Alcazaba
- from EUR 5.50
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 9
1 / 9
Why go
- The Taifa Palace’s triple arcade with an alfiz, inspired by Córdoba’s style.
Opening hours
Today09:00 – 20:00Show all
Don't miss
- Puerta de la BóvedaBadis built this entrance fortification with a bent entry.Entrance fortifications
- Puerta del CristoBadis built this entrance fortification as part of the fortress defenses.Entrance fortifications
- Arco del CristoA bent passage through a tower, reached by a stepped ramp.On the route to the upper enclosure
Know before you go
- Open daily, 09:00–20:00.
- The Barrio Castrense is closed to the public; it contains eight houses, a bath and a cistern.
- Some outer-enclosure areas, including the 30-metre Pozo Airón well, are closed to the public.
What's inside
- The Cuartos de Granada were courtyard residences for kings and governors.
- The inner enclosure is reached through Puerta de los Cuartos de Granada, which guards the palace’s west wing.
- The southernmost palace is the only surviving palace from the Taifa period.
- A 16th-century chamber contains a model of the fortress.
- Rooms in the palace are used for temporary exhibitions.
- Roman concrete walls, slate pools used to make garum—a Roman fish sauce—and a dungeon survive among the archaeological remains.
Tips for your visit
- The outer entrance climbs through several gates and doubles back twice.
- After Puerta de las Columnas, the route climbs to Arco del Cristo.
- The gardens lead through Puerta de las Columnas towards the governor’s apartments.
Interesting facts5
-
The Alcazaba’s hill was occupied by Phoenicians from around 600 BC; remnants of a Phoenician fortification wall were found there.
Alcazaba of Málaga - Wikipedia -
30 oblong
Its enclosure has 30 oblong towers and 20 fortified gates.
Alcazaba (Malaga) - Wikipedia -
Its walls alternate layers of brick and rubble stone, following an ancient Roman tradition.
Alcazaba (Málaga) - Wikipedia -
The palace garden’s design was based on 16th-century engravings of Málaga.
Alcazaba (Malaga) - Wikipedia -
1931
It has been protected in Spain as a cultural-interest property since 3 June 1931.
Alcazaba (Malaga) - Wikipedia
Shorts
-
Málaga, Spain | The Alcazaba, Picasso Museum, Old Town & Costa del So…TwosomeVoyage
-
AlcazabaVictoria Keyman
-
🏛️ Málaga Roman Theatre & Alcazaba Fortress | Ancient Spain Comes to …Undiscovered Spain
-
AlcazabaMitja Kastrevc
-
Lovely views Malaga City Roman Theater, Alcazaba Costa del SolKriel Jan
-
Time lapse - Sunset Webcam in Malaga, La Alcazaba - Costa del Sol - A…meteo365es
-
Time lapse - Webcam in Malaga, La Alcazaba - Costa del Sol - Andalusi…meteo365es
History
The Alcazaba became a seat of city government in the second half of the 14th century. An earthquake in 1680 and French bombardment in 1693 contributed to its deterioration; Napoleon’s forces partly destroyed it during an early-19th-century siege.
- 8th centuryAn early fortress and mosque stood on the hill.
- 11th centuryThe Hammudid dynasty began the present fortress, with two walled enclosures and palace buildings.
- 1056Badis took Málaga and added a double wall and major entrance fortifications.
- Nasrid periodMuhammad II rebuilt much of the fortress, including its defenses and palatial residences.
- 14th centuryYusuf I built La Coracha, a walled corridor connecting the Alcazaba with the higher Gibralfaro Castle.
Show all
- 1487Málaga surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella on 18 August. They raised their standard at the Torre del Homenaje.
- 18th centuryThe fortress lost its military role, and civilians lived in the upper enclosure.
- 1933Evacuations, restoration and archaeological investigations began under Leopoldo Torres Balbás.
How to get there
- On footApproach from Málaga’s old town at the foot of the hill, on Calle Alcazabilla. The main entrance is through Puerta de la Bóveda.
Accessibility
- Lift An elevator on Calle Guillén Sotelo provides easier access.
Sources: Alcazaba of Málaga - Wikipedia · Málaga - Wikivoyage (see) · Historia · Historia · Alcazaba · Alcazaba (Málaga) - Wikipedia · Alcazaba de Málaga - Wikipedia · Alcazaba (Malaga) - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
How did Alcazaba’s gardens acquire their design?
Fernando Guerrero-Strachan Rosado based the design on 16th-century engravings of Málaga.
Was Alcazaba connected to Málaga’s city walls?
Yes. The city walls have since disappeared.
Has the whole Alcazaba fortress survived?
No. The original lower southern enclosure, Haza Baja, has been completely lost.
Who ruled Alcazaba after the Taifa period?
The Almoravids captured it in 1092, and the Almohads took control in 1146.
What occupied the hill at Alcazaba in Roman times?
A Roman villa and industrial facilities once occupied the hill.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.