Malaga has ceased to be an exclusive beach destination to expand its leisure offer to become a cultural reference at European level. This, together with its history, monuments, gastronomy and climate, make the capital of the Costa del Sol an ideal destination whatever your holiday intention.
Within this cultural offer we must highlight the large number of museums that Malaga has, as well as a varied offer in terms of exhibitions. That is why we bring you what we consider to be some of the best museums in the centre of Malaga. Just some.
1. MUSEO PICASSO MÁLAGA
It doesn’t matter how many museums open their doors in Malaga, the first, the best, the one that started the way and the one that blends with the roots of the history of the city itself is the Picasso Museum Málaga. It was inaugurated in October 2003.
In addition to the 223 works in the permanent collection of the Malaga-born genius, the museum offers temporary exhibitions that further enhance the quality of this centre.
11 rooms, dozens of works, eight decades of work and ingenuity in a facility that lives up to the legend of the Cubist painter; the Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista, a building declared a National Monument in 1939.
2. MUSEO CARMEN THYSSEN MÁLAGA
In the heart of the city, and since March 2011, you will find this Carmen Thyssen Museum which contains a total of 285 works belonging to the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza collection. It travels, mixing pictorial genres, through Spanish painting of the 19th and 20th centuries.
As was the case with the Picasso Museum in Malaga, its location lives up to its name and legend: the Palacio de Villalón. The agreement for the transfer of the works is until 2025, although a more than possible extension of the agreement is envisaged.
3. CENTRE POMPIDOU MÁLAGA
It is one of the headquarters of the Georges Pompidou National Centre of Art and Culture of France and is located in the Port of Málaga, with a striking exterior called “The Cube”, for obvious reasons. It opened its doors in 2015 and takes a tour of modern and contemporary art, with a permanent collection boasting almost 90 works.
To complete the journey through the 19th and 20th centuries, two or three temporary exhibitions are added each year to give a more general overview of these centuries.
4. CENTRO DE ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO (CAC)
Its location is well known to the people of Malaga for being the old Wholesale Market of Malaga, in the outer area of the Soho district of Malaga, about ten minutes walk from Calle Larios.
The building, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, was inaugurated in 2003 and houses an extensive body of work that traces the evolution of contemporary art throughout the 20th century with a special emphasis on the last 50 years. They are always at the forefront, always on the move and with projects in the near future.
They want to bring this style of art closer to the public through continuous exhibitions and conferences, as well as having almost 400 works by artists from all over the world, spread over the 2,400 square metres of exhibition space.
5. MUSEO DE MÁLAGA
Within the history of the Museum of Malaga we must highlight two dates in its history. The first is 1973, the year in which two institutions were unified: the Museum of Fine Arts andl Provincial Archaeological Museum. This was the birth of the Museum of Malaga as such.
Although 2016 is highlighted in the museum’s calendar, as it is the year of the opening of its final headquarters, the Palacio de la Aduana. From that moment on, the museum becomes the largest in the entire Andalusian community and the fifth largest in Spain.
Within its offer, we must emphasize that it has a pictorial work composed of more than 2,000 works, distributed between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. To this must be added more than 15,000 archaeological references. A real institution and a source of pride for the city.
6. MUSEO REVELLO DE TORO
The Museum, which is located in the 17th century house owned by Félix Revello de Toro, focuses on the work of the latter with the exhibition of more than 100 paintings and drawings. This painter from Malaga is known for his portraits, among others, of great names in Spanish politics and the transition to democracy.
In addition to the portrait painter from Malaga, you can enjoy the religious images created by Pedro de Mena y Medrano, a 17th century Baroque sculptor. Don’t miss any of the rooms in this spectacular museum that will surprise you.
7. MUSEO DEL VINO MÁLAGA
Take one of the most intimate and traditional tours of your break in Malaga. Among the more than 800 square metres of exhibition space in the old 18th century Palacio de Biedmas, you can discover the history and curiosities of Malaga wine.
It was inaugurated in July 2008 and, as well as having a shop where you can take home a sweet souvenir, you can taste two wines and learn about the different smells and characteristics of this product so typical of our land.