Málaga is like a treasure chest full of jewels! This city is perfect for people who like sunshine, beaches, golfing, wineries, architecture, great food, and hate being bored. There is so much to do here, not to mention all the cool places you can visit close by.
Málaga is situated in southern Spain, Andalusia on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun), along the Mediterranean Sea. There are almost 600,000 residents in this multi-facetted city. Tourism, agriculture, fishing, healthcare, education, technology, and construction has this place drawing people in from all sectors.
We were pleasantly surprised by how diverse Málaga was, and discovering it was cheaper than some of the more well-known destinations in Spain didn’t hurt either. While researching Malaga, I noticed many people saying you only need a couple days here. This is true if you are only hitting up the main attractions, but you could easily hunker down here for a few weeks enjoying all the activities, local excursions, and the endless number of cozy Tapa bars. Also, get ready to eat a lot of Iberian ham, because that stuff is served everywhere and it is scrumptious!
There are many Beach Resorts, Hostels, and Hotels you can stay at as well as an abundant number of vacation homes. I would recommend staying in old town if it is your first time visiting. It is very central to everything. You can rent bikes, uber or take the bus for 1euro to get to other areas, such as SOHO.
Malegueños love to celebrate! Actually, I think all Spaniards love to celebrate! Malaga has festivals throughout the year, and they go ALL out. Whatever they do, they do it with a bang! They embrace their culture and love sharing it with others. If you get a chance to visit during one of these times of the year, consider yourself lucky.
Some Popular Festivals Are...
- Carnival de Málaga. The main celebration lands 40 days before lent. Many people in north America know of it as “Fat Tuesday”. Think costumes, performers, parades, and parties in the streets.
- Semana Santa. This is a Catholic based celebration leading up to Easter. Intricately and ornately gold gilded thrones, candles, Catholic Brotherhood, musical processions, and song.
- Fería Internacional de Los Pueblos. Last week of April, into May. This is a beautiful celebration of people and cultures across the globe. This takes place in the neighboring town of Fuengirola.
- Noche de San Juan. The evening of June 23rd along the beaches of Málaga. Fires and late night dips in the sea, in celebration of Saint John the Baptist and their connection to the coast.
- Los Álamos Beach Festival. Early August. Dance and Electronic Music Festival.
- Feria de Agosto. Mid-August. This is the most popular festival in all of Málaga and takes place in the City Center during the day and at the Málaga fairgrounds on the edge of the city in the evening. Paper lanterns and flowers decorate the streets and fireworks go off to mark the beginning of the festival. Sherry and wine are being cheered and musicians and flamenco dancers set up to entertain. Everyone takes to the streets to join in the celebrations.
- Cala Mijas Festival. End of August. Yes please! This festival has huge headliners such as Florence and the Machine and Arcade Fire as well as many famous Spanish artists.
- Málaga Film Festival. March. Feature films, short films and documentaries celebrating Spain’s talents. Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are some of their most well-known.
*These are just a few, there are many more festivals I could mention. If you are a music lover, there are a ton of musical festivals that take place all throughout the summer months.
Old Town
This is the historical center of the city. You can spend a day walking down its narrow cobblestone streets, checking out cute shops and admiring the architecture.
Grab a coffee and some churros and sit and people watch while you dunk them in melted hot chocolatey goodness. This might just become a morning ritual for you!
Plaza de la Mercad is a beautiful square and the location of Picasso’s childhood home. They erected a 19th century bronze monument of Picasso to honour the artist who was born in Malaga. If you are a fan of his work, the Picasso Museum in Old Town showcases his art along with personal family photos. Make sure to book tickets ahead of time to ensure you get in.
Plaza de la Constitution is where many celebrations take place in the city. There is usually something happening there, so it is worth checking out. Connected to the Plaza is Calle Marques de Larios. This ritzy pedestrian street is full artists sculptures, boutiques, and high end shops all protected by the sunshades that hang above. The neoclassical architecture is reason alone to venture down.
