Estatua del Biznaguero, Malaga, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Estatua del Biznaguero is a statue in the Jardines de Pedro Luis Alonso, beside Malaga town hall, that honours the street sellers of biznagas, the rounded bouquets of jasmine that are a symbol of summer in Malaga. It is a small stop, but it says a lot about the city's traditions, and it sits right at the foot of the Alcazaba.

The story behind it

A biznaguero is a street vendor who sells biznagas, the jasmine blossoms arranged into a ball and mounted on a stalk. For generations they have been a typical sight on summer evenings in Malaga, and both the flower balls and the people who sell them have become emblems of the city. The statue turns that everyday figure into a monument.

It stands in gardens named after Pedro Luis Alonso, a mayor of Malaga in the years after the Spanish Civil War. The gardens lie next to the town hall and just below the Alcazaba, the Moorish fortress above the city. Close by are the Jardines de Puerta Oscura, named after the Puerta Oscura, a gate of the Alcazaba's Moorish defences.

What to look for

• The figure of the biznaguero himself, and the biznaga he offers, which shows how this humble street trade is remembered.
• The walls of the Alcazaba rising above the gardens, a reminder of how close the Moorish fortress is to the modern town hall.
• The winding hillside path that leads up towards Gibralfaro Castle, visible from the gardens.
• The planting around the statue, which makes the gardens a shaded, green pause in the middle of the centre.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the statue and the gardens, longer if you sit and enjoy the view of the Alcazaba.
• It is an outdoor public space beside the town hall, so you can see it from the street; check current access if you plan a special visit.
• Early morning or late afternoon gives the softest light and fewer crowds, and summer evenings are when the jasmine tradition feels most alive.
• Combine it with the Alcazaba, the Roman Theatre and the Puerta Oscura gardens, all within a short walk.

See it on a quest

The Picasso Heist, Uncover the Secret in Málaga is a good way to see this corner of the city. You walk to the place on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in what is in front of you. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.