Best Things to do in Malaga, Spain

Sunshine, sand, salt water, coastal vibes, street art, music on every corner, gelato, and tapas. What more could you possibly need?!

Malaga is a beautiful coastal town in southern Spain that is a great destination any day of the year. I originally planned to only spend about four days in this city, and I ended up changing my plans to stay seven (partially because coronavirus changed all my other plans)! But, I did genuinely love this cute little city and I could have stayed even longer. This is a place that I definitely think should be on everyone’s list of Spain destinations and here’s why. These are all of my favorite things to do in this sunny, coastal city.

Alcazaba

No doubt when you’re exploring almost any part of the city, you will catch a glimpse of this beautiful fortress sitting at the foot of Mount Gibralfaro.

Built in 1063, the architecture, design, and paintings of this incredible palace transport you back to the Muslim era of Malaga. Spend an afternoon taking a stroll through this magnificent citadel and the peaceful gardens. The location of this fortress also offers some of the best views of the city and the sea!

If you are a bit flexible with your time, try to visit Alcazaba on a Sunday afternoon for free entry! If this doesn’t work with your schedule, the ticket price is only 3.50€ and it is completely worth every penny!

Go to the Beach!

If you find yourself along the Costa del Sol, how could you not find yourself soaking in the sun, sand and salt water at the beach?! Since Malaga is located right on the shore of the Alboran Sea, your choice of beaches is almost endless! The closest beach to the city center and definitely the most popular is Playa de Malagueta. This is a great place to soak in some sun rays and people-watch. Temperatures in Southern Spain are pretty mild throughout the year, so you can always count on finding locals and tourists alike hanging out at this lively spot. While here, make sure to get a picture with the popular sandy Malgueta sign!

If you’re looking to escape the crowds, travel east along the coast for a few kilometers for some less popular, but still just as beautiful beaches. Pedregalejo is a cute little fishing village just outside of the city and offers a beautiful waterfront to dig your toes into the sand. This is also a nice area to walk around and grab some lunch or dinner.

While you’re soaking in the warm Spanish sun, why not also go for a dip in the beautiful Alboran waters?! The water is crystal clear and incredibly refreshing (pay no attention to my facial expression, I promise it’s refreshing!).

Parque de Malaga

Smell the salty sea breeze, watch the boats dock, and listen to the sounds of the street artists. This beautiful promenade was recently renamed Palmeral de las Sorpresas, which translates to ‘Palm Garden of Surprises’ in English. I mean, just by the name, how magical does that sound?!

It’s a beautiful street lining the sea that is consistently stocked with musicians, artists, performers, and friends and families enjoying some delicious Spanish gelato together. This is a great place to spend a nice sunny afternoon sitting in the shade of the palm trees looking out at the water, enjoying the sounds of the city.

Muelle Uno

After walking through Parque de Malaga, you’ll find yourself along the street of Muelle Uno, or “Pier One”. This beautiful strip is lined with bars, restaurants, cafés, and stores for all your eating and shopping needs. All restaurants come with a beautiful waterfront view and they almost all offer those famous, delicious Spanish tapas! On weekends, there’s also dozens of street vendors who set up tents all along the water with where you can purchase clothes, toys, trinkets, and souvenirs all for fairly reasonable prices.

Muelle Uno is also a great place to let your feet dangle over the edge and watch the fish swim all throughout the port (PSA: You’ll see many people feeding the fish, but please don’t be one of those people! Feeding wild animals human food is first off not healthy for them, and secondly, it makes them reliant on humans and they may become incapable of finding their own food! Okay, wildlife safety rant over!). While you’re sitting there, you’ll also get to watch all of the cruise ships and tourists boats return from their adventures on the water.

Rent a Scooter!

What better way to explore a coastal city then zooming through the streets with the wind blowing through your hair, on an electric scooter?! From the minute I arrived in the city, it was on the top of my list to ride one of these electric beauties! This city is incredibly scooter-friendly full of many different rental companies.

You have your choice of Uber, Tier, Wind, Lime and Bolt. We used Uber because that’s the app that I already had, but I would have preferred to use Tier because there’s no unlock fee and then it’s 0.30€ per minute. Most other companies have a 1€ unlock fee and then roughly 0.20€ per minute.

Tip for renting: you can only rent one scooter per app you go through. My friend Serkoḉ and I wanted to rent scooters for both of us, but he didn’t have a credit card, so we were planning on just renting them both on my app. However, after we rented the first one, the app would not let us rent another one, so we both squeezed on one. Honestly, squishing both of us onto this tiny scooter made it even that much more of an adventure! However, if you’re not wanting to squeeze two people onto one scooter, be sure that each person who wants to rent one has their own app.

