Avenida del Comandante Benítez, Malaga

I walked along Avenida Agostina Heredia to the Guadalmedina river and turned onto the right bank embankment (Avenida del Comandante Benítez). It bears the name of a native of Málaga who died heroically defending Annual during the Second Moroccan War.

The river's mouth is located in the port area, before which it is crossed by four bridges – the Carmen bridge, the Antonio Machado bridge, and beyond them, the trusses of the old railway bridge and another in the port. To the left is the García Lorca College, and beyond that, a high-rise building with interesting examples of modern monumental painting.

From its mouth to the Percel bridge, the Guadalmedina still resembles a full-flowing river, thanks to the fact that there was once an old harbor with a dredged bottom here.

Further on, the riverbed is completely dry, and even overgrown in places with grass.

Only on the sides are concrete channels for rainwater drainage.

The lower reaches of the river practically disappeared after the Limonero Dam, north of the city, was dammed. The river only comes alive during the rainy season.

Now the dry riverbed is used by residents for walks and sports.

The concrete-clad banks are covered with cheerful graffiti.

On the Comandante Benitez embankment is the Center for Contemporary Art (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo), which I will discuss in the next article.

The Puene del Prtcel pedestrian bridge, more commonly known to Málaga residents as the Bridge of the Center for Contemporary Art (Puente del Centro de Arte Contemporáneo), also crosses the river here.