Malaga - what to do in two days

Malaga – what to do in two days. What to see and where to go for a walk, how to get from the airport, Malaga beaches, where it is better to stay in Malaga.

Malaga is the largest port city and resort on the Costa del Sol in Andalusia. In addition to the beaches, there is a large cultural program for a visit at any time of the year.

The sun shines here 300 days a year, there is a special atmosphere, inspired by hundreds of years of Moorish rule mixed with ancient Spanish traditions. And of course, here you can enjoy southern Spanish cuisine with tapas and seafood, which exudes a carefree summer life.

It is a city full of interesting sights, such as the Picasso Museum (the Spanish artist was born in Malaga), the Pompidou Museum, and here you can see the impressive cathedral, the Roman amphitheatre and the Moorish fortress of the Alcazaba with views over the city, the port and the surrounding mountains.

It is also the starting point for excursions to the fascinating Caminito del Rey, a dizzying hike along boardwalks stretching across a deep gorge. It is also easy to get to one of the many resorts on the coast, where thousands of visitors flock each year to relax in the sun and sand.

I advise you to read: Andalusia by car – Costa del Sol route

Weather – the best time to go to Malaga

In my opinion, Malaga is a city for walks and a very good start (or end) for a big trip around Andalusia. That’s how I planned my visit, flying to this city on the Costa del Sol twice. That’s why I chose the best time to travel around this region – spring and autumn.

Spring

In spring, everything is in bloom here, the sea is still cold, but it’s nice to walk around the city in the morning and evening. March is a great time without the heat, but in the evening you will need a sweater and maybe a jacket. During the day, even in April, it can be hot – go to museums or sunbathe on the beach (be careful, the sun is strong here, you can get burned even in spring). The sea is still cold even in May – the reason: proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, which is never warm.

Autumn

Autumn here is beautiful and warm: September can be considered a pleasant bonus to summer, although at the end of the month there are no large crowds of tourists, and the sea is still warm enough to swim. October is a good time for walking around the city – warm and pleasant. In early November, the daytime temperature reaches +22 degrees, and the water temperature is 16–18 degrees. If the sun is scorching, the air can warm up to +28 degrees. The main thing is that there is no wind, then it is not a sin to even go to the beach.

Summer

Summer is a crazy heat and high season, with many tourists, and crowded beaches, where even at +40 degrees it is easier to breathe than in the city. Only in summer do you begin to understand the meaning of a siesta, when during the day you need to hide somewhere under the air conditioner and not move until late in the evening. As an option – go to the Pompidou Museum – it is located in the underground part of the embankment, it will definitely not be hot here, and it is also interesting.

Winter

Winter in Malaga – December has frequent rains, and January and February are warm, when the sun shines and pleasantly warms. Walking around the city, traveling by car around the province of Malaga – the perfect time to come to the warmth instead of our frosts.

Recommend you to read: Caminito del Rey – personal experience, how to walk the Path of the Kings

How to get to Malaga

The easiest way is to look at low-cost flights from Ryanair and Wizz Air, which fly from various cities of Europe. It is more convenient for me to fly from Bucharest, but there are other options:

Ryanair: Vienna, many cities in Germany – Berlin-Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Dortmund, Düsseldorf-WezeKarlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Cologne, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Frankfurt-Hahn, Poland – Warsaw-Modlin, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Budapest, Prague, Ostrava and others.
Wizz Air: Vienna, cities in Poland – Warsaw Chopin, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Budapest, Bucharest and others.

If it is more convenient for you to fly to Madrid, there are high-speed AVE trains operated by the Spanish national railway company Renfe, which will take you to Malaga in a few hours.

Vueling also flies between Barcelona and other major cities in Spain, with very affordable prices for domestic flights. Ryanair also has many flights from Spanish cities to Malaga.

So there are quite a few options!

Transport from the airport to the center of Malaga

Bus A Express Airport (Line 75) – on the ground floor, in the same place as the arrivals. A one-way ticket costs 4 Euros, it can only be bought from the driver in cash or by card. The bus runs every half hour from 07:00 to 00:00.

Train C1 – the cheapest and most convenient transport from the airport. It goes from platform T3 to the center of Malaga in 15 minutes. The ticket costs 2.3 Euros. The first train leaves at 6:44, then runs every 20 minutes from 07:54 to 00:.24. You can also use this train to reach the resort towns: Fuengirola, Torreblanca, Torremolinos and others on this route. The ticket is sold at Renfe machines before entering the platform. Keep the ticket until the end of the trip – without it you will not be able to leave the railway platform.

