El Palo is a district of the city of Malaga. It is situated in el Distrito Este, around 8,7 km away from the city center. El Palo embraces such quarters as Villa Cristina, Miraflores del Palo, El Drago, Las Cuevas, La Pelusa, Miramar del Palo;,el barrio de Playas del Palo, Echeverría del Palo and Pedregalejo. Nonetheless, traditionally all the zone between el Monte San Antón y el mar Mediterráneo is concidered as “El Palo”.
It is interesting to look at the history and the explications of the name of it. There are many theories about it, so let´s point out some. The most popular one is that in around 1908 there was a tram stop with a big wooden stick (stick = palo in Spanish) and this is why the zone was started to be called like this, supposedly. Another theory says that there were, as in all the beaches of the area at that time, some sticks (palos in sp.) anchored at the shore which might have brought the name to the district too. The last theory which is worth to be pointed out here refers to a magic story about the queen Reina Concha who was killed by a panda bear and a huge sculpture of her was put in the district after what people started to shout “el Palo” which made the queen revive and become immortal. In sum, there are many options to chose, when thinking about the origin of this district´s name…
The main activity of this district has been always successfully concentrated on the fishing. However, It is also known for its olive, almond and vine cultivation. In the past it was an economically weak district, though. It kept on being depressed due to the lack of good connections to the centre of the city. In the beginning of 20th century there was a great change – the tram line was prolonged and a train connecting the city and el Palo appeared. Later, during the Second Spanish Republic, el Palo was influenced by the left wing thus the activities and the employment were promoted.
Nowadays, el Palo is a very beloved district by those who want a calm moment at the beach and a lunch in one of the chiringuitos (beach bars) that offer the tastiest fish in Malaga.
So, while studying at Academia CILE you will be able to join as for a beach day in el Palo, which, as you see, is a special district of the city. Are you about to join us?
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