Cathedral de la Encarnación (Málaga Cathedral) has one of the best views in the city. That is if you’re willing to take the 200 steps up to the top of the bell Tower. This grand church is remarkable, both inside and out. During the hot summer months, you’ll want to go early in the morning to ensure the rooftop is open.
Take a walking or Tapas Tour. Locals have so much insight of the history and culture of the people. They are proud of their city and enjoy sharing this knowledge. Whichever one you choose, make sure to ask where they like to go in the city to eat and drink. This is how we have found some of our favorite places that we share with you!
El Mesón de Cervantes Restaurant has Spanish style cuisine with a twist of Argentinian flair. The restaurant has a cool ambiance, and the dishes and cocktails are presented nicely on lovely dishware. It has an upscale vibe without being pretentious. The servers are fantastic and do a good job helping you decide on what items to order.
Ciao Granada Restaurant has the most incredible pasta. We walked past this place a few times and the aromas finally took hold. We sat down next to a couple from Germany. They told us that it was their 5th night in a row eating the Fagattini dish because they couldn’t stop themselves from wanting more. It is a purse shaped pasta, stuffed with pear, gorgonzola, and basil. Ty isn’t the hugest fan of blue cheese, so he opted for the Rigatoni dish… well, let me tell you, Ty would not stop eating mine! It was that good! I dream of this dish often and if I had a private jet, I would gas that baby up just to go there and eat it again!
Speakeasy “The Pharmacy” brings you back in time to the prohibition and artfully serves up intriguing cocktails that hit the mark every time. You will feel like you have entered a secret club with an invitation to relax and stay for the evening. Here you will be given the kind of medicine that has the cure!
Sala Premier is an Irish style pub with a quirky movie inspired décor and cozy little nooks to sit in. I had to include this for any Lord of the Rings fans out there, because the 2nd floor is all about it. Also, if you have a craving for beer, they have a good selection and beer specials on Thursdays.
Málaga Park
Just a short walk from the city center you will find this lush green oasis. This is the perfect place to go during the warmest hours of the day. The park extends to 30,000 square meters and is full of hibiscus, oleander, and birds of prey flowers, succulents, dracaenas, Palm, and cypress trees with parrots flying from branch to branch.
Málaga Promenade
Right beside Malaga Park is a 25km long Promenade along the sea. You can rent bikes, scooters and Segways and cover a lot of ground. This was one of our favorite things to do. The views are fantastic and there are so many kiosks, restaurants, and bars to stop at along the way. Later in the afternoon, buskers make an appearance, and the party begins.
Pompidou Center
Besides Paris, this is the only other Pompidou Center in the world. You can think of it as it’s younger sister. This modern 7,000 square meter art museum opened its doors in 2015 featuring 5 main exhibitions: Metamorphosis, the body in pieces, the political body, self-portraits, and the man without a face. You’ll know when you’ve arrived once you see the 16 meter high colourful cube. The coloured sheets allow light to shine through, transferring a beautiful hue down into the building below.
*The Pompidou Center is along the promenade.
Nusa Bar for Sunset
If you find yourself close to the promenade during sunset, this is a lively cocktail bar with excellent cocktails, friendly servers, good music, and a nice view. It’s a bit pricey, but so are most of the spots along here.
Catamaran Tour
An hour and a half Catamaran sunset and cocktail hour tour can be purchased for as little as $30. There are swimming and snorkelling tours that include paella, which sounds absolutely like a great day! We didn’t find this out until after we left, and I’m a bit bummed about it, but at least I get to share this info with you!
Beach Day
Playa de La Malagueta is a close and convenient beach to the city center. It will be busier in the summer months, so try to arrive early to claim your spot. You can also rent chairs with umbrellas for the day and order up bevies from the beach bar.
Chiringuito El Cachalote is family run restaurant that also rents out chairs for the day. The food is delicious and decently priced. The fire style anchovies and squid are standouts as well as the paella and sangria!
