Two Costa del Sol hotels at the airport: pick the right one

Each year Monumental Callao hosts ART.MO, an international contemporary art festival that fills the exhibition rooms of Casa Fugaz from about April to August. The 2024 edition brought 48 artists from 14 countries under a theme about masks and identity. Themes change every year, so check the programme on the Monumental…

Chim Pum Callao is the port's big salsa concert, held on a Saturday in mid-August at the Campolo Alcalde stadium in La Perla, around the city anniversary. The 2024 line-up included El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, and the municipality sponsors it. Tickets are sold through Teleticket, so buy early, and plan to arrive in…

Callao has a deep salsa tradition, and the Pasaje de la Salsa in Callao Monumental is where it spills into the street. Live orchestras play there on Saturdays and Sundays, and the passage is also lined with street art, so arrive in the afternoon to see both. Programmes shift, so check the Monumental Callao channels…

Callao Monumental has art and design stores run by independent designers and artists, a better place for souvenirs than a generic gift stand. They sit in and around Casa Fugaz and Pasaje Galvez, so combine them with a gallery visit between late morning and late afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday. Ask who made a piece, since…

The rooftop of Casa Fugaz gives an elevated view of Real Felipe, Plaza Grau and the working harbour, a very different angle from street level. Come in the afternoon, since the building keeps Tuesday to Sunday daytime hours, and weekend afternoons often bring a DJ or a local band. Rooftop tables are reserved by email…

Walk the Malecon Pardo in the last hour of daylight for open Pacific views toward the San Lorenzo and El Fronton islands. Mirador Pardo is a good place to stop, and you can continue on foot to the La Punta lookout. Boats move through the bay at that hour, so keep a long lens handy. If the sea looks rough, check local…

Casa Fugaz is the Ronald building of 1928, a neoclassical block whose marble passage links Jiron Constitucion and Jiron Independencia. Exhibition rooms, three independent galleries and ten artist workshops rotate shows through the year, and the press describes the exhibitions as free. Go Tuesday to Sunday in daylight…

The Abtao is a former Navy submarine you can enter at Plaza Grau, and the visit shows the command centre and how the crew lived. The museum's own site lists Wednesday to Sunday, 9:30 to 4:30, holidays included, while older guides still say Tuesday, so do not arrive early in the week. Book through the museum website…