If you are looking for Malaga tips, these insider ideas for things to do in Malaga will give you a few great ideas to add to your list! Though it’s a small city, there are so many things to do in Malaga, from touring castles and rooftops to visiting museums, hanging out on rooftop bars, and practicing your Spanish with locals. You’ll enjoy your time in this charming Costa del Sol city.
Malaga Tips #1: Visit an 11th-century Moorish Fortress, the Gibralfaro castle, or the Picasso Museum FREE
This is definitely one of the best Malaga tips because who doesn’t love free entertainment?
Not many visitors find this information before visiting but you can get FREE entry to many sites in Malaga during certain hours and on certain Sundays of the month. You can enter to tour the Alcazaba (impressive historic fortress) site after 2 pm on Sundays free of charge as well as the Gibralfaro (castle) and museums such as the Picasso Museum (among others) have free visiting hours on Sundays as well!
On the way to the Alcazaba you can also see the Roman amphitheater and afterward, it is easy to pop over to the Castle (Castillo de Gibralfaro) and tour that for free as well during the same hours on Sundays!
The Alcazaba was one of my favorite places to explore on a Sunday afternoon because there are many buildings to climb to the top of and see views over Malaga as well as gardens and archways with Moorish design.
Click here for details on all of the museums you can visit for free on Sundays in Malaga.
Malaga Tips #2 Enjoy Sunset Views from the Rooftop of Malaga’s One-Armed Cathedral
When it comes to the best things to do in Malaga, you absolutely can NOT miss visiting Malag’s one-armed cathedral, ‘La Manquita’. This cathedral was constructed in the 1500s but wasn’t completed until almost three hundred years later, and the money ran out along the way so the second bell tower was never built! Few visitors to Malaga are aware that there is an evening rooftop tour option. In my opinion, the best time to go is close to sunset to enjoy the best lighting and views which stretch over nearby plazas, marina, water, and city.
The latest tour during the year is normally 7 pm but during summer later tours are offered. You can choose to combine the rooftop tour with a cathedral tour or just do a tour of the rooftop’!
Find tour options/book tours here.
Malaga Tips #3 Secret Crypt and Heavenly Tower Tour
Take this ‘secret’ tour of the crypt and heavenly tower of the Santa Maria de la Victoria
Most visitors to Malaga make a beeline for the main ‘one armed’ cathedral (see tip #3) in the center or the fortress (Alcazaba) and castle (Castillo de Gibralfaro). Far fewer ever make it to this unassuming and outwardly plain cloister, crypt, and tower outside the center of the Plaza del Santuario. The real beauty is hidden within!
Where: Just outside the main center of Malaga (easy bus transfer or can also walk depending on which barrio you are in)
Google map Address: Plaza del Santuario (the entrance to the crypt, celestial tower, and museum can be found in the gardens)
*note they closed down tours during renovations recently but should be open up again by now (according to their schedule) or soon so please contact them to confirm
Malaga Tips #4 Discover this hidden Speakeasy for botanically verdant libations
The Pharmacy is a cool speakeasy that a lot of people in Malaga don’t know about (even my Malaguena friends who have lived in the city for years and go out all the time!) yet. They serve the best cocktails in Malaga in old-fashioned cocktail glasses (such as ornate gold metal mugs for the house version of a Moscow mule) and stuffed with gorgeous botanical garnishes. Old school plush red velvety interior, dusty old piano, dim lighting, and a shiny gin bottle-lined bar back completes the effect.
*NOT at all something you see often in Spain, let alone Andalucia (though we have a plethora in NYC, London, and SF)! This kind of bar in Spain is incredibly rare in Spain so invite your Spanish friends and they will be impressed with your cool speakeasy-finding skills.
Where: Just on the periphery of the very small historic center of Malaga a few minutes walk from most popular areas (and just around the corner from El Recyclo bicycle cafe) but in a direction people don’t typically head as it’s not clustered with bars and not next to the major plazas.
