National Geographic Day Tour: Community Spirit & Culinary Heritage
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Port
Malaga, Spain
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Activity Level
Strenuous
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$219.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Visit local neighborhoods and discover their traditions and the enduring community spirit. La Trinidad and El Perchel are two historic neighborhoods in Malaga, located in the city's historic center. These neighborhoods are often overlooked by tourists. During your visit, you'll have a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of Malaga and experience firsthand what the old neighborhood communities were like--and still are.
The Trinity neighborhood is bordered to the south by El Perchel, which boasts traditional architecture characterized by houses featuring patios or corralones. This neighborhood significantly influenced Malaga's history during the 19th century. Its origins date back to the construction of a convent and a church in 1488, built on the site of a royal camp established by Isabel La Católica during the siege of Malaga. El Perchel, located to the north of La Trinidad, was historically associated with the fishing industry since Roman times. Notably, this neighborhood is referenced in Cervantes' "Don Quixote," where it is translated into English as "Fish Market." Within this district lies "El Corralón de Santa Sofía," along with other traditional tenement houses that still stand today.
The Corralón de Santa Sofía is a beautiful corralón from the 19th century, where most residents live alone and often stay until they pass away. The Association La Alacena del Corralón, formed by the women of La Trinidad and El Perchel, aims to preserve the culture of the corralones and promote its historical, archaeological, musical, craft, and especially gastronomic heritage. They organize culinary experiences to foster socialization among participants and deepen their appreciation for popular culture. Events such as the Popular Week of the Corralones and Christmas in the Corralón are highlights, along with workshops, cooking demonstrations, tastings, and guided tours of the neighborhoods. Thanks to their efforts, traditional recipes like anchovies have been revived, as well as drinks such as florestel or floristel, a soft drink made from sweet wine or muscatel from Malaga mixed with soda. On the gastronomic routes through the corralones, you can sample various traditional dishes, including ajoblanco, gazpacho, maimones (bread soups), catfish soup, marinades of dogfish and mackerel, migas, fritters and tortillas, snails, meatballs in almond sauce, and hearty stews such as stew, tripe, cabbage, old clothes, or corralonero stew. Additionally, the neighborhoods are known for their traditional holiday sweets, including borrachuelos, pestiños, roscos de vino, corraloneros, mantecados, torrijas, and gachas, particularly associated with Christmas and Easter celebrations.