga): Paseo de Reding, 1. See on the map, CLICKING HERE.
· Museo Unicaja de Artes y Costumbres Populares de Málaga (Unicaja Arts and Popular Customs Museum of Malaga: Calle Manuel José García Caparrós, 4. See on the map CLICKING HERE.