Taxi to the center – an option for the night when public transport does not work. There is Uber and Bolt, depending on the time of day, it costs from 15 to 30 euros. At night you can get from the center for 25 euros.

Car rental at Malaga airport

Since we didn’t plan to spend the whole time in Malaga, we booked a car at the airport. Malaga was planned for the end of the trip, and at the beginning we wanted to visit them – Pueblo Blancos and the entire Costa del Sol. So we changed from the plane to a great small economical car, which was enough for two.

Where to look for car rental at Malaga Airport?

Most rental companies are located directly opposite the arrivals area on the 0, 1 and 2nd floors of the car park for rental cars. Choose any one that you like in terms of conditions and prices. And you can compare and book a car in advance on the following websites:

Economybookings.com – offers economy deals from the largest international rental companies. As well as many smaller local agencies, which often have much better prices. You can often find great deals.
RentalCars – subsidiary company owned by Booking.com, ba igger companies are represented here. With reputable brands. Their prices are also good.

Transport in Malaga

Buses

You can get around the city by metro and buses.

A single ticket costs 1.55 euros + a travel card of 0.4 euros. Transfers between city buses are free for one hour. Transfers to the metro + 0.33 euros.
A day pass costs – 2.5 euros for unlimited trips + a travel card of 0.4 euros.
More information on site of the Transportation company of Malaga
Tickets are sold at kiosks that can be seen throughout the city. See addresses here.

There is also a that you can take around the center of Malaga and literally drop off at some of Malaga’s biggest attractions.

Malaga Metro

The Malaga Metro consists of two lines, which merge in the city center at Maria Zambrano station and go to the western and southwestern parts of the city. Map and train schedule on the site of the metro Malaga.

Three types of tickets will be of interest to tourists:

Occasional Ticket – or Single Ticket (from one to nine trips), can be used by several people traveling together. Tickets in machines at stations. One trip costs 1.35 euros plus a card of 0.3 euros.
Metro de Málaga Travel Card – This is a Card that can be topped up from 5 to 25 euros. It can also be used by several people. Tickets machine at stations. One trip costs 0.33 euros.
Transport Consortium Travel Card – A ticket for all types of transport. Sold in a network of kiosks and tobacconists designated by the Malaga Transport Consortium – in the same place as bus tickets. It can be topped up at metro stations (you cannot buy it at the stations). One trip costs 0.33 euros and also an additional 0.33 euros if you change from bus to metro or vice versa.

Where is the best place to stay in Malaga?

There is a wide choice of hotels, hostels and apartments in Malaga. You just need to figure out which areas are better to book accommodation. I advise you to choose the center, or areas near the sea and beaches. Here is a list of areas where it will be more convenient and safer to stay, depending on what you plan to do in the city: a cultural program or a beach holiday.

Historical center of Malaga

If you are planning to see Malaga in one or two days and want to see its historic center, cathedrals, fortress and museums, then choose accommodation in the Old Historic Center. This is a very compact part of the city, where there is a very large selection of hotels, guesthouses and apartments.

Keep in mind that the historic center, especially on weekends, can be very noisy. If the hotel or apartment has poor soundproofing, sleeping will be almost impossible. So read the reviews carefully.

Hotels in the Historic Center of Malaga:

Apartamentos Debambú≫ -Great place to stay, the apartment is very bright, clean and spacious. Perfect location in the center of the old town.,
H-A Hotel Trebol≫ – Great location, walking distance to tourist attractions and plenty of bars and restaurants. Short walk to the metro station for easy airport transfers. Friendly, attentive staff and simple self-service breakfast. Lift and roof terrace.

Malagueta and Soho

These two neighboring areas are located south of the center and are adjacent to each other. These are two small and very prestigious areas.

Malagueta is known for being the closest beach to the center and, accordingly, hotels are located here for those who come to Malaga for a seaside holiday. On the border of Soho and Malagueta on the promenade you can get to the modern art museum, the Pompidou Center Malaga. Malagueta is located near the center, so it will be very convenient for a day on the beach and evening walks in the city center.

Hotels in the Malagueta:

Malagueta Beach Studio≫ – comfortable and tidy apartment, located close to the beach and restaurants, and it’s not noisy at night, which is a big plus.
Living4Malaga Centro Histórico y Playa≫ – Central location, just a short walk to the city center. Hard Rock Cafe and other restaurants are very accessible within a short walk from the pier.

Soho

This is the artists’ and galleries’ district, the bohemian part of Malaga, the most fashionable area of the city, with all kinds of art spaces, galleries, artists, designer cafes, graffiti, and cultural events.

