When the traditional lights switch-on button has made its appearance, the city dresses up in lights and colours for a very special season.
This day marks the start of the Christmas season here in the city of Malaga, and the light show comes to life once again. A spectacle that is already known worldwide and has received awards. Hundreds of tourists come to the city to enjoy this time of year here and it really is very special.
Malaga is not a city where there is frost or very intense cold. Since I have been here the minimum temperature has been 0 degrees and having endured 16 degrees below zero in Argentina, it doesn't seem cold to me. But the locals wrap up very, very warm at this time of year.
Cold or not, the Christmas season in Malaga is very special. I attended the lights switch-on event, and filmed it all, at some point I will bring it here to Hive on video, but after that day where hundreds of people were crowded together, I have been able to walk the streets to pay specific attention to the decorations and how these days are experienced in the streets of the city. And soon I will be there to film the show, plus the three Christmas markets in the city.
My tour today starts in Calle Compañía, where we can find the famous Carmen Thyssen Museum and from afar I could see the Plaza Constitución with its lights and its traditional Christmas tree. But first I had to walk along this street which is full of restaurants, shops and, as I mentioned, the museum.
Once I got to the square, I walked along its entire length to see the gigantic tree, where people lined up to have their pictures taken, but also to see all the decorations that had been put up in the square.
The natural trees also have lights and the combination of the natural, plus the Christmas tree and the fountain in the square made an artistic and harmonious whole.
If I looked up at the skies, a myriad of cables crossed the sky, and although it was at night and I could not see them, I do know that they support all these enormous decorations, which are not visible in the photographs, but they have movement. The atmosphere is festive and all the people are very happy.
The Plaza Constitución has the famous Marqués de Larios street at one end and I continued my way along it. It is there that the decorations you see are the stars of the aforementioned light show, the duration of which can vary, depending on the number of carols and songs, but is usually between eight and twelve minutes.
This show is performed three times a day at three different times after nightfall, approximately two hours apart. This decoration is already a classic in the city.
When I arrived in 2018 the decoration was different, but the last four years, after receiving the award for the best Christmas light show, it has been repeated and it is really beautiful.
Columns of lights in two colours, with wreaths at the end and holding up a myriad of giant angels which in turn are linked together by dangling decorations full of glitter. Of course the traditional street lamps of Calle Larios are specially decorated and always present.
What has changed, but will be the subject of another day, are the decorations of the inner streets of the city. Both in the historic centre and in the streets of the neighbourhoods. I have noticed that they have changed a lot and I personally liked the change.
Always in the middle of the main street we can see street performers and there were some, but what caught my attention was a couple dressed up as Father Christmas and his lady who were there especially for the children.
Then, on my tour, I took a little detour off the main street to get to an area that I particularly love which is the intersection of the Cathedral, with a five star hotel and Plaza Marina.
The hotel was luxuriously decorated, it had never had this gigantic tree decoration in front of it before and it shone so brightly, it was beautiful. And for my taste, the cathedral of the city is always a real beauty, whether it is Christmas or not.
In front of it they always put up a special tree, where people can leave messages and that's a very nice thing, they are like requests that people make and it was already full of those little nuggets and very nice lit up.
I tried to observe the streets around me, before crossing to visit Plaza Marina and I could see a car with lights marking the beginning of one of the Christmas markets. But don't worry I will be back, but the city is very big and the decorations are many.
Cross the avenue to reach the next square where the city's other giant tree stands. This square is emblematic because it is part of the city's port and around it you can see those beautiful towers and further away the port's own buildings. All of them properly illuminated. The city is pure fiesta.
The flower beds had recently been changed in colour, with red and white flowers, the town hall is always attentive to every detail.
One sweet stall was in the square, many others were closed.
The main streets of the city, which are avenues, such as Alameda Street, were so decorated that it seemed that their trees were lights and that they were going to touch the people like illuminated mantles. It was beautiful.
I had already turned around and could see the other end of Calle Larios from where days ago the button was pressed that started all this that you see now.
While the decorations of the shops were not going to be my subject for this post, I loved this decoration. All the shops are dressed in festive clothes and that is pure joy.
The street you see now is called Alameda Principal and as I was telling you the trees on both sides of the avenue form a tunnel of tree tops and on this occasion they are decorated with these lights which are marvellous. They hang from them and it looks like they are going to brush against cars, buses and people.
I really enjoyed admiring these decorations and even more so in the moonlight, which seemed to be dimmed but I always keep it in mind.
Lights that look like garlands that fall softly, and at the same time illuminate everything in their path. This avenue has never been more beautiful.
Today I wanted to show you how beautiful the city is in its main places, the most emblematic, the most touristic and the most central.
It is really a pleasure to walk and stroll through the streets when they are dressed like this. All the people stroll and admire all this.
Thank you very much for joining me today. I send you my best regards. See you soon.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own.
Separators created by me in Photoshop.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
//:# (!worldmappin 36.720944 lat -4.421727 long Christmas in Malaga - Lights, party, joy and lots of colour 📷 Malaga - Spain d3scr)
