How to Visit Malaga Day 1
In December 2021 / January 2022 we made a 10-day trip to Andalusia. Malaga was our third and last stop in South of Spain right after Seville, a 1-day trip to Cordoba and Granada.
This article is for the day 1 where we will visit the amazing Alcazaba, the Roman theatre, the Gibralfaro Castle as well as the more modern part of town and the beach.
We tried making sense of this itinerary in order to avoid going back and forth. This guide is based not on the way we did it but on 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.
If you need more detail about Malaga, you can read our ultimate guide.
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
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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 😊
Where to Stay
We personally stayed at Be Mate Málaga Centro, the apartment was super spacious and comfortable. We strongly recommend it.
El tiempo lo cura todo – Time heals everything
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