Birthplace of Picasso, the attractive, cosmopolitan city of Malaga lies on a beautiful sweep of bay in Andalucia. Capital city of the Costa del Sol and second largest port in Spain, Malaga is a city of some 550,000 plus inhabitants. As you would expect from the region it has fantastic beaches, but this extraordinarily lively town has far more to offer than just sea and sunshine. With its wide leafy boulevards and often striking architecture, Malaga has many places of historic interest along with a vibrant nightlife, excellent arts and entertainments and several world class golf courses. Like most major ports in the world, Malaga has a vibrant nightlife and is famous throughout Spain for its 'locos veranos' or 'crazy summers' when the beaches become a focal point for parties and dancing. In town there is an abundance of entertainment to be enjoyed. The Zona el Paulo, a stretch of beautiful promenade lined with lively seafood restaurants and fashionable bars, is the ideal starting point for a night out. Zona La Malgueta is a more modern area favoured by trendy locals and young holidaymakers. Zona Pedragalejo is a mixture of modern and traditional bars and restaurants and is the best place to find places serving authentic Andalusian cuisine. There are also 5 main theatres presenting world class acts from both the drama and music world and several very popular nightclubs where you can drink and dance until dawn. Malaga is often overlooked by visitors to the Costa del Sol and in many ways that has been to its favour. The lack of hardcore tourism has meant that this intriguing city has retained much of its charm and thus a strong personality that is reflected in the local inhabitants. All this ensures that a stay in Malaga will not only be immensely fulfilling but that you will also experience, first hand, the very best of Spanish hospitality.

The weather
The climate is temperate, and the temperature is 22 degrees Celsius in winter. This is due to the mountains that protect the coast from cold north winds. From April to October you can rely on good weather, yet avoid the sometimes extreme heat - and the main crush of Spanish and foreign tourists.

Banking
Most banks open at 9:00 am and they close at 14:00 pm. Some banks open already at 8:30 am.

The best rates for foreign currency and travellers' cheques are obtained at banks where there is no commission on buying pesetas with cash. There are Bureaux de Change which operate in the main resorts and are open outside banking hours.

Travellers Cheques & Credit Cards
Travellers cheques can be cashed at banks and exchange offices, and usually attract a slightly higher exchange rate than cash. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted at hotels and restaurants, especially from the middle range up, and also for long-distance train tickets. These days, even small towns have an ATM (cajero automático) where you can withdraw Euros from credit and debit accounts.

Currency
The Spanish unit of currency is still the peseta, but from the first of January 2002, this will be the Euro. The peseta is fixed against the Euro. 1 Euro = 166.386 Pesetas. The euro is the single currency of the European Monetary Union. The 12 Member States are Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland, Greece.

Coins
There are 8 euro coins denominated in 2 and 1 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. Every euro coin will carry a common European face. On the obverse, each Member State will decorate the coins with their own motifs. No matter which motif is on the coins they can be used anywhere inside the 12 Member States. For example, a French citizen will be able to buy a hot dog in Berlin using a euro coin carrying the imprint of the King of Spain. The common European face of the coins represents a map of the European Union against a background of transverse lines to which are attached the stars of the European flag. The 1,2 and 5 cent coins put emphasis on Europe's place in the world while the 10, 20 and 50 present the Union as a gathering of nations. The 1 and 2 euro coins depict Europe without frontiers.

Notes
There are 7 euro notes. In different colours and sizes they are denominated in 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros. The notes will be uniform throughout the euro area; unlike coins, they will have no national side. The designs are symbolic for Europe's architectural heritage. They do not represent any existing monuments. Windows and gateways dominate the front side of each banknote as symbols of the spirit of openness and cooperation in the EU. The reverse side of each banknote features a bridge from a particular age, a metaphor for communication among the people of Europe and between Europe and the rest of the world.

Electricity
The Spanish domestic power system is 220 or 225 volts AC.
Standard continental two pin plugs and three pin plugs (with earth) are used. A two pin plug will fit in a three pin socket. Americans with 110V equipment will need a transformer which can be purchased at most ironmongers while the British will only need a plug adapter which is easy to find and, if all else fails, can almost always be purchased at the airport.

Emergency Services & Health Care
The emergency medical services are good and in virtually every town and city, you can dial a special number for the emergency services (Servicios de Urgencias). For example, in Málaga it is 061 for an ambulance, 080 for the fire service and 091 for the police. There are also 24-hour private medical centres throughout the Costa del Sol, many of which have bilingual staff. Social security patients don't pay for ambulance services and private patients are generally reimbursed by their private health insurance (or travel insurance). By law, taxis are obligated to transport medical emergencies to hospital when requested to do so. If you are physically able, you can go to a hospital emergency or casualty department (urgencia) or a 24-hour public health clinic. Check in advance which local hospitals are equipped to deal with emergencies and the quickest route from your home. This information may be of vital importance in the event of an emergency, when a delay may mean the difference between life and death.

In an emergency, a hospital must treat you, regardless of your ability to pay. Most pharmacies post a list of local clinics and hospitals where emergency medical treatment is available. If you're unable to visit your doctor's surgery, a doctor will visit you at home at any time of day or night. If you need a doctor or medicine in a non-urgent situation and are unable to contact a doctor, ring the telephone information service 1003 or your local police station, either of whom will give you the telephone number of a doctor on call or the address of the pharmacy that is open.

Telephone
Telephoning home from Spain is not difficult. The international direct dial access code is 00.
Dial 00 plus the country code plus the area code and phone number. (Don't forget you may need to drop an '0' before the area code) Inland phone numbers to fixed lines all begin with a 9 and have 9 digits. Local calls always require the area code beginning in 9. Almost all numbers in Andalucia are 95 plus seven digits. All mobile phone numbers now begin in a 6.

Telephone booths, cabinas telefónicas, in the street are quite common. Calls are charged by the 'paso' (a time unit). At telephone call centers like the picture above, you make your call from the individual cubicle and pay at the desk afterwards. 'Telefonica' telephone cards, tarjetas teléfonicas, can be purchased from the tobacconist and the post office. These are inserted into the slot in the public phone. They do not offer cost saving but are more convenient than coins. Some modern phone only accept card. Sometimes the coin slot is broken and you can only use a card.

Other local and international telephone companies now sell discount call telephone cards. These can be purchased at newsagent and other retail outlets. You do not place them in the phone but call a free-phone number and enter your card number.

Time zone
GMT/UTC plus 1 hour in winter, or two hours in summer (from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September)

For information we also refer to the following web sites:
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga.htm
http://www.lonelyplanet.lycos.com/europe/spain/facts.html

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last update: June 17, 2002