Art on the Costa del Sol

Wonderful artistic heritage and a quality of light which attracts painters from all over the world. Interested? Click here now

Malaga

1. The Picasso Museum – This is a wonderful celebration of the work of Malaga born Pablo Picasso, housed in a stunning old building in the winding streets of Malaga Old Town. The exhibition is chronological and charts the course of Picasso’s work from some stunning pencil sketches by him as a boy and through his most famous styles – cubism, the Mediterranean, portraiture and his reinterpretation of great masters. The museum is open seven days a week and tickets are 7€. There is a free one-hour guided tour every Wednesday at 12pm in English. Find out more

2. Museo Carmen Thyssen – This museum is full of stunning Spanish art through the ages. There are works from Spain and Europe dating from the 13th to 17th centuries, wonderful depictions of Andalucia and a great selection of Fin de Siecle pieces from painters including Regoyos, Casa, Sorolla and Iturrino. As well as the well hung and carefully chosen pieces in this light, bright gallery, they have regular temporary exhibitions, a café and shop. This is always quiet and a lovely place to enjoy Spanish art. Tickets cost 6€ to see the permanent collection and can be bought online or at the gallery. Find out more

3. Colección del Museo Ruso – Surprisingly, one of the best places to see Russian art outside of Russia is in Malaga! Housed in a stunning old Tabacco Factory, this is a reference point for the Russian culture in Europe. It has a wonderful selection from the Russian State Museum collection which is refreshed each year and gives a great insight into the history of Russian art. Until January 2018 the main exhibition is about the Romanov Dynasty and they have two other temporary exhibitions which change a few times a year. Tickets to see the permanent collection are 6€, or you can buy a 8€ ticket which gets you in to both the temporary and permanent collection. Insider’s Tip – Don’t try to find this on foot, you’re better off taking a short bus ride or taxi as it’s a little way out of the centre. Find out more

4. CAC Malaga – Widely considered to have the best contemporary art collection in Malaga, this free museum is a must see. They have a good permanent collection and regularly changing temporary exhibits and as it’s free, it’s great to just pop in and take a look and introduce the family to a bit of modern art. Many people say the collection is as good as the Pompidou without the admission charge! Find out more

5. Pompidou Malaga – The Pompidou Malaga is located in the great port area of Malaga Muelle Uno and is unmissable as it has a huge coloured glass cube on the top! It brings some wonderful contemporary art from the French Pompidou collection into Malaga and aims to make modern art more accessible. The collection is relatively small, but includes pieces by some of the greats including Chagall, Giacometti, Magritte, Kahlo and Picasso and mixes paintings, sculptures and video installations. They have regular events, check on their website for details. Entrance tickets are 7€ to see the permanent collection, or 9€ to see the permanent and temporary exhibits, under 18s are free. Find out more

Mijas

CAC Mijas – Mijas is a very popular location for artists to live and work and in this pretty village you will find lots of works by local artists to enjoy and take home with you. Mijas is also home to CAC Mijas, a lovely gallery which focusses on the work of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. The permanent exhibition is a collection of 43 ceramic pieces by Picasso and then they have two further exhibition rooms for temporary exhibitions. It is a small gallery but well worth the 3€ ticket price (under 18s go free). Find out more

Marbella

1. Museo Ralli Marbella – The Ralli Museum is located on Marbella’s Golden Mile, just off the seafront and is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary Latin American art. It has one of the most important collections of Latin American art in the world and it is free to visit. It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 3pm. Find out more

2. Engraving Museum – This cute little museum is located in a historic building in Marbella’s Old Town and has a wonderful collection of engravings and graphic art focussing predominantly on Spanish artists. The exhibitions change regularly and it is open on Monday and Saturday mornings, Tuesday to Friday 9am to 7pm. Find out more

3. Marbella Art Fair – As well as these permanent exhibitions and private galleries which can be found in the Marbella Club Hotel and also along the Golden Mile there is a contemporary art show each summer in Marbella’s Palacio de Congresos. In 2017 the fair took place in the final week of July and was open in the evenings from 6pm to 10.30pm and there were a huge number of different artists exhibiting. Ticket prices were 15€ for adults and 8€ for children between 6 and 17, younger children go free. Check the website for dates and details for next year’s event. Find out more

Estepona

Tour the Murals – Estepona is a great town for art, with 27 stunning artworks around the town that you can visit. There is a walking tour where you can enjoy the works of art and see the town at the same time! This is an excellent way for kids to start to appreciate art without the stuffy gallery setting, so is recommended for families, but restrict the route, as it is a bit much for little legs.

If you want to visit the murals of Estepona and like culture, we recommend visiting in July to take part in the cultural summer event. As part of the Estepona Feria there is art, dance and music on the streets of Estepona and this is a great way to see the town at its best and enjoy wonderful culture.

We offer a great selection of vacation rentals on the Costa del Sol, within easy reach of all these great art galleries, please browse our selection here on the website, or contact us for recommendations.