JIYOUNG SIM- Málaga is a city in Andalucía, the Southern part of Spain. I have a friend studying there so I visited her last weekend, and I had a great time discovering a different part of Spain. Málaga is well known for its beautiful Malagueta Beach. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit Málaga every year. The beach is known for very cold water, even in the summer. The best way to get to Málaga is by train or by plane. It takes two and a half hours in train and a little more than an hour in plane. Train is a little more expensive but I personally think it is more comfortable because it departs from Atocha Station and you do not have to get there hours earlier than the departure. The seat is also more comfortable. If you are looking for a cheaper option, you can take a bus too but it takes 7 hours, so I think it is worth taking the train or a flight.

Boquerones en vinagre

When I was visiting, the weather was still not warm enough to swim because the water was too cold, so we spent time sunbathing on the beach. According to my friend, normally around this time of the year it should already be like summer but this year is colder than usual. It was still nice because the sun was warm and the breeze was refreshing so it was a nice weather to spend time on the beach. What I have noticed about Spanish beaches is that the sun is very strong even before summer, so during summer it is impossible to step on the sand without wearing shoes. It was already pretty hot but I could walk on the beach with bare feet so I was satisfied with that even though I could not swim. I also recommend enjoying tapas or dinner on the beach side. Try typical Andalucian dishes like boquerones asados and boquerones en vinagre. There are many places by the beach where you can have tapas or dinner enjoying the breeze and nice view.
Although Málaga is famous for its beach, the beach is not everything in Málaga. It is actually the sixth largest city in Spain with population of 600 thousand. It is a beautiful city with a lot of shops, cafes, and restaurants to discover. My recommendation is Mesón de Cervantes, which is a tapas bar and a restaurant. It only opens for dinner and it is very popular so make a reservation if you can. Málaga is also known as Pablo Picasso’s hometown. Although most of his career was in Barcelona and Paris, Picasso was born and raised in Málaga so the people of Málaga are very proud of this great artist. Although the Picasso Museum in Barcelona is larger and has more to see, the one in Málaga also has many original works by Picasso.

Jiyoung Sim, Skidmore in Madrid

If you have enough time, it is a great idea to visit one of the small towns near Málaga like Mijas, Nerja, and Frigiliana. This time I did not have a chance to visit one of them but I have visited Mijas two years ago, and I loved it in a totally different aspect from Madrid and even from Málaga, so I highly recommend visiting one of them if you have time.