Why go
The city's present-day coastal role did not emerge in one step. Early transport and airport development, political tension during the Republic, the Civil War and the later tourism boom each changed Málaga's relationship with its province and the wider Mediterranean.
The full story
The decline that followed Málaga's nineteenth-century industrial era carried into the early twentieth century. Agriculture became more important, industry contracted, and workers' movements and republican groups gained support amid political patronage and social inequality. New tram and suburban rail links, hydroelectric power and the founding of Málaga Airport in 1919 showed a city still investing in connections. Spain's neutrality in the First World War brought a temporary export boom, but the postwar fall in demand revived economic pressure. The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and the Second Republic brought further political contest. The 1930s culminated in Civil War, with Málaga's fall in February 1937 and the deadly flight of civilians toward Almería. Under Franco's dictatorship, tourism expanded along the Costa del Sol from the 1960s, changing the region's economy again. The waterfront and transport landscape make more sense when seen as outcomes of these repeated shifts rather than as a timeless resort setting.
Useful to know
- Connect the port and waterfront to the city's changing economic role across the century.
- For the Civil War chapter, focus on Málaga and the road toward Almería rather than a general national battlefield account.