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Posts tagged ‘museums’

May 20

Malaga | Welcome to Veoapartment in Málaga

This week our new Málaga page goes live on our website, and it gives us great pleasure to be able to offer a selection of high quality holiday rental apartments in another of Andalucía’s beautiful and historic cities alongside Seville and Granada.

malaga view from gibralfaro

Málaga is the principal city of the Costa del Sol, one of the first parts of Spain to become popular with tourists from the north of Europe looking for sun, sea and sand, and though it still has all of these, and a buzzy cosmopolitan feel besides, there’s a lot more to the Málaga experience these days.

For those with a taste for history, there’s plenty in Málaga. The city was founded around 770 BC by the Phoenicians (a piece of their city wall can be seen in the basement of the Picasso Museum), passed to the Romans (the Roman theatre was rediscovered by accident in 1951), and later to the Moors, who were here from 711 to 1487, and have understandably left a considerable mark on the old city, notably the Alcazaba palace-fortress and the Gibralfaro castle on the hill above. To the Christian period belong the Cathedral, the Bullring, the harbour, and much of the general appearance of the old city, with an important period of civic development in the late 19th and early 20th century that included the main shopping street (Calle Larios), Parque Málaga, and parts of the harbour.

Although the western part of the city and a small area on the east side of the harbour have some high rise blocks developed during the first tourism boom of the sixties and seventies, Málaga is an amazingly pretty city, surrounded by mountains that come down to the sea, seafront promenades with avenues of palm trees, beautiful gardens, grand squares, and picturesque narrow streets.

malaga port

For a view of the whole city take a bus up to the Gibralfaro and have a drink on the terrace of the Parador Hotel. For culture, go to the Picasso Museum (Picasso was born in Málaga), the Carmen-Thyssen Museum and the Contemporary Arts Centre. For shopping go to Calle Larios, Atarazanas Food Market, or the new Muelle Uno development on the harbour. Take a walk along the seafront to the fishing village of Pedregalejo. Eat at some of our recommended restaurants and tapas bars.

And, of course, stay in one of our well equipped and perfectly located holiday apartments.

Jun 20

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Seville | How To Beat The Heat

Metropol Parasol in Plaza Encarnación

It’s barely midday, and already the thermometer is reading meltdownºC. The sun is shining relentlessly, and even the mad dogs have called it a day. Well, okay, it’s not that bad, but Seville does get seriously hot in July and August, and even though you’re already wearing sunscreen and loose clothing and drinking lots of water you’re probably thinking this is a good time to be doing something that doesn’t involve walking around in the mid-afternoon sun. How right you are, and here are a few tips for things to do.

First, and perhaps most obvious, is to find a nice air-conditioned bar and order up a round of one, or both, of those two Sevillano summer staples, Gazpacho and tinto de verano (summer wine). Gazpacho is a cold tomato and cucumber soup, thickened with softened bread, that has been called the “Spanish coca-cola” by super-chef Dani Garcia. An alternative is ajo blanco, a cold soup made from ground almonds and garlic, that has been around much longer than the introduction of tomatoes from the new world. Tinto de verano is a mixture of red wine and fizzy lemonade served over ice, usually with a slice of lemon. It’s like sangría but lighter and more refreshing, and won’t mark you out as a tourist.

Second, go shopping. Not the sort of shopping that involves struggling around with half a dozen heavy bags, but the sort that involves taking advantage of the fact that the shops are air-conditioned to browse as much as you like without having to buy anything (unless you really want to).  Nervión Plaza and the various El Corte Inglés department stores are perfect for indulging in a little retail therapy in air-conditioned comfort.

Take in a movie. The Avenida 5 Cines in Marques de Paradas shows films in original version – and is air-conditioned throughout.

Museums and monuments. The Alcázar palaces and gardens offer plenty of places to take refuge from the sun. Or you could try the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Popular Culture in the late afternoon, and stroll back through the Maria Luisa Park as it starts to cool down in the evening. Casa Pilatos has shady gardens, and Casa Lebrija a cool Sevillano style patio. You get to look at some cool stuff, too.

If you have kids, the Isla Magica theme park has lots of watery rides and other amusements. A bit pricey, but there’s a discount for only going for the afternoon.

Ice-cream. There are several good ice-cream shops to choose from, including a Ben & Jerry’s in the Campana, but for the best locally made ice-cream in town head for Rayas next to Plaza Cristo de Burgos or Fiorentina in Zaragoza street.

In the evening take advantage of the breeze at higher altitudes and visit one of Seville’s rooftop bars. Roof, atop the Hotel Casa Romana, has a nice eclectic menu and views of the city centre and Metropol Parasol. Both the Doña Maria and the Fontecruz hotels have great views of the cathedral where you can enjoy a cocktail and watch the sun go down.

Of course there’s no place like home, and cooling off in your own veoapartment swimming pool.

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