From August 10 to 19, the city of Malaga dresses up to celebrate its big week of festivities: The Malaga August Fair. This is, without a doubt, the most important festival in the city and one of the most important fairs in the south of Spain along with Seville.

 

During the nine days that its patron saint festivities last, the capital of the Costa del Sol is filled with lights and fair booths and thousands of people pack the historic center and the fairgrounds to enjoy one of the most beautiful festivities not only in the south of Spain, but of the whole country.

 

At Casual Hotels, we want you to have an incredible experience and make the most of your stay, so we have created a small list of useful tips for all of you who are going to visit the Malaga Fair for the first time:

 

The proclamation of the festivities, on the beach of Malaga, introduces one of the most amazing shows of the Malaga Fair: the fireworks. More than 800 kilos of gunpowder are launched from the sea to create a spectacle visible from the entire Malagueta beach. You can not lose this!

 

The ideal area to stay during the fair is the one that surrounds the port and the historic center of the city, located just a few minutes from both the daytime leisure area and the Malagueta beach. That is the case of the Casual Málaga del Mar , located just 5 minutes by public transport and 15 minutes walking from both the center and the Malaga beach. You can book your stay with us here , and also take advantage of many offers!

 

For those of you who have never been to an Andalusian fair, this moment is magical. On August 11 at 9:00 p.m., it is the moment in which the Fairground is inaugurated with the impressive lighting of the Portal, a tradition that attracts more people every year. This edition is full of novelties, and one of them is that minutes before a video-mapping will be projected in which sunsets and sunrises in the city will be reflected, as well as moments from past editions of the Fair.

 

If when you were little you waited for the arrival of the fair in your city with enthusiasm due to its intoxicating lights and you were fascinated by the attractions, you cannot stop going to the Recinto Ferial. You will return to your childhood and you will enjoy, as then, an enclosure where the Ferris wheels and roller coasters coexist for a week with the horses that walk between the booths.

 

Stroll through the historic center During the day the area of Calle Larios and Plaza de la Constitución concentrate the main activity of the city. The bars and terraces multiply during these days and the downtown area is crowded, so you should be careful if you want to avoid them.

 

The Fair dedicates special attention to flamenco, both in the performances on the stages scheduled during the 9 days of the fair, and in the streets. In fact, every day Calle Larios hosts the Fiesta de Verdiales from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., where hundreds of groups and singers get together to liven up the day.

 

Being one of the cities in Spain with the best gastronomy, it could be said that in Malaga you eat well for punishment. Wherever we go, we cannot stop eating the classic fried aubergines with honey, fried fish or cooked shrimp. A traditional place that deserves a mandatory stop is Bodegas El Pimpi, although finding a place is an almost impossible mission.

 

If the food from Malaga is not an attractive enough incentive, the Cartojal wine will finish convincing you. This Muscatel wine has become a classic of the city in recent decades and today it has become the hallmark of the Malaga Fair.

 

With a daily average of 35 degrees, the heat is guaranteed, and it is important to be cautious. Malaga festivals do not require etiquette as is the case with other Andalusian fairs. During the day, people tend to go quite informal and comfortable through the historic center, although it is true that at night people dress up to go to the booths of the fairgrounds.

 

The Malaga Fair takes place between two areas: the fairgrounds and the historic center. To prevent people from driving, the city council itself offers 24-hour public transport services throughout the week to travel between all points in the city.

 

If you want more information, here we leave you a link so you can find out about the festival program published by the Malaga City Council.

 

Photography: Mario Luengo