20 best things to do in Málaga (with prices and tips)

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The short answer

If you only do five things in Málaga: walk up through the Alcazaba to Gibralfaro castle, see the Roman theatre and the cathedral, spend two hours in the Picasso Museum, and end the day with espetos on the beach in Pedregalejo. Book the Caminito del Rey weeks ahead; almost everything else can be decided on the day.

The list

1. The Alcazaba

Málaga’s Moorish palace-fortress, begun in the 11th century, climbs the hill above the port in layers of walls, gates, patios and fountains. It is smaller than the Alhambra in Granada but far less crowded, and the views over the old town grow as you climb. About €7, or about €10 with Gibralfaro, 1–1.5 hours. Both are free every Sunday from 14:00. Prefer a guide? A tour of the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro explains the history as you go.

2. The Roman theatre

At the foot of the Alcazaba, a theatre from the 1st century BC, rediscovered only in the 1950s. You can see it from the street, or walk in and sit on the steps. The small visitor centre explains how it was found. Free, 20 minutes. El Pimpi, the city’s best-known bar, has a terrace facing it.

3. Castillo de Gibralfaro

The 14th-century castle on top of the hill was built to protect the Alcazaba, and the two are linked by a walled path. Walk the ramparts for the best view in Málaga: the port, the bullring, the cathedral roof and the coast stretching west. The path up starts on Paseo de Don Juan Temboury, next to the Alcazaba entrance, and takes about 20 steep minutes; bus 35 and taxis go to the top. About €7 (about €10 combined with the Alcazaba), 1 hour.

4. The cathedral (La Manquita)

Málaga’s Renaissance cathedral took more than two centuries to build, and work stopped in the 18th century with the south tower unfinished. The locals call it La Manquita, “the one-armed lady”. Inside, look at the carved wooden choir stalls. The guided rooftop tour takes you out onto the vaults, with views over the whole city. About €10, plus about €10 for the rooftop, 1 hour.

5. Picasso Museum

Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga in 1881, and this museum in the 16th-century Palacio de Buenavista shows his work from early portraits to late paintings and ceramics, most of it given or lent by his family. In the basement you can see Phoenician and Roman remains found during the restoration. About €13, 1.5–2 hours. Free in the last two hours on Sundays.

6. Picasso’s birthplace and Plaza de la Merced

Picasso was born in a house on Plaza de la Merced, now the Museo Casa Natal, with family objects, sketches and ceramics. It takes 30–45 minutes. On the square, a bronze Picasso sits on a bench. About €3 (about €4 with temporary exhibitions), free on Sundays from 16:00. Plaza de la Merced is also a good place for a drink in the evening.

7. Centre Pompidou Málaga

The coloured glass cube on the Muelle Uno, known as El Cubo, sits above the Málaga branch of the Paris museum, with works from its modern and contemporary collection and temporary exhibitions. The cube is lit up after dark. About €9, 1 hour.

8. Carmen Thyssen Museum

In a 16th-century palace near Calle Larios, a collection of 19th-century Spanish painting: Andalusian landscapes, scenes of bullfights and flamenco, and portraits. It is the best place in Málaga to see how painters imagined Andalusia. About €10, 1–1.5 hours.

9. Museo de Málaga

The city’s largest museum, in the Palacio de la Aduana (the old customs house) at the foot of the Alcazaba. It combines a fine arts collection with archaeology from the Phoenicians to the Moors. About €1.50, free for EU citizens, 1.5–2 hours.

10. Mercado de Atarazanas

The central market, an iron-and-glass hall from the 19th century, entered through a Moorish horseshoe gate that once belonged to a Nasrid shipyard. Look up at the stained-glass window, then eat fried fish or grilled prawns at one of the bars inside. Free, 45 minutes. Go in the morning; it is closed on Sundays.

11. Calle Larios and Plaza de la Constitución

Málaga’s main street, paved in polished marble and lined with 19th-century buildings, runs from the port to Plaza de la Constitución. It is the city’s living room for shopping and the evening stroll, and from late November it is covered in some of the most famous Christmas lights in Spain.

12. Muelle Uno and the port

The old port was rebuilt in the 2010s as a promenade. Walk from the Palmeral de las Sorpresas, a palm-lined boardwalk, along Muelle Uno with its shops and restaurants, to La Farola lighthouse at the end. It is the best walk in Málaga at sunset, and it leads straight to the beach.

13. La Malagueta beach

The city beach starts 15 minutes’ walk from the cathedral, next to the port. It has dark sand, sunbeds, showers and chiringuitos (beach restaurants). It is busy on summer weekends; walk east towards the Baños del Carmen for more space.