We rented our scooter near Playa de Pedregalejo and rode it back to Playa de Malagueta all along the coast. This was by far one of my favorite activities of my time in Malaga! These scooters go remarkably fast and they definitely make city exploring that much more exciting! I would suggest scooter rental in any city you find yourself in that offers them!

Marvel in Street Art

My favorite part of this lovely little city was truly feeling the artistic vibes. The best way to experience this is to let yourself get lost in the streets around Plaza de Victoria. This city is full of so many incredibly talented artists and you can see this so deeply in the murals all around the city. I found myself constantly standing in awe of the creations lining the walls of so many streets and alleyways all around the city. Give yourself some “get lost” time to really marvel at the beauty of the art.

Mercado de Atarazanas

Right in the heart of the city is this hustling and bustling market. Atarazans is one of the most popular markets in Malaga and there’s no surprise as to why. From first glance, you are immediately intrigued from its unmistakable stained glass entrance. After entering, you will find yourself in the midst of a colorful array of any fruit, vegetable, fish, or meat product you could ever want! Everything is fresh and many vendors (in the fruit and vegetable section) will give you samples of their yummy products so you can try before you buy! This is the perfect place to stock up on fresh produce if you plan on cooking yourself during your stay. If not, you can still grab a refreshing smoothie, or a cup of some delicious fresh fruit!

Watch the Sunrise!

The best way to start any day is to wake up bright and early and marvel in the beauty of the rising sun. A great place to watch it is at Playa Malagueta. This normally overcrowded tourist spot is virtually a ghost town in the early morning hours. Get there just before the sun rises and you’ll watch the pinks and purples of the sky fade into the bright glow of the golden sunlight. Due to Malaga’s location, the sun does not rise out of the water, but over the hills just to the east jutting out into the sea. While you’re there, enjoy the peace and quiet and maybe do some journaling, meditation, or yoga.

….And Then the Sunset!

After starting off your day the right way by watching the sunrise, why not end the day in the same way and watch that same beautiful sun set? There are many great view points in Malaga to watch the sun set over the mountains in the distance of the city. Walking along the path leading up to the Castillo de Gibralfaro, you will find various spots to catch a glimpse of the fading glow of the sun. This is the best place to watch if you want to get a great view above the city.

However, if you prefer watching the sun set while feeling a salty sea breeze on your face, with your feet dangling over the water, then head back to Muelle Uno. You can get a beautiful view of the soft colors of the sunset reflecting off the water while watching the boats return from their days out on the water. After the sunset, this street is a great place for an evening stroll and a great place to grab dinner.

Hike up Monte Victoria

One of my favorite activities and one that is surprisingly not well known was hiking up Monte Victoria. This small mountain is located just outside of the city center and is easily reachable by foot in about 15 minutes (if you’re starting from Plaza Victoria).

This hike, full of trees and wildflowers, truly made us feel like we escaped the hustle and bustle of the city. Even though we were just outside of the city, it was still a quiet, peaceful stroll, filled with the sounds of wind rustling the trees and birds singing their daily songs. There are many spots along this hike that would be perfect to stop for an afternoon picnic! At the top of the hike, you get an incredible view above the city and the castle. This is a great way to spend an afternoon in nature away from the city sounds.

Attend CouchSurfing Events

CouchSurfing is one of my absolute favorite ways to travel and favorite ways to meet locals. I know staying on some random person’s couch can sound a little creepy, but I’ve had some of the most amazing experiences with it. If that’s not your style and you already have a place to stay in the city, that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved with locals in other ways. Malaga has a great CouchSurfing community with lots of events every week. If you download the CouchSurfing app, you can enter your location and see all the events happening at that time. While I was in Malaga, I attended two meetups at local bars around town. Lots of people gathered together for drinks, fun, and some open mic time. Both of these events were lots of fun and a great way to make friends from all over the world! Besides bar meet ups, they also have yoga on the beach, morning runs, and game nights. Definitely try to check out a few of these events during your stay in Malaga!

Well there you have it, the list of my favorite things to do when in Malaga, Spain. Even though I spent an entire week here, I know there are so many more things in this city that I still have yet to discover. Being one of the lesser known cities in Spain, don’t let it slip under your radar. Even if you only have one day here, it will definitely be worth your time!

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