Málaga Travel Guide: 4 Days in Málaga
8 years and counting, it feels like Maarten and I just met, but it has already been a few years since our relationship started. To celebrate our love and see some sun after a rainy winter back home, we decided to head to Málaga for a long weekend.
Málaga lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun). The city is a popular summer destination due to its beaches and trendy beach clubs. While planning our trip I’ve created a list of top things to do, so here’s my Málaga Travel Guide! A weekend guide for first-timers!
Best time to visit Málaga
Málaga is close to other coast towns such as Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Marbella, because of the location is Málaga a busy town in the summer months. This is a great place to visit in the off season, as it is less crowded in the city and still has an average temperatures from 14°C – 20°C. We had 20°C in February! In the summer months the temperature can go up to 30°C or higher.
Getting around Málaga
We mostly walked in Malaga. The city is not that big and if you want to go further downtown taxi’s and buses are pretty affordable. Our taxi ride of 20 euro’s from the airport to our hotel was the most we spent on transport, and this was quite a long 20 minute ride. There is a bus network provided by bus company EMT if you’d prefer going by public transport. EMT’s buses operate various routes in the city and surrounding neighborhoods, you could give this a try if you want to.
Where to stay
Hotel Molina Lario: I absolutely loved Molina Lario! The rooms are very spacious and the rooftop provides an epic view over the Málaga Cathedral. Guest are allowed on the rooftop. We watched the sunset and stars from here. The rooftop has multiple levels and hosts a bar, the rooftop also has an outdoor pool and sunbeds. We enjoyed some drinks at the bar TOP when our Spanish friends visited the city.
The location is in the middle of the centre of Málaga. From Molina Lario, is it possible to walk to all the big to see locations.
Molina Lario is not one of the cheapest accommodations. If you’re strapped for cash, I would suggest to look at other properties such as: Holidays2Malaga Cathedral View, Malaga Center Flat Cathedral or INMálaga Catedral for less money, amazing views and a central location.
Málaga Travel Guide
Below is my Málaga travel guide on everything we did. I also added some places we did not get to experience, but still love to see. We spent 4 days in Malaga which is more than enough. If you would like to see more of the surrounding attractions as well, you could easily spend some more time here.
Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga
While it’s been around for a long time already, the Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga has never been finished. The north tower of the cathedral is 84 metres high, making this building the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia. The south tower remains unfinished until this day. This cathedral was built on the ruins of the former mosque of Aljama. Within this cathedral you can admire the Renaissance style, the towers and artwork, or you can visit the rooftop for some amazing views over the city.
Picasso Museum Málaga
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer. He is considered to be one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Some of his work is displayed in the Picasso Museum Málaga. The Picasso Museum Málaga is located in Palacio Buenavista, not far from Picasso’s birthplace.
Teatro Romano de Málaga
Teatro Romano de Málaga is next to the entrance of the Alcazaba of Málaga and at the foot of the Gibralfaro mountain. It is Málagas oldest monument. Teatro Romano is excavated and restored in parts over the years. The Roman theater in Málaga is not complete, as the excavations revealed that large parts of the theater had disappeared. There is an exhibition space that you can visit that tells you more about the Roman theater in Malaga.
Alcazaba of Málaga
An alcazaba, alcáçova or alcassaba is a Moorish fortification in Spain and Portugal. The Alcazaba of Málaga is the best-preserved alcazaba there is. The Alcazaba of Málaga is built on a hill in the centre of the city and overlooks the port. Tickets for the Alcabaza of Málaga are 3,50 euro. You can also buy a combined ticket for Alcazaba and Gibralfaro. These tickets are 5,50 euros.
Castillo de Gibralfaro
The Gibralfaro Castle in Málaga is located next to the Alcazaba on the Gibralfaro mountain (Lighthouse Mountain) of the same name. From the historic center, you can reach the castle Gibralfaro on foot. There are good – but steep – footpaths along the slope of the Gibralfaro. You can walk up to the castle and from here you can reach the castle walls by means of stairs.