Hotels in Soho:

Tandem Soho Suites≫ – Neat bright room, compact accommodation in the room, great location, everything is available. Near the beach and historical architecture, shops, park.
Apartamento Soho centro malaga≫ – The location of the apartment is close to the center, the old town is easy to reach on foot. The decoration of the apartment is good, there is a lot of light everywhere, the air conditioners work.

Carretera de Cadiz

Another area suitable for a beach holiday is the area west of the historic centre of Malaga, Carretera de Cádiz. Also, if you choose hotels on the border with the centre, it will be convenient to combine the beach and the cultural programme – museums, cathedrals and good restaurants in the historic centre. The further from the centre, the better the beach – so when choosing a hotel here, look for a public transport stop nearby.

Hotels in the Carretera de Cádiz:

Apartments DREAM≫ – The apartment has everything you need for a comfortable stay. There is a coffee machine, dishwasher, air conditioning, comfortable bed, even disposable toothbrushes. The location is great, 5-7 minutes to the beach at a slow pace.
Málaga playa≫ – Well-equipped apartment, ideally located for the airport bus, shops, and beach. Clean and comfortable, plenty of space.

Malaga beaches

Malaga has a wide coastline, stretching for 14 km and divided into 16 beaches. The beaches located in the western part of Malaga are of grayish-yellow sand, with a small number of shells thrown up by the sea not on the shore. Lovers of picturesque rocky and stony coasts should go east of the historic center.

The feature of all city beaches in Andalusia and Malaga is that there are many cafes and restaurants where delicious dishes are prepared on charcoal, using wooden boats filled with sand instead of the usual barbecues. Sardines baked on a stick is a local beach specialty.

The main beaches of the city:

Malagueta (Playa de la Malagueta) is the closest city beach to the historic center. Civilized, nice, clean and very cozy. They say that the sand here was specially brought from the African Sahara. But to me it looks very similar to the same sand that I saw on the beaches of Fuengirola or Estepona.

Pedregalejo is a very nice 1200-meter beach. This beach is divided by breakwaters into small semicircular bays, thanks to which the sea here warms up quickly. It will be more comfortable and warmer with children.

Caleta Beach (Playa de la Caleta) is a very popular beach with a wide sandy coastline and sports activities. They constantly play volleyball, ride bicycles, and run along the promenade (although this is an Andalusian tradition, so they run and walk quickly along all the beaches of the Costa del Sol). And fishermen still live in this area: along the embankment, there are restaurants with fish menus, offering to taste the fresh catch.

What to see in Malaga in one or two days

In Malaga you will find a large cultural program. We got to the city on September 27 – it is World Tourism Day, when all the museums and cathedrals of the city are open for free to visit (note this date if you are a fan of museums and exhibitions!).

To go around all the palaces and it will take several days. And you also need to have time for the surrounding area. Therefore, here I chose the most interesting to my taste.

Fortress, Roman theater and castle

The Roman Theatre is located just a 5-minute walk from Plaza de la Merced. You can easily see it from the outside, but guided tours are available on request. Right above the theatre is the Alcazaba de Malaga – an 11th-century fortress. And also the 14th-century Gibralfaro Castle. If you climb the fortress wall, in good weather you can see the Strait of Gibraltar. The ticket price is very affordable – 3.5 euros + 3.5 euros for Alcazaba and Gibralfaro.

Arena Corrida

Spain is the birthplace of bullfighting. La Malagueta is an arena where bullfighters and bulls fight. Bullfighting takes place mostly in the summer, but you can watch the amphitheater for free from the nearby hill where Gibralfaro Castle is located.

Temples and cathedrals of Malaga

The center of attraction of the Old Town is the Cathedral of the Incarnation (La Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica de la Encarnación). It was built over 200 years ago, and not a single tower has been completed yet – for this reason the cathedral was nicknamed the one-armed lady. During mass, admission to the cathedral is free, at other times for tourists – 10 euros per ticket. And if you pay another 5 euros, you can also climb to the roof of the cathedral, from where you can see the whole city at 360 °.

The Church of the Sacred Heart (Iglesia de Sagrado Corazon) is a Jesuit church built about 100 years ago. It is simply extremely beautiful, a real masterpiece: bright, spacious, with a very rich interior decoration. Walking through the old town, you will definitely notice it, because it stands at the intersection of the main pedestrian routes.

Museums of Malaga

Malaga is not only a major port and beach resort, it is also a city of museums, with over 30 museums of various types.

Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso. If you are planning to visit a museum, make it the Picasso Museum. If that is not enough for you, consider visiting the Center for Contemporary Art or the Center Pompidou in Malaga.

The Carmen Thyssen Museum in Malaga will introduce you to 19th-century Spanish art. This institution houses a large collection of works by famous artists such as Sorolla, Zuloaga and Fortuny. The Center for Contemporary Art (CAC) exhibits works by both national and international artists.

In addition, you can visit Museum of Wine – the tour can be combined with a tasting. Or the Malaga Automobile Museum, which houses an impressive collection of classic cars from the early 20th century to the 1970s. The museum focuses on the fashion and lifestyle of the era. Each car is displayed alongside mannequins in period clothing, offering a complete picture of what life was like at the time.

A walk through the port of Malaga and the La Farola lighthouse

After dinner, take a stroll along Malaga’s most famous street, Calle Larios. You can start from Plaza de la Constitución and head south to your final destination: the Port of Malaga. The Port of Malaga is a pleasant place to stroll through the green areas and the promenade. The Paseo Palmeral de las Sorpresas is a particularly interesting promenade with an airy canopy structure and benches resembling waves.

And if you’re tired, take a break in the urban space of Muelle Uno, a place to stroll near the port. There are many cafes and restaurants here with views of the port. There are also many shops and the Pompidou Museum. It’s a good place to stroll, people-watch, take a boat trip and sample local cuisine on a sunny terrace.

Not far from it is the lighthouse La Farola – one of the symbols of Malaga and its eastern part, La Malagueta. It is worth taking a walk to it at sunset – the lighthouse turns from white to pink. Incidentally, the lighthouse La Farola and another one – Farola del Mar (located on the island of Tenerife – Canary Islands) – are the only lighthouses in Spain that bear female names.

Cafes, bars and restaurants in Malaga

Andalusian cuisine is simple and at the same time delicious, with a large selection of seafood and at the same time the usual bocadillos sandwiches – in a baguette cut in half they put everything that God sent today: ham and cheese, olives and tomatoes, pate or sausage (from 5 euros per sandwich). And at the same time, tapas snacks flourish here. This is a traditional Spanish pastime, to taste various vegetables and olives, cold cuts and small portions of hot dishes – in small portions, washed down with beer or wine.

Where to eat delicious tapas in Malaga:

For simple tapas and seafood, you can go to the central market of Malaga – Mercado Central de Atarazanas. Here you can not only look at the ancient stained glass windows, but also have a snack at the Bar Mercado Atarazanas. It is worth trying the shrimp on a skewer, or octopus grilled and sprinkled with paprika (from 12 euros per serving).
A wonderful bodega Bodegas Tranca with wine, beer and tapas is located near a huge ficus tree on Plaza De San Pedro De Alcantara.
Tapas near the Picasso House Museum – Picasso Bar Tapas on Plaza de la Merced. On the one hand, this is a very popular place, on the other hand, the prices are good here (tapas 5 euros, a set of five tapas from the chef – 17 euros), but it is better to choose a table not on the square, but deep into the alley (the waiters will show you) – it is quieter there.
You can drink beer at the gastropub La Fábrica – they brew craft beer here and you can watch the brewing process (a mug of beer costs 7 euros).

The locals start their morning with a cup of coffee with churros – dough sticks fried in oil, reminiscent of donuts (1 churro costs 1 euro). Coffee is brewed in coffee machines, but you shouldn’t expect a good cappuccino here. For good coffee, go to modern coffee shops, where the atmosphere of third-wave establishments reigns. There are a lot of them in Malaga, and this was a very pleasant discovery for me, who has visited many cities and villages in Spain. It was here that I was finally able to enjoy the choice of coffee and coffee shops.

Santa Coffee Soho (C. Tomás Heredia, 5, Distrito Centro) and Santa Coffee Camas (C. Fernán González, 6, Distrito Centro) – a chain of coffee shops – are located in the Soho area and in the Old Center, very good croissants, cakes and of course specialty coffee.
El Último Mono Juice & Coffee (C. Duende, 6, Distrito Centro) – the coffee is well roasted here and a cup of cappuccino costs about 3 euros, which is a bonus for their brownie!
Bun and Coffee. Specialty Coffee & Fresh Doughnuts (C. Duque de la Victoria, 11, Distrito Centro) – the coffee and donuts are simply incredible!

Useful articles and links:

Travel medical insurance with discounts can be purchased from HotlineFinance
Hotel and apartment bookings – Booking.com

Malaga – a guide of the capital the Costa del Sol