With its population of almost 600,000 Málaga is the sixth largest city in Spain and the southernmost large city in Europe. It lies on the northern Mediterranean "Coast of the Sun" - Costa del Sol - about 60 miles east of the Strait of Gibraltar and 80 miles north of Africa. The city enjoys a subtropical climate and boasts the warmest winters in Europe, with average daytime temperatures above 63 °F from December to February.
Málaga is one of the oldest cities in the world with a 2,700 year history since it was founded by the Phoenicians as Malaka about 770 BCE. After the Phoenicians the city was controlled by the Roman Republic, then the Roman Empire followed by the Arabs until 1487 when it became, and has remained, a Spanish possession. Key commercial activities are tourism, construction and technology services but efforts are in progress to diversify.
The painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga. Get a lightning tour here.
