The Alcazaba

In front of you begins the Alcazaba, the fortified palace of Islamic Málaga. Even if you don't go in, from here you can see how it hugs the hill: zigzagging walls, square towers and cypresses, all stepped up above the Roman Theatre.

1How the visit works

The way up is a winding path through a series of gates set at angles – a defensive design meant to slow down any attacker. The first is the Puerta de la Bóveda; higher up is the Arco de Cristo, where, according to tradition, the first Mass was said after the conquest of 1487. At the top wait the Nasrid palaces, with courtyards, pools and gardens that recall the Alhambra, although they are older in origin.

2From neglect to restoration

After the Castilian conquest the fortress gradually fell out of use. The earthquake of 1680 and the French bombardment of 1693 damaged it, and in the 19th century its walls ended up crowded with humble houses. In the 1930s the historian Ricardo de Orueta and the architect Leopoldo Torres Balbás, among others, drove its recovery: the houses were cleared and the walls and palaces restored.

From the top you look out over the port, the cathedral and the Paseo del Parque, the next stop.

If you still have the energy, a walled path called the Coracha climbs up to Gibralfaro Castle on the hilltop.

3What to look for

• The Roman capitals reused in arches and columns.
• The double ring of walls, one inside the other.
• The zigzag entrance, designed for defence.