You will probably walk past them as they are in "key" points around the city centre. We just want you to make sure you spot them! "Plazas" or squares are very important in Spain; Malaga is no different. They are icons of the city, well-known meeting places, the homes of certain traditional festivities or spectacles, the scene of many, many holiday photos or just a place where you can just sit down and enjoy the sunshine.
Plaza de La Constituci?n:
This is the biggest and most famous square in Malaga city centre. It dates back to 1487, when all the political administration and leisure activities were located around the square. Nowadays, Plaza de la Constituci?n is the centre of the tourist and commercial activity of the city. In the square you will see a beautiful marble fountain from the 16th century, called " Fuente de Carlos V o de G?nova", with its Italian Renaissance style.
In Plaza de la Constituci?n you can find some of the best shops in Malaga or you can have a coffee in Cafe Central, the restaurant that invented the unique way of ordering coffee used by "malague?os" over the years. Find it on Google Maps here.
Plaza de la Merced:
With its origins in the 15th century, this square used to be a public market surrounded by buildings. Some years after it was the square of the "Iglesia de la Merced" (a church). Nowadays it is a key point for tourists and locals. In 1881, the famous artist Pablo Picasso was born in one of those buildings, located in the corner of the square. He lived there with his family during the first 10 years of his life. Many memories and personal items are displayed in the Picasso's Birthplace Museum in the same building that once was his home.
This is a nice place to sit down and enjoy some sunshine on some of the terraces around the square. Find it on Google Maps here. If you look carefully, you may see Picasso enjoying the sunshine...
Plaza de la Marina:
The icon of modern Malaga. Built in the 19th century, it is situated between the Alameda Principal and the Paseo del Parque, just next to Muelle Uno (the new port of Malaga). It shows a contrast in between well-preserved old buildings and the modern architecture of Muelle Uno, surrounded by plenty of palm trees. Find it on Google Maps here.
Plaza del Obispo:
This is a small but magnificent square in between the Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace. In the middle is a lovely fountain called "Fuente San Telmo" that dates back to 1785. This is definitely the place if you want to get a great view of the Cathedral. In the square, there is a bar-restaurant called "L'exp?rience", one of my favourites to sit down on the terrace with views of the Cathedral. Find it on Google Maps here.
Plaza Uncibay:
This square (that has more of a triangular shape than a square shape) has changed significantly over the years. Now it has a modern style, designed by the architects Lu?s Bono Ruiz de la Herr?n and Jose Fernandez Oyarz?bal, with a curious obelisk and some mythological sculptures by the artist Joseph Seguiri. During the day it is a perfect place to sit down on one of the terraces to have a coffee or beer, and at night, it is crowded with "party people" meeting there before hitting any of the nightclubs or bars around.?Find it on Google Maps?here.