SOHO
SOHO is the hipster place to go. It is known as the art district of Málaga and once you walk the streets you will quickly see why. MAUS (Malaga Arte Urbano Soho) created a project to promote all mediums of art throughout the district. Street Art and graffiti can be appreciated all over the neighborhood. This is also the where the CAC Malaga (Contemporary Art Centre) is situated. SOHO offers a look into the locals and an escape from the crowds of the city center. They have some trendy artsy bars, cafés and locally owned shops with souvenirs that don’t scream “kitschy”.
Topic by Soho is a rooftop bar on top of the Soho Bahía Málaga Boutique Hotel. It has a modern crisp style with view of the port and the city. Definitely a nice place to relax with a cocktail and watch a sunset.
After being in Malaga for a couple days, you might be ready to venture out on a day trip...
Nerja and Frigiliana (50 mins by car)
Frigiliana
Frigiliana is a hillside village with whitewashed buildings with blue highlighted doors and windows. Both of these towns remined me of somewhere in Greece, especially with all the bougainvillea flowers everywhere. The Mudejar area is the highlight of the town, just get ready to walk some hills. I would go here early in the day and save Nerja for the later, because it gets extremely hot. The cobblestone roads are laid out in decorative patterns and the views are strikingly beautiful.
Nerja
It also has a ton of accommodations and lots of restaurants and party spots! Most of the accents we heard were British, I think it is a favoured getaway place for them. Exploring the underground caverns and hiking trails are also a popular thing to do here. Make sure to find the Balcón de Europa to get the best vistas, this is also where many festivities take place.
Caminito Del Ray (Kings little walk)
This hike hits high on our list of what to do in the area! I highly recommend you book with a tour. They pick you up a meeting place in town and take care of all the logistics for you. The scenery on the drive there is beautiful.
Once you arrive, they give you time to use the facilities and get you geared up with your group. Our guide was full entertainment! He taught us about the history of the area and kept us laughing all day long.
*Make sure to bring water and sunscreen. Depending on the time of the year, you may also need a jacket.
The hike starts off walking through a cave, which was super cool. Part of the hike was on land and a lot of it was hiking along the cliffs throughout some of the most breathtaking landscape we have ever seen. We were so high up; the birds were flying by us at eye level. Some people kept close to the walls of the cliffs, but we felt very safe with the structure of the walkway.
There was a suspension bridge that we needed to cross along the hike that certainly had people pause to gain courage to cross. It was great to all support one another and witness the feeling of accomplishment on everyone’s faces once we traversed.
There was a stretch right after the bridge that was all uphill that I found a bit challenging, but it felt really good to do it! The hike in total was 8kms of awesomeness!
The next three places can be done all in the same day if you like. I suggest starting early in the morning up at Castillo de Gibralfaro before the heat strikes and then you can walk down from there to Alcazaba and then finish at the Roman Theater.
Castillo de Gibralfaro (Gibralfaro Castle)
You can walk up, which takes about a half hour uphill or you can take the bus or taxi. From the Castle you can see a panoramic view of the city and harbor. You will notice the bull fighting stadium from there as well. There is a nice little outdoor café to grab a drink and take a rest for those of you that choose to hike there. The castle was built to protect the Alcazaba, but it has also functioned as a lighthouse and military barracks.
Alcazaba
This is an impressive structure and demonstration of Moorish design. The curved archways fountains, ponds and private gardens are lovely. There are many picture-worthy settings.
Teatro Romano (Roman Theater)
The Amphitheatre is believed to be built in the first century A.D. to entertain the Roman people. It was hidden underground until it was discovered in 1951. Ending at this location is nice because you will be back in the city center.
*You can get a ticket to see all three of these for 6 euros, or book a tour with a guide, which I wish we had done. I would have liked to hear more about the history of the area.
Málaga is a perfect mix of old and new. The energy of the city and its people is contagious. It took us a while to get used to eating dinner at 10pm but we appreciated this way of life. We could get used to long lunches and afternoon siestas. Make sure to peek inside some of these unassuming places you walk past because you never know what is waiting inside for you to discover!
Thanxs for Stopping By!
For more cool things to do in Spain, check these out…
