Wow, where to start. This is a spectacular Airbnb. Marian is attentive and prompt in his responses, and very genial/gracious. Thank you so much for letting us stay at your place! While we did not meet Marian in person, he was always available via messaging to quickly answer any questions or concerns we had. Both Katerina and Marian's niece Anna were kind and very gracious for check in and check out. ******************************************************************************************************
The apartment is deceptively large, with a separate living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms and a small enclosed terrace that would be lovely for morning coffee or an afternoon snooze. ****************************************************************************************************** There are mini-split air conditioning units in the living room, dining room and large bedroom. The smaller bedroom, kitchen, and terrace room do not have aircon; it must drift in from the living/dining areas. This made sleeping in the smaller bedroom a bit tough during really hot weather, so be aware. ****************************************************************************************************** Furnishings have a ton of character, and there is a LOT of old, beautiful woodwork. If you prefer staying at a sterile IKEA-staged Airbnb, this is NOT the place for you. If, however, you want to feel like you’re the lucky guests of your uncle the history teacher in an older classically designed architecturally significant building, , you’re in for a treat (we were the latter). It’s a lovely place with traditional decor and furnishings. ****************************************************************************************************** The entrance to the apartment is through an amazing inner courtyard full of tropical plants. We even saw a tree with a huge bunch of bananas hanging down! Also amazing flowers. Stepping into this courtyard, you could feel the outside air temp decrease. Plus, it just felt so beautiful and welcoming. We always enjoyed coming back to the apartment. ****************************************************************************************************** The location is beyond perfect. No hills to climb to get to anything you need. A great supermarket is 6 minutes walk (Mercadona on Calle Gutenberg, via Paseo de Reding) . Along the way you'll pass a popular corner cafe (Cafeteria Flor an artisanal pastry place (Confitería Aparicio), and a Pharmacy (Farmacia Molina) plus other great little shops. ******************************************************************************************************* It was a 30 second walk towards the center of town leads to a shaded promenade, which leads to Parque de Malaga, an amazing, shady park that has all kinds of exotic trees and plants. It was one of our favorite places to stroll, no matter the time of day. Even when it was 90º, it was always breezy and felt cooler on the promenade through the Parque. ****************************************************************************************************** There is also a GREAT churro place nearby where you can pick up freshly made churros each morning, or a small, affordable handmade sandwich (Amaro Churreria). Great vibe! ****************************************************************************************************** The beach (Playa la Malagueta ) is literally 5 minutes walk! And it’s gorgeous! A great place to soak in some sun, go for a dip, or (our favorite) people watch. Highly recommended. ****************************************************************************************************** We loved the central market (Mercado Central de Atarazanas), part of which dates back more than 700 years, to the time of the Moors). It’s a beautiful 18 minute walk, most along the shaded promenade or through the Parque de Malaga. ****************************************************************************************************** We also loved strolling around the narrow pedestrian streets. Such a great vibe, and such amazing history. And unlike some cities in Spain (like Barcelona), the old town does *not* smell like wee-wee. A touchy subject, yes. But we very much preferred the smells of Malaga! ****************************************************************************************************** Last but not least, if you have a car, DO NOT PARK in Parking Cervantes. Ignore the signs for long term parking unless you are a Spanish citizen!!! It cost us almost 100€ to park there for 3 days, and we had to pay cash (the machines and the office did not take any of our credit cards). Just 3 blocks away at Parking Muelle Uno, there are super nice folks who (using Ggl translate on your phone) will work with you for long-term parking. We parked at Muelle Uno for 11 days for only 99€… quite a difference. You can follow maps to drive your car into the underground garage of Muelle Uno, but when you go to pick it up, please DON’T use Ggl maps. The pedestrian entrance is down the ramp, just west of the large multi-colored cube of Centre Pompidou Málaga. Look for a big blue “P” sign. ****************************************************************************************************** We loved our stay in Malaga, in large part because Marian’s place is so beautiful and perfectly located. Thank you for hosting us, Marian!