Centre Pompidou Málaga
The first Center Pompidou in French is a venue that is seen as a cultural machine. It shows a rich collection of modern and contemporary art. The Centre Pompidou is present in Metz, Malaga, Brussels and Shanghai. The Center Pompidou Málaga is located in the port of Málaga. The building is a real eye-catcher, as it is an incredibly colorful cube. The cube was never planned to be used as a museum but reather part of a shopping complex.
Playa la Malagueta
La Malagueta is the closest beach seen from the center of Málaga. The city beach belongs to the Malagueta district of the same name. In this district you can also find the bull ring of Málaga.
La Farola de Málaga
La Farola de Málaga is a lighthouse next to Playa la Malagueta. It is only lighthouse with a feminine name ont the peninsula. You can not go inside but it is worth a visit when you are near Playa la Malagueta.
Mercado Central de Atarazanas
Mercado Central de Atarazanas is an indoor market here, where the people of Málaga come to buy fresh produce. Many of the visitors come for the tapas and fresh “pescaíto” (typical small fried fish) in the bars in the market. Come early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowds.
Jardín Botánico Histórico – La Concepción
Botánico Histórico – La Concepción is situated just outside of Málaga. The garden can be reached by bus, taxi or rented bicycles (about 5 km by bike). In the botanical garden you can find plants, trees and flowers from all over the world. We didn’t have the time to visit this place, but it is definitely still on my to-see list.
Alhambra
Alhambra is an hour and thirty minutes from Málaga and worth a day trip. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada. This stunning complex is the backdrop for movies as Assassin’s Creed (2016), the animated movie Tad Jones: The Hero Returns and the South Korean television series Memories of the Alhambra. We have not seen this complex, but when we come back we will definitely go there.
Where to eat
The Spanish cuisine is one of my favorites. Almost everything we had was amazing. Prices are cheaper compared to The Netherlands. We dined out for all our meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Most breakfasts or lunches are around 20 euros for two persons and the costs for dinner are around 60 euros maximum. Some restaurants require a reservation, but for the most of them you can just pop in. Spanish dinner times are from 8:30 – 10:00 PM.
Some restaurants included the tax and service charges on the bill. It’s recommended to leave between 10-15% tip for the staff depending on how you think the service went.
Restaurante Matiz: This place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The guests of Hotel Molina Lario can make use of the breakfast bar or the a la carte menu. In the evening this place has a whole different vibe. The cuisine has a Mediterranean character, with its tapas style dishes. Matiz is innovative but does not lose sight of tradition. Matiz has served us one of the best dinners we have ever eaten.
El Pimpi: Bodega bar El Pimpi is a unique tapas and bodega bar in Málaga, located right in the historic center of the bustling city. It is perhaps the most famous restaurant in the city with a beautiful view of the Alcazaba fortress and the Teatro Romano. We visited this restaurant with a group of Spanish friends and enjoyed some drinks and tapas.
Brunchit: They have multiple locations in Málaga and I visited the España. The other ones are Alcazabilla and Carretería. Brunchit serves delicious healthy breakfast as well as tasty pies and cakes.
Bars
The TOP: On the roof of Hotel Molina Lario, you can find The TOP. A bar with spectecular views on the Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga. Enjoy a drink around sunset to see the cathedral change from yellow to orange in the sunlight. The rooftop is open for 365 days a year, this makes it one of the most popular bars in the city.
La Terraza La Alcazaba: As part of Hotel Alcazaba Premium provides this rooftop bar an epic view over Malaga’s Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle. It is a trendy bar, where you should reserve your table.
Martonela: Warm weather requires some ice cream, the place to be is Martonela. Martonela is the first shop-workshop in Spain that produces its products instantly by hand. If you are lucky enough you can observe the process live.
I hope this Málaga Travel Guide was helpful in helping you plan your trip to Málaga! It’s such a beautiful city and it was the perfect destination for a long weekend.
Also interested in other Travel Guides about Spain next to this Málaga Travel Guide? Than read the ones about Ibiza, Formentera, Cordoba, Seville or Barcelona.
