If you are going to be in Malaga, you can’t miss a walk along the most emblematic street of the city: Calle Larios.
La Larios Street in Malaga is an emblem of the city. We bring you the best article about Calle Larios where we will explain you why La Calle was built, how much the Larios family paid to be awarded the construction of Calle Larios, what it has to do with Chicago or why it was known as “the ballroom”.
Since its inauguration in 1891, it has become the most important street in Malaga and one of the most emblematic in the country . In fact, La Calle Larios of Malaga is given the privilege of being considered the most beautiful street in the world of the nineteenth century.
Nowadays it is a pedestrian street and a great commercial epicenter in the center of the city.
Larios Street Malaga
Before talking about the inauguration of Larios Street in 1891, we must go back to the 19th century. We must know that in the old days there was no street that connected the Plaza de La Constitución with the main Alameda, but it was a network of unhealthy streets overpopulated by humble people.
If you have strolled through central areas of Malaga such as Calle Granada, you will know that this set of narrow, labyrinthine streets belong to the Muslim period. The Arabs structured several cities in this way for two reasons:
- Military strategy: If any enemy managed to access the interior of the city (Medina), it would be very difficult for them to locate themselves and it would be easier for the local population to ambush the enemies.
- To avoid the heat: As there was so little space between streets, the sun could not enter the city centre, so it was a relief in the hottest months.
The area where Calle Larios is now in Malaga, was a hotbed of epidemics so the doctors of the time raised their voices about the need to solve the problem.
In 1880, the Town Hall decided to put out to public tender the construction of Larios Street in Malaga to avoid epidemics and to communicate the Alameda Principal with the Plaza de la Constitución.
Curiosities Calle Larios:
Next, we bring you a series of curiosities of La Calle Larios in Malaga that you are not going to find so easily:
- The Larios Family took 90% of the shares of the street and paid the City Council of Malaga 2 Million Pesetas. The Town Hall had no funds so they turned to the businessmen, in exchange for giving them houses in the future Calle Larios.
- Why were all the corners of Calle Larios round? Many of the epidemics that occurred were due to the poor ventilation of the area, so it was decided to build the corners round so that the breeze coming from the port was distributed throughout the area and was well ventilated.
- What is there in common between Calle Larios and Chicago? The architect of La Calle Larios in Malaga was Eduardo Strachan, who decided to be inspired by the rounded corners of the windy city to place them in Calle Larios.
- Why was La Calle Larios known as the ballroom? As surreal as it may seem, the first floor of La Calle Larios in Malaga was made of wood to give the street more luxury. The town hall had to prohibit the entrance of animals in the street so that they would not do their needs and finally some floods at the beginning of the 20th century made that the wood was removed from the street.
Inauguration of Larios Street
The Larios Street was inaugurated on August 27th, 1891 and owes its name to Manuel Domingo Larios y Larios, better known as II Marquis of Larios. This was a promoter of textile development in the city during the nineteenth century; a very important personality of Malaga at that time.
Controversy broke out at the inauguration, as in 1891 a period of economic recession was beginning in Malaga and the gap between the upper classes and the lower classes was widening.
There was a parade to inaugurate La Calle Larios in Malaga with floats of the most powerful families and they started to hand out peladillas among the attendees. This did not sit well with the poorest families who threw the peladillas at the floats.
Already in 2003, the Larios Street underwent a profound remodelling through which it acquired its present-day appearance. It then became one hundred percent pedestrian and was given a commercial focus, being one of the pioneering streets of its kind in Spain.
If we go to Larios Street in Malaga, we can find the most exclusive shops of the city. In addition, a multitude of bars, terraces, restaurants, ice cream parlors and a quite cheerful and idle atmosphere. You can’t leave Malaga and not have taken a nice walk along Calle Larios, enjoying the good mood of the locals.
How to get to Calle Larios
The Calle Larios in Malaga starts at the Plaza de la Constitución and goes to the Alameda Park. It is located in the heart of the city and not far from the port. You can understand then why its location is strategic, perfect to be in the center and at the same time close to other points of interest in Malaga.
Fashion lovers will find in Calle Larios their own amusement park. A huge number of establishments await anyone who wants to try new trends.
But you don’t need to hit the stores either. The Calle Larios in Malaga is also ideal for those who just want to stroll around, look at shop windows, have a drink, see sculptures window shopping, have a drink, see sculptures by different artists or enjoy one of the most charming avenues in Spain.
Larios Street in summer
During the summer, Calle Larios has an awning that covers the entire promenade and makes the heat not so suffocating.
In addition, for the Malaga Fair, which is held in August, Calle Larios is one of the most visited and picturesque places in the city. It is not uncommon to find the biznagueros offering their most lustrous bouquets to all passers-by. Click here if you want to know what the biznaga is and why it is another of the great distinctive signs of Malaga.
Calle Larios Malaga Christmas lights
Christmas is another of the best times of the year to visit Calle Larios. The shops are decorated for the occasion and we can also find the characteristic Christmas lighting.
Going for a walk at this time of the year is one of the favourite pastimes of locals and tourists who visit the city all year round.
If you are going to Malaga, apart from the Alcazaba or the beaches, you can’t miss the corresponding walk along Calle Larios, and you know it!
