I went on an hour's tour in the afternoon with Mohammed Naciri (tel: 0034628801198), a local tour guide. It was fascinating and his talk about Moorish culture made the Alcazaba come alive for me. I also spent a quiet morning alone at the Alcazaba in the morning and it was just what I needed, together with free entry as it was 'International Tourism Day'. I was able to wander round the Alcazaba, as it was 10am, it was pretty quiet and there was a lovely cafe with wonderful views serving rioja and coffee. The history of the Alcazaba is fascinating and I recommend Mohammed as a knowledgeable and educated guide who explained a lot about the significance of all the water features and gardens and the cultures of the people who had built and inhabited the fort. The building is in excellent condition and has obviously undergone a lot of refurbishment.

This is a very impressive site that reminds you of the level of skill and the immense work that went into the building of cities in the past. The visit is not guided and people are free to roam the ins and outs of the fortress as they please. For those who have a particular interest in this period in history, the site evokes pictures of what it must have been like to live day to day, or to be under attack in this place. The views of Malaga port are fantastic. There are no amenities at the site, so you may want to take some water or a snack with you. I feel there could have been more interpretation; however, overall it is well worth the time and price of admission.

Excellent visit very enjoyable better we than expected Really enjoyed Alcazaba really recommend it .The cafe is a great spot to relax and enjoy the view. The castle is also great a very steep walk need good shoes a drink and a hat on a hot day. We stayed in the shopping area which was good but a bit short on places to eat but it was early season. We used public transport to get to the beach and harbour very good and cheap £1.80 euro pay on bus with coins . We also used the train from the airport lots of English speaking help to buy tickets so easy right across the concorse from the airport very cheap and convenient. Again a couple of Euro compared to 25 euro for a taxi. Shopping is good the store El Cortes de Ingles is like a big House of Frazer and the other shopping centre was next to our hotel Centro by Melia and had a massive supermarket and lots of recognisable shops Zara, H&M Primark. Hotel breakfast was very good there is a small outside terrace.All the staff were lovely and helpful.If we stayed again we would like to be nearer the beach. The Margareta beach was lovely sun beds and parasols available 15 euros for 2.The beach toilets are not recommended find a cafe!! We went the end of March the weather was much hotter than we had anticipated which was great 27/28 c in day 17/19 in evening. We would definitely return it was a perfect 5 day break.

The Alcazaba is incredible affordable to visit, and if I’m correct actually offers free entry from time to time also. The grounds and buildings and fantastic to wander around although there is little information on them. The views of Malaga old town are lovely and well worth a trip if you would like to see the city from above.

This wonderful monument was right opposite our balcony so we got great views of it all the time. It is beautiful in the day but even better at night when it is lit up and it drips history from every angle. True, it is just a ruin but it is well kept and definitely worth a visit. You can buy a ticket for about €3 for it on its own or €5 if you want to visit the castle as well. My advice would be to get there early before the cruise ships arrive and you will have a much more relaxing experience.

It's a really nice place to visit in the evening when the sun isn't so hot as there is little shade inside. If you go an hour or so before it closes there aren't many people there and you can really appreciate the architecture. You can visit for 30 mins or you could easily spend 3 hours there really looking at everything in detail. There are some nice places to look at views over Malaga (the port, the cathedral, etc.). I would say it is one of the most instagrammable places to visit in Malaga and it is relatively cheap to visit too.

This ancient Moorish Castillo is a most impressive castle. The grounds are amazing and the architecture is stunning. Many historical artifacts are displayed as well as mosaics, and other items. A small cafe offers snacks and beverages at reasonable prices. This is truly an impressive place.

Granted it is smaller, this was still a great opportunity to walk round a sensitively kept Moorish gem without it being absolutely packed with tour groups. It has everything you would expect - traditional gardens with geometric design, lots of water features, classic Med and north African planting, geometric tiling and amazingly intricate plaster work. The combo ticket with Gibralfaro for E5.50 is a great price. Wear sensible shoes as it is steep in parts and there are lots of uneven surfaces

Do you like Moorish architecture, beautiful gardens, historical settings and a great view if Malaga? Then this is the place to go! You can buy tickets for both the palace Alcazaba and the castle ruin located higher up on the hill overlooking Malaga, but we settled for only Alcazaba. We spent about one hour there and took some nice pictures. I’m enclosing some samples, hope you like them!

The famous fortress, or literally citadel, Alcazaba de Malaga is comprised of two walled enclosures. It was originally connected to the city ramparts that formed a third defensive wall, now only two inner wall remain. The second inner area of the fortress was completely enclosed and punctuated with several defensive towers. The outer citadel is accessed through the “Puerta de la Boveda” or Vault Gate, then the gate doubles back, a design to make it nearly impossible for a surprise takeover of the fortress. We walked some of these dark stone returns imagining the an invader’s shock at what he would find around the next corner. There is a lot of climbing in these old ruins, which will warm you up even if the sun doesn’t. The pathway we were on wound up to the enclosed gardens and lovely fountains, where we all took turns posing for photos. We then passed through the Gate of the columns, later called the Tower of Christ, that also served as a chapel. Another inner enclosure is accessed through the Gate of the Granada Quarters that acts as the defense for the western side of the palace. This is one place you would not want to go to uninvited (or at a minimum without a tour guide!).