Lagunillas - the art district of Malaga!

Discovering the real Soho of Malaga

A few meters behind the famous La Plaza de La Merced You can enter a street art gallery! From there, it's a few steps to Alcazaba, Picasso's birthplace, the very center of the city, but if you want to see graphic gems - Lagunillas mark in your notebook as: WORTH SEEING!

Due to its location, the district was intended to be a modern, tourist extension of Malaga's center, but the plans diverged from their implementation. Some old houses were demolished, other typical Andalusian buildings remained, and still others, abandoned premises and plots handed over to the local government, fell into increasingly greater ruin.

Art as an answer to the crisis

GPT The colorful urban landscapes, which the district is proud of, are a response to the stagnant crisis and the lack of job opportunities for its residents. Under the initiative of artist Miguel Ángel Chamorro, the organization Fantasía en Lagunillas was founded, which began organizing artistic workshops for the youth seeking escape through art. As a result of this activity, Plaza Esperanza (Hope Square) was born, a street parking transformed into a basketball court and a meeting place.

The mural route is best started on Calle Huerto del Conde, where Picasso's "Guernica" often goes unnoticed by the bustling passersby.
On other paintings, we see the immortalized local dancer Pepito Vargas, who accompanied figures such as Lola Flores, Concha Piquer, and Camarón, or "El Chamorra", a singer from Malaga.

Another mural hero is "La Cañeta", a singer who began his career as a child performing in the famous tavern El Pimpi, and with his talent conquered the best Madrid tablaos (flamenco bars). Along the way, in nameless alleys, we'll see anonymous faces and distant landscapes. Legend has it that the old woman from one of the paintings scratches cars that park in front of her face…

Here, you can also find the creative hub La Polivalente, where jam sessions and interesting intimate concerts take place.

After all, see for yourself and let yourself be carried away by the labyrinths of colorful streets, adorned with beautiful paintings, each telling you its own story…