How I Spent My First World Tourism Day in Malaga Spain
September 27 is World Tourism Day, and in Spain that means free entry to many museums and historic sites!
On September 27, 2022, I had only been in Spain for a few days, and at that point I was quite busy running around town getting everything I needed to feel settled. Luckily, a few older auxiliares de conversación (aka auxes, or in English, language teaching assistants) told me about World Tourism Day and invited me to go to Malaga with them to take advantage of the free museums and sites.
In this post:
Malaga Picasso Museum
Gloria Hoyos
Malaga Cathedral
My Recommendations
1. Malaga Picasso Museum
Around 11:00 AM, we hopped on the train from Fuengirola to Malaga, and we arrived in Malaga at about 11:45 AM. Then, my auxiliar friends led me to the Malaga Picasso Museum.
When we arrived at the Picasso Museum, we were a bit intimidated by the long line, which extended down the street a little over a block from the entrance of the museum. It made sense that there was a long line. The promise of free entry tends to attract people—after all, it sure was what brought us there that day!
Luckily for us, the line ended up moving pretty quickly, and we got inside within fifteen minutes. After leaving our bags at the coat check, we explored the museum, which was—unsurprisingly—quite busy.
The museum includes two floors full of Pablo Picasso’s artwork, as well as descriptions of his life and artistic styles. I really enjoyed getting a historical account of Picasso and the period in which he lived alongside his masterpieces.
2. Gloria Hoyos
After leaving the Picasso Museum, we decided it was time for lunch. My aux friends explained that they knew a great restaurant with a pretty cheap menú del día that had vegan/vegetarian options. The phrase, menú del día, made me pause. I knew that the literal translation of menú del día was menu of the day, but I didn’t understand its use in this context. My friends explained that, in Spain, a menú del día refers to a multiple course meal which is usually offered for lunch at a discounted price. That sounded great to me, so they brought me to the restaurant they had in mind: Gloria Hoyos.
Gloria Hoyos is a cozy little pub-style restaurant with big windows. Once we sat down, we all ordered the menú del día. For main courses, they had two options: chicken and vegetarian. So, I ordered the vegetarian menú. For only eight euros, the menú del día included lemonade, hummus and pita chips, vegetable curry over rice, and a coffee or dessert. There was a lot of food, and it was all delicious. I will definitely be returning.
3. Malaga Cathedral
Next, we visited the Malaga Cathedral (aka Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, or Our Lady of Incarnation). Located in Malaga’s centro histórico (historic center), the cathedral usually charges a fee to enter. But since it happened to be World Tourism Day, the cathedral offered free entry. Again, there was a bit of a line, but it only took about ten minutes before we made it inside. The architecture was grand and beautiful—just what you would expect from seeing the outside of the building.
When we left the cathedral, we decided to spend some time strolling around the centro histórico and Malaga Park. Sure, we could have squeezed in a couple more free museums or historic sites, but we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing outdoors and chatting with friends. Overall, I’d call my first World Tourism Day in Spain a success!
4. My Recommendations:
Make a list of the things you want to see ahead of time.
Before World Tourism Day begins, make a list of the free museums and historical sites that you want to be sure to visit. Since I didn’t know about the holiday until the day before, I didn’t have any sort of plan for what I wanted to see. I had a really fun day, but I definitely could have fit in more free museums and historical sites if I had planned it out in advance.
Start your day early.
If you want to pack in as much as possible, it’s important to head out early on World Tourism Day. Besides, since museums and historical sites are free, they are often quite busy, which brings me to my next recommendation…
Be prepared to wait in lines.
On World Tourism Day, many Spanish museums and historical sites offer free entry to the public. As a result, many locals and travelers wait until this holiday arrives to visit these places. So lines can be long. You may want to wear sunscreen and bring a bottle of water.
Now go out there and make the most of your own World Tourism Day!
