Richard Turen
The sophistication of Malaga, my favorite port among several coastal favorites on a Regent Seven Seas cruise, took me completely by surprise. We were traveling with 56 clients, headed for a post-cruise stay in Lisbon.
But first a wonderful day in Malaga, beginning with a beautiful pier and a modern roadway over the water. I want to take you along as we explored this surprisingly approachable and truly beautiful city on Spain's southern coast.
We took a transfer bus along a highway and a lovely stretch of water. Within four minutes, the bus turned, and there was civilization in the form of parked yachts. That made me think that among the M cities (Monaco, Miami and Malaga), this Spanish outpost hosts the largest yachts I'd ever seen gathered in one place.
It wasn't just that they were large; they were contemporary, with sweeping lines and painted a startling black indigo or various shades of navy blue. Some of them, I noticed from my bus seat, were adorned with human statues perched in bikinis along their unfettered bows.
We passed Playa de la Malagueta and a sandy beach that winds its way eastward. That was on our left as the bus continued toward the city center. On our right was something even more impressive: acres of upscale apartment towers with balconies facing the yachts and the harbor.
All of them overlooked a promenade known as Muelle Uno. The street featured shops and dozens of outdoor cafes. Perfect for strolling, a lovely place to wander as one leaves a perfectly placed home with a view of the yachts, the beach and the harbor. And just out the front door of each residence, a sophisticated walking promenade with everything one would need to live the good life -- or at least a good observation post to view those who can afford the good life.
Soon the bus stopped. We were in the center of Malaga, and it was time to go exploring. I noticed the cleanliness immediately. I quickly scribbled in my notebook, "How does a major city in Spain make it impossible for me to detect a single piece of paper on the ground on a relatively busy summer day?"
The great shopping streets begin just opposite the bus circle. Calle Larios is the most famous. It opened in 1891 and has only grown better and more sophisticated over the years.
There are just a few large shops, but 90% of the commercial space is occupied by authentically Spanish specialty shops. The shops are small and welcoming, and the street is wide. In the center of many of the connecting streets we saw a traffic lane. But there was no traffic, with one exception. Every hour or so, I noticed a police car driving no more than 5 mph, creeping along with two pairs of eyes on either side of the street. They nodded a greeting to tourists along the way. It is a quiet, comforting kind of security.
There was heat this day, but the city officials in Malaga have worked that out. Some of the streets, including the widest, have a wavering tarp floating overhead to keep the sunlight from burning through to the shoppers below. We were not walking in the shade, just a kind of extremely comfortable gauzy protection from the elements. That's something else that makes me think that perhaps we should consider recruiting some of the urban planners in this Spanish city to come home with us.
But, in all fairness, why would they leave?