Costa del Sol: Malaga mayhem

Malaga mayhem

THE BEGINNING of the festive season has left an unprecedented image of Malaga, with streets full of people, empty public transport and bars and restaurants so full that they cannot serve all the customers. The draw of the Christmas lights show attracts more people every year and with it comes the queues everywhere: to enter the public car parks, to eat or have a coffee, even to buy a lottery ticket.

Those trying to reach the centre by car were caught in huge traffic jams.  Many Malaga visitors prefer to use public transport, to avoid problems with the car. Although suburban and subway trains were also overflowing with users.

Hotels and tourist apartments have been booked up for months in advance with one hopeful visitor and her family having to rent an apartment in Torremolinos, because “for more than two months we had not found anything in the capital.”  At the gates of Vialia, taxi drivers complained about traffic chaos. “There are no drivers able to circulate the city. I had to leave clients at the port to walk into town.”