How to Visit Malaga
In December 2021 / January 2022 we made a 10-day trip to Andalusia, Spain. Granada was our second stop in South of Spain right after Seville and a 1-day trip to Cordoba and a stop in Granada.
In this article we will detail each day step by step :
- Day 1: Alcazaba, the Roman theatre, the Gibralfaro Castle as well as the more modern part of town and the beach.
- Day 2: Botanical Garden, SoHo, Cathedral
We tried making sense of this itinerary in order to avoid going back and forth. This guide is not based on the way we did it but how we would have like to do it. But as always, we didn’t plan, and we had to adapt.
We will assume you stay in the same area as us at Be Mate Málaga Centro But you can easily adapt the starting point based on your accommodation.
Table of Contents
Where to Stay
We personally stayed at Be Mate Málaga Centro, the apartment was super spacious and comfortable. We strongly recommend it.
How to visit Malaga Day 1
Mapping the day
Get our full Andalusia Spain Map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once?
Visit Malaga Day 1
Teatro Romano de Málaga
Let’s start this guide with one nice ruin to see. The old Roman theatre that stands in front of the Alcazaba is the oldest site in town, built in the 1st century AD by Augustus as a theatre, it was later used as a cemetery before being abandoned.
You can simply admire it from the main square in front. Also, don’t worry, this is the heart of the old city center and you will pop by again there.
Alcazaba
Right behind the Roman theatre is the Alcazaba, an 11th century Moors Palace that was both the residence of the Muslim rulers as well as a fortress to defend the city. The entry ticket is 5.5€ for the Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro making it one of the cheapest attractions in Andalusia. You can purchase the ticket directly at the entrance from one of the vending machine.
While visiting it, you have access to an audio guide on your phone and can access to its ramparts, courtyards, gardens, patios, and fountains.
Once inside the main area, you first go on the right side and then back to visit the left part of the palace.
Castillo de Gibralfaro
You then have to exist the Alcazaba and go on its right side to start walking up to the Gibralfaro castle. You will pass by a stunning viewpoint on your way and then arrive at the castle. If you want, you can also take the bus 35 to get up there.
The castle was built in the 14th century to protect the Alcazaba and was soldier were in garrison there. There also was a lighthouse in it as the name suggest, Gibralfaro means “mountain of light”
You can first walk all around the ramparts and then enjoy a small walk between them.
Lunch break
Time to eat!! Yeaaaah. We would recommend stopping at BYOKO a really nice restaurant located next to the old city. They offer yummy bowl and crepes as well as other options and are vegan friendly. You will just have to wait 1pm or 1:30pm that the lunch kitchen open. Breakfast is served until 1pm.
Museo Casa Natal de Picasso
After lunch you can simply walk by the museum of admire its architecture (no need to visit it). It is located on the same square as BYOKO
Pérgolas de la Victoria.
On your way to the Malaga beach, you can walk along the Pérgolas de la Victoria. A modern landmark with lots of shops and restaurants on the coast of Malaga.
There are lots of cool little stalls to stop at and you can also find WC in this area.
Playa la Malagueta
And then, you can enjoy the warm sun and fresh air from the sea by laying of the Malagueta beach. It is quite a nice place to relax on a sunny day. When we were there, there were tons of birds, it was super nice to see.
Málaga Park
To return to the city, instead of using the same way, walk through the Malaga Park that stands right in the middle of the main roads but that is somehow not that noisy.
This is the end of our How to Visit Malaga Day 1 guide. You are now back in the city center for dinner 😊
How to Visit Malaga Day 2
Mapping the day
Jardín Botánico - Histórico La Concepción
Start the day by taking the bus N°2 to the north of the city until its terminus. Then walk for 15min to reach the park entrance. You can buy the bus ticket in the bus directly.
The garden is one of the largest tropical and subtropical gardens in Spain and even Europe. You can see more than 2000 species of trees and plants over 250 000 m².
We went there in winter, so the plants were not at their best, but the garden was still nice to see. The only inconvenient is that the highway nearby is quite noisy.
Mercado Central de Atarazanas
Then return to the bus station and take the bus N°2 back until the Central Market. The market is the best place to get some local products such as fruits, vegies, olive oils, beans, dry fruits, meats, fishes… The market is open from Monday to Saturday from 8h to 15h.
We really liked the olive oil there. As we were living in the evening, we got some as souvenir and gift for our family. As they are sold in small bottles, you can even bring them in a carry-on.
Soho
From there, you can just walk to Soho. Once a Once a decaying neighbourhood, it has been totally transformed by street artists. So, you can hang around trying to find the graffiti.
It is a super small area of Malaga but its right next to the old city center.
Lunch break
Have lunch at Mimo Vegan bistrot an amazing place to eat. They do offers super original dishes with local and bio ingredients. (Open from 13h30 and making a reservation is recommended as it is quite small).
We actually popped by around 13h and asked to book a table and we got the last one. The place is small can welcome around 14 people.
Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga
Then you can visit the cathedral of Malaga for a 6€ ticket or 10€ combined ticket with its rooftop. The cathedral is trully breath-taking in and out.
It was erected in 16th century on the foundation of an old mosque and due to lack of funding, the cathedral was never finished and only has one bell tower.
And later, just stroll around the old city center and get lost in the smaller streets.
This is the end of our How to Visit Malaga Day 2 Guide. For us, we then went back to our accommodation (late check-out) and took the bus to the airport.
El tiempo lo cura todo – Time heals everything
You may also like
Get our full Andalusia Spain Map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once?