14. Pedregalejo and El Palo

East of the centre, the old fishing districts of Pedregalejo and El Palo line a long promenade with small beaches and beach restaurants. This is the place to eat espetos: sardines on a skewer, grilled over an olive-wood fire in an old boat filled with sand. Sardines are at their best from late spring to early autumn. Take a city bus or a taxi (about 15 minutes), or walk the seafront from La Malagueta in 45 minutes to an hour.

15. Soho and its street art

The streets between the Alameda Principal and the port were run down until artists moved in. Since the 2010s, the MAUS project has covered whole building facades with murals by international street artists, including Obey and D*Face. The free Centro de Arte Contemporáneo (CAC), in the old wholesale market by the river, shows contemporary exhibitions. Allow an hour for a wander.

16. The English Cemetery

The oldest Protestant cemetery in Spain, opened in the 19th century for the British and other foreigners who died in Málaga, when non-Catholics could not be buried in the city. It is a quiet garden of tombs under pines and palms, a short walk beyond the bullring. The writer Gerald Brenan is buried here. About €5, 45 minutes.

17. La Concepción botanical garden

A 19th-century garden created by a wealthy Málaga family on the hills north of the city, with tropical and subtropical plants, a lake, waterfalls and a small classical temple, plus a newer botanical section. It is a good escape on a hot day; allow 1.5–2 hours and take a taxi or a bus. About €5–6.

18. Tapas and sweet Málaga wine

Málaga’s classics are fried fish (pescaíto frito), boquerones (fresh anchovies), ajoblanco (a cold almond soup) and porra antequerana. Try the sweet local wine at Antigua Casa de Guardia on the Alameda, a bodega open since 1840, where the barman chalks your bill on the counter. For tapas, wander the streets between Calle Larios and Plaza de la Merced.

19. The Caminito del Rey

A walkway fixed to the walls of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge, about an hour north of Málaga. The route, about 7–8 km including the access paths, crosses a suspension bridge high above the river, and takes 3–4 hours. It is well protected and safe, but not for anyone with a strong fear of heights. About €10 on the official website, about €20 with a guide. Tickets sell out weeks ahead in spring and autumn. You can drive, take a train to El Chorro station, or book a Caminito del Rey tour with transport from Málaga.

20. Other day trips

• Nerja and Frigiliana (about 1 hour east): the Balcón de Europa over the sea, the Nerja caves and the white village of Frigiliana in the hills.
• Antequera (about 45 minutes north): the prehistoric dolmens, a UNESCO site, and the limestone shapes of El Torcal.
• Ronda (about 1 h 45): the town split by a gorge and joined by the Puente Nuevo. Combine it with the white villages, on your own or on a white villages day trip.
• Granada (about 1 h 30): the Alhambra. Book the ticket before you plan the day.

A hire car makes all of these easier: see car hire at Málaga airport.

If you only have one day

Morning: the Alcazaba at opening time, then the walk up to Gibralfaro for the view. Lunch: at the Atarazanas market or around Plaza de la Merced. Afternoon: the Roman theatre, the cathedral and the Picasso Museum. Evening: walk through Calle Larios to Muelle Uno and the lighthouse at sunset, then take a taxi to Pedregalejo for espetos by the sea.

With a second day, add a museum (the Pompidou or the Carmen Thyssen), Soho, La Malagueta beach and the English Cemetery. With a third, do the Caminito del Rey or Nerja.

Free things to do

The Roman theatre, the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro on Sundays from 14:00, the Picasso Museum in the last two hours on Sundays, Picasso’s birthplace on Sundays from 16:00, the CAC, the Soho murals, the Atarazanas market, Muelle Uno and the beaches. The Museo de Málaga is free for EU citizens.

Where to stay nearby

The Centro Histórico puts almost everything on this list within a ten-minute walk, and La Malagueta adds the beach. See where to stay in Málaga and our pick of the best hotels in Málaga. For the rest of the city, see our Málaga travel guide.

FAQ

What is Málaga best known for?

As Picasso’s birthplace, for the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, its unfinished cathedral, the Costa del Sol beaches, fried fish and espetos, sweet wine, and mild, sunny winters.

Is one day enough in Málaga?

One day covers the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro, the cathedral and the Picasso Museum at a brisk pace. Two or three days let you add the museums, the beach and a day trip.

What can you do in Málaga in the evening?

Walk Muelle Uno at sunset, have tapas around Plaza de la Merced and Calle Larios, eat espetos on the beach in Pedregalejo, or have a drink on a rooftop bar facing the cathedral or the Alcazaba.

What should I book in advance in Málaga?

The Caminito del Rey (weeks ahead), the cathedral rooftop tour, the Alhambra if you plan a day trip to Granada, and hotels for Semana Santa, the August Feria and summer weekends.

Is Málaga good for a winter break?

Yes. Days are usually sunny and around 16–18 °C from December to February, the museums are quiet, and it is the best season for the Caminito del Rey.