Address: Calle Garcia Briz 3
Malaga Tips #5 Hit Some Great Eco and Bio Markets
Many people find themselves consuming more fried food and drinking more cerveza than they’d typically consume at home when vacationing in Andalucia. And, even if you are able to avoid the fried fish and potato chips that are out at many bars, long days of drinking and tapas can weigh a little heavily on some visitors’ stomachs.
Beyond the typical indoor mercados that you’ll find in any city in Spain, Malaga also holds regular mercados ecologicos (eco/bio markets held outdoors) where vendors of organic and bio products including 100% organically raised produce and grains, beans, etc as well as oils, body treatments and more at a more affordable price than the pricey central organic shops. This information isn’t widely publicized and there are plenty of Malaga locals who don’t even know about these mercados but they are very popular with expats and health-conscious Spaniards.
Where: a couple of different locations per month in center of Malaga
2ND Saturday of the month: La Malagueta Calle Cervantes – Paseo de Reding (Plaza de Toros-Palacio Miramar) 29016
4th Saturday of the month: Parque de Huelin, Malaga 29002
Malaga Tips #6. Join an Intercambio
There are a variety of intercambios, or language exchanges, in Malaga but one of the best and also lesser known (to visitors and most non-Spanish residents) is the Pachange language exchange. Pay a nominal fee of 2 Euros to join one of their intercambios at a local café or teteria (tea café) and let them know your level ahead of time so they can try to pair you with the right group. Great way to meet locals and practice tu Espanol!
Pachange’s exchange events are more organized than most of the other language exchanges in Malaga and they also are offered on more nights per week so there are plenty of opportunities to join one.
Where: in a variety of centrally located bars or cafes
Malaga Tips #7 Shop for fresh local products at Mercado Atarazanas
Have an apartment with a kitchen? Take advantage of the bounty of Malaga’s land and sea by hitting Atarazanas market- a centrally located market housed in a beautiful stained glass-adorned building that is equally frequented by locals and tourists alike.
From roasted nuts and dried fruits to fresh herbs, fish, seafood, meat, and cheeses this market has everything you need to cook up a feast fit for a rey (king in Spanish). Not in the mood for cooking? The Mercado Atarazanas is also a great place to grab provisions for a picnic in the park or at the beach.
Where: center of Malaga just a couple of minutes walk from Calle Alameda Principal
Address: Calle Atarazanas 10, Mercado de Atarazanas, 29005, Malaga
Malaga Tips #8 Have Dinner at one of locals’ favorite restaurants & drinks on a secret rooftop bar
Buena Vista Gastropub is not in the touristy center, so it’s mostly Spaniards and those who live in Malaga who end up here. It is incredibly popular, however (word spreads fast in Malaga), and reservations are advised if you want to get a table for a group for dinner!
Though you can’t eat at the rooftop bar, you can head there for drinks after dinner. This Malaga rooftop bar isn’t on any of the lists of rooftop bars that people typically seek out as there are limited hours due to zoning in the neighborhood but if you dine at the restaurant you can go up for drinks. Don’t expect to find it open after midnight though.
Address: Calle Gaona 8, Málaga Centro Historico, 29012, Malaga
Malaga Tips #9 Enjoy a night of theater in a historic Roman amphitheater
In certain months of the year, theater/comedy/music productions are put on in Malaga’s Teatro Romano amphitheater. This is a fantastic way to spend an evening against the backdrop of the Alcazaba lit up at night.
Where: center of Malaga
Address: Calle Alcazabilla 8, Al pie del monte Gibralfaro
Malaga Tips #10 Head to Pedragalejo for charcoal-barbecued fish & the best beaches in Malaga
Those who live in Malaga love to head down to this barrio a few miles out that’s set in a historic fishing village and boasts some of the best restaurants with terraces and views serving fresh fish (particularly fish barbecued over charcoal which is a specialty of the area). In contrast to the compact and almost always crowded city center of Malaga, Pedregalejo offers more open space and lighter crowds though still very popular with Malaguenos for dinner out, particularly on weekends.
While the ‘beaches’ in Malaga are mostly artificially imported sand and water with no waves, in Pedragalejo you get a nice strip of real beach with soft sand. Great night out!
