Málaga Feria - Calle Larios

Málaga hosts its annual Feria in August each year. This years feria opened with a large MTV party on the beach during the early hours of Saturday morning. We decided to skip the delights of David Bisbal and The Pussy Cat Dolls and see what was happening later on in the opening day of the Feria.

We decided to go by bus so that I could enjoy a drink or two. The 5:10pm bus from Nerja turned out to be "the fast bus", only stopping at Torre del Mar. The "Crisis Economica" has seen the fare rise to 6 Euros 80 return, still value for money. An hour later and we were at the port of Málaga.

The first part of the trip was to se the feria within the town centre. This is held in a square at the top of Calle Larios. The street was decked out in typical feria decorations including the gateway at the start of Larios. Being the start of the feria it seemed a lot busier than the last time I visited. Large numbers of groups in fancy dress or matching printed T-shirts especially made for the feria, gave the feeling of one massive stag/hen night had hit the city.


Calle Larios dressed up for the Feria

The square was packed. The heat was not stopping anyone from partying. Most of the square was in the shade and special "air con" units, cool water sprays were attached to the tops of the supporting poles. It was too hot and busy for us so we decided to find a bar in one of the many side streets in the centre. The question running through my mind, Where do they all go for a pee? Steady streams of the stuff washing down the calles was the quick answer. The Calles certainly lost there normal appeal. Treading extremely carefully up the street we dived into a bar for a bite to eat.


Party in the Square


Monica not too impressed with the river running down the Calle

The special of the day was a plate of Paella with a beer for 6 Euros. Not bad I thought, until I tasted the Paella. One piece of chicken and not a sign of seafood to be found. Certainly no where near Ayo’s standard. After a quick visit to the loos it seemed that everyone peeing in the streets had the right idea. A toilet at 7pm in the evening during the feria is definitely a "no go" zone.

It was time to head out to the main feria site, outside the city centre. The Ayuntamiento had publicised the buses as the best way of getting to the site. The masses of people waiting for the buses near Larios looked like the public agreed. Bus route 24 went from the nearby port, perhaps that would be quieter? It proved to be right, although it was a 15 minute wait for the bus. The 24 bus must be the slow bus, as it took 40 minutes to bet to the Feria ground.


Paella and beer for 6 Euro, Bargain?