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Illegible signs, mystery buses and rundown attractions: Get ready to face these problems when you visit Malaga

The capital of the Costa del Sol is a wonderful tourist hotspot, but it’s not without its nuisances for visitors

The City Council of Malaga has come under fire for its poor signage, which is leaving tourists to the popular Costa del Sol city perplexed and lost.

One of the worst problems visitors face when travelling to the holiday destination of Malaga is working out how the public transport system works.

With the information shown on the city’s bus stops, it is near impossible for anyone who is not proficient in gobbledygook to tell where each bus goes.

The EMT bus line 2 provides a very good example, as La Opinión de Málaga points out, with many tourists routinely left wondering if the bus will drop them near the botanical gardens, the Jardín Botánico-Histórico de La Concepción.

“As has always been the case,” they state, “the information about the line contains absolutely nothing that comes close to information.”

The more adventurous visitors end up asking the locals waiting at the stop, they went on to say, while many just end up not taking the bus at all.

The EMT bus stops are full of symbols, signs, pictograms and hieroglyphics, but it should be the easiest thing in the world to place the name of La Concepción next to the bus line on the bus stops’ information boards.

Alas, the City Council doesn’t seem to be up to such a challenge as yet.

Signs of the times

It’s not only the bus system which leaves a lot to be desired in Malaga, though. The signage at the busy junction of Calle Granada and San Agustín that used to indicate which direction the popular Picasso Museum was in has not been replaced in forever.

And the jumble of signs and panels that are pretty much attached to the church of El Sagrario is both unsightly and inexplicable since the church has been a recognised Asset of Cultural Interest since 1931, and these signs intrude on the most valuable part of it – the old main mosque.

Signs aren’t the only problem for Malaga’s tourist industry, though. The city’s Mirador de Gibralfaro viewpoint is in a state of near decrepitude, and the City Council seems to be unwilling to do anything about it any time soon.

The only ones who do occasionally clean it up is the Parks and Recreation service, even though it’s not actually within their remit to do so.

Malaga is an incredible city to visit, but get ready to be frustrated with some of the tourist facilities.

Image: Wikimedia commons

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