You can get here in a taxi (7-10 euros from center) or take a bus.
Where: Pedregalejo, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain
Malaga Tips #11 Experience Some of the Best Neighborhood Tapas Spots- Take a Malaga Food Tour
There are quite a few companies offering food tours in Malaga, some better than others. I’ve tried three of the best-rated tour companies and I’d recommend a couple of their tours including one that includes a market visit and then a lovely evening walk around the historic center with stops into tapas bars and restaurants that you might not know to go into otherwise and that serve great local products and some traditional dishes with a gastronomic flare. Led by locals.
A food tour is one of the best things to do in Malaga for those that have limited time in the city and want to make sure to both see a lot and not waste time eating bad food (sadly there are a lot of bad, touristy places to eat).
Where: center of Malaga
Recommended Tour company: Spain Food Sherpas
Malaga Tips #12 Enjoy Cheap Tapas, Great Vermut & Embarrassingly Bad Spanish Music Videos at La Tranca
This spot is a favorite with Spaniards and locals. What’s great about it? Besides the great house-made vermut ( vermouth), cheap and delicious tapas and entertainment factor of the quirky and characterful bartenders La Tranca’s most unique offering is the selection of old Spanish music that spans the last 70 years.
Old records and photos of some of Spain’s most famous singers and groups line the wall behind the bar and old music videos (many that are just soooo bad they’re good!) are always playing. This place is PACKED every night and all weekend from afternoon tapas hours onwards.
Where: at the edge of the center of Malaga but not IN the center.
Address: La Tranca – C/ Carretería, 92, 29008 Málaga
Malaga Tips #13 Enjoy Malaga’s largest by-the-glass wine selection (and the best service) in this elegant wine bar
Los Patios de Beatas is, in my opinion (as a wine industry professional) the best wine bar in Malaga. It’s not a traditional Spanish wine bar-in that there is a much wider wine selection available including some international options as well as gourmet/fine dining style tapas prepared by a real chef (not typical) who likes to fuse flavors to make delectable bites to pair with their wines. Thanks to using a machine system to keep wines fresh longer-the options by the glass at Los Patios de Beatas are more diverse than any other wine bar in Malaga and the quality is much better as well (no oxidized bottles).
Add elegant ambiance and the best customer service/most knowledgeable staff of any wine bar in the city and you’ve got a winning combination!
*note I’m not claiming that Los Patios de Beatas is super ‘Spanish’ or ‘traditional’ I’m simply recommending it for those who care a lot about the quality of wine they drink and appreciate professional service, non-oxidized bottles and a wide selection of wines as well as good ambiance!
Where: a tiny street in center of Malaga
Address: Calle Beatas 43, 29008, Malaga
Malaga Tips #14 Take a hike around Malaga including climbing up to Gibralfaro and Mount Victoria
Yes, you can even do a little hiking in Malaga! If you don’t want to get in the car and drive further to amazing hiking or trekking areas such as the Alpujurras or Ronda, just follow this loop suggestion that will take you from the center of Malaga (near the port and next to the gardens) through some gorgeous spots including gardens, parks, up to the castle, a mountain (o.k. a small one) and then back again. You will have to use Google Translate to read this route’s description in English but it’s worth it.
Starting point: Paseo España
Ending point: Paseo España
Malaga Tips #15 Enjoy Malaga Gluten Free
For a smaller city, Malaga has an impressive selection of gluten-free bakeries (it has as many 100% gluten-free bakeries as I found in Madrid during two years living there!). I have written a post about them here. My personal favorite (and the most affordable option near the center) is El Pastelero Real.
Of course, you can go to El Corte Ingles for your packaged gluten-free products in Spain (at least in major cities) but for freshly baked bread, pastries, empanadas, etc a gluten-free bakery really offers something we glu-tards can’t experience anywhere else while traveling.
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Malaga Day Trips- Granada, Ronda, Jerez, Seville, and the Alpujurras
5 Tips for Enjoying Malaga Spain
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