One of the most beautiful cities in the south of Spain, the gem of the Costa del Sol (Sunny Coast), and one of the most important cities in the region of Andalusia is Malaga. A really popular tourist destination in southern Spain, with a beautiful international vibe, and many expats who live in the city. Malaga is a great party destination, a great pick for those looking for beach destinations but be in a city still, and anyone who just wants to visit one of the most beautiful coastal cities in Spain! Below you will find some fun things to do in Malaga, places, museums to visit, and also things to eat, places to stay, and more! Find out what are the 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain right away!
10 best things to do in Malaga Spain
Now, I’m going to cover with the list below some indoor things to do in Malaga and specific things to do in Malaga Spain in august. It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling alone, with family, or with friends, Malaga is always a beautiful place to go, and these top 10 things to do in Malaga Spain are definitely those that you must not miss! If you’re looking for accommodation in Malaga, I’ve listed below 3 of the best places to stay in Malaga Spain!
Booking.comOle Málaga is an apartment situated right in the city center of the city! This is definitely one of the best available apartments to pick from if you’re visiting Malaga.
Soho Boutique Equitativa is another level. The 4-star hotel is located in the center of the city center of Malaga. It has a really great location, and it’s one of the most beautiful boutique hotels in the city with a small pool on the rooftop as well!
Gran Hotel Miramar GL is a 5-star hotel also in the center of Malaga, however closer to the beaches, which is great for those who want to get out from their accommodations and arrive at the beach in a few seconds. This is an absolutely beautiful hotel with many rooms featuring Arabic, Mudejar style in the decor.
1. Wandering in Malaga’s downtown
The first one of the 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain is simply to put away your maps and wander around in the city center. As we know it already very well, a simple walk is the best way to explore a new place! One of the best things to do in Malaga city center is exploring the beautiful streets, small alleys, and stopping by at the cute bars for a drink.
Anyhow, most of the 10 things to see in Malaga Spain are in the city center, but before getting ourselves into museums, churches and castles, it’s always great to just explore. There are places to find stunning wall-arts featuring Flamenco artists, people playing on their guitar on the streets, and squares full of bars and restaurants with plenty of outdoor tables, to enjoy the vibes, the sun, and the beautiful views.
2. The Picasso house and Picasso Museum Malaga
One of the best indoor things to do in Malaga is definitely visiting the Picasso Museum! As you may already know, the amazing surrealist artist, Pablo Picasso is from Malaga. You may visit also the house he was born is on Plaza de La Merced in Malaga. This is also a great place to hang out in the evening or have a good breakfast in the morning, and on the side, you can also see the house Picasso was born in. Definitely one of the best things to do in Malaga city center.
Then, there is the Picasso Museum which is one of the top 10 things to do in Malaga Spain. Art lover or just beginner in understanding arts, everyone must see the works of Pablo Picasso, one of the most important artists of the 20s century! You can find the Picasso Museum in Palacio de Buenavista, on Calle San Agustin no 8.
One of the 10 things to see in Malaga Spain is also a great option if you’re visiting in the winter, or if you’re looking for the best things to do in Malaga Spain in August, and you want to have an option to hide from the sun for a few hours. About the entrance, the tickets vary between €5.00 to €10.00 for a simple entrance ticket, but there are tours too. Also, you can book your tickets online to avoid being sold out or waiting in lines.
3. Catedral de la Encarnacion de Malaga & Plaza del Obispo
Another one of the 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain is definitely visiting the Malaga Cathedral, Catedral de la Encarnacion de Malaga! One of the most spectacular churches in the area that’s located on Plaza del Obispo. Visiting the cathedral is one of the top things to do in Malaga city center! The Roman Catholic church was built over 200 years between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The outside and inside as well is featuring mostly Renaissance architecture style that was built after the plans of Diego de Sileo. One of the most unique 10 things to see in Malaga Spain is on top of this church. You could see that while everything on the building is absolutely symmetric, on the top 1 one the towers are missing. The north tower is 84m tall, which makes the Malaga Cathedral the second tallest cathedral in Andalusia.
The south tower was never finished, and because of that, the cathedral was named “La Manquita”, which means the one-armed Lady. You can visit the inside of the cathedral, as well as you can stop by on Plaza del Obispo (Bishop’s Square) that’s facing the building. This is one of the most beautiful squares in Malaga, with beautiful, colorful houses, a stunning little fountain, and a few restaurants and bars as well as outside tables!
4. Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba & Roman Theatre
Top 10 things to do in Malaga Spain are visiting the Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba, and the Roman Theatre. The Gibralfaro Castel is offering an incredible view over the city of Malaga and the Mediterranean sea. One of the best fun things to do in Malaga is actually watching the sunset from here while listening to some guitar play. The price to enter the castle is €5.50 and sometimes, like Sunday afternoon after 2 pm, it’s free.
The Alcazaba is a palatial fortification in Malaga Spain, that was built by the Hammudid caliphate in the 11th century. This has also a connection to Gibralfaro castle. As last, you can also visit the Roman theatre that’s located in the city center, just at the foot of the hill of Gibralfaro castle. You can see it from the square on the side, and you can also hike up from here to the castle.
5. Best beaches in Malaga Spain
Right, now one of the top 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain, which is also the highlight of fun things to do in Malaga is going on the beach. Malaga is mostly a summer holiday destination since the city is located right near the sea and has kilometers of sandy beaches along the coast. So if you’re looking for things to do in Malaga Spain in august, the beaches as what you’re looking for!
The main and also most popular beach in the city is La Malagueta. This is very close to the city center of Malaga, and it’s easily reachable. There are beach bars you can find, as well as different restaurants just off the beach, so if you’re having beach days, just make sure to bring an umbrella, water and sunscreen, and you can spend all day on La Malagueta, leaving for lunch to eat and heading for afternoon cocktails to the beach bars.
Also, if you want to find Malaga beaches that are a bit more outside the city center, you can check playa de la Caleta, playa Pedregalejo, playa de Guadalmar, or leave the city behind and explore the stunning beaches of Marbella and Fuengirola.
6. Paella and churros all day, every day
If you’re looking for indoor things to do in Malaga, well, eating is one of them! There are plenty of great restaurants in Malaga for different tastes to pick from. You can also visit tapas bars if you’re not into restaurants, but let me just highlight two important food that you should definitely try in Malaga!
If you head on the beach, you could find some great restaurants where they make the Paella on wood, outside. Those are the best places to eat paella, always! Then there’s the other goodie! In the morning, head to a coffee shop where they make Churros and ask for some hot chocolate on the side. I promise you won’t regret it!
7. Roll along Malaga with an electric scooter
One of the greatest fun things to do in Malaga is taking an electric scooter and rolling through the city. In the city center it isn’t the best idea, but rolling along the coast with one is just such a fun and beautiful thing to do. As I have mentioned, Malaga has a long coastal side where you’ve got enough space for an electric scooter stroll.
I’ve added this to by 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain especially because it’s beautiful to see the sunset while you have a stroll on the seaside, but it’s also an easy and fast way to get from the city center to beaches that are far away. And also, when it comes to things to do in Malaga Spain in August when it’s super hot outside, there’s nothing better than feeling the wind while you’re rolling around with an electric scooter!
8. Nightlife in Malaga
There are plenty of outdoor and indoor things to do in Malaga in the evening. If you’re up for a quiet night, you’ve got many options for great restaurants and cocktail bars. However, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Malaga at the night, you might want to head out around 10-11 pm and get yourself into the Spanish nightlife.
One of the best things to do in Malaga city center at night is heading to a bar in the neighborhood of Calle Marques de Larios. Get some tapas, have some beer or gin tonic and enjoy the night! After 1 am, the local nightclubs start filling up, and this is the time when you want to change venue too! One of the best discos in Malaga city center is Sala Gold. Loads of people, great music, and a place where you can dance until the sun comes up!
9. Parque de Malaga
I mentioned earlier that rolling around Malaga with an electric scooter is a great option for things to do in the city! During the day, you can explore the Parque de Malaga, which is located close to the La Malagueta beach, and the port. It’s an 800m long park that can’t be missed!
During hot summer days especially, a nice walk in the Parque de Malaga is a good option to hide from the sun. Imagine this place full of beautiful, huge palm trees, and hundreds of different species of flowers, bushes, and trees. It’s like a small paradise in the middle of the city! Also, you can observe on the trees the hundreds of monk parakeets, these green birds that look like parrots.
10. Shopping – Atarazanas market & Calle Marques de Larios
We all love shopping in Spain! You can do just luxury, or affordable, but each way, you must not miss a shopping tour on Calle Marques de Larios in the city center of Malaga. This is definitely one of the best things to do in Malaga city center. Doing a shopping tour, and getting yourself some nice pieces of clothing or accessories. Calle Marques de Larios features many low and mid-budget shops like Breshka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, and Mango.
On the other hand, one of the 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain is visiting the local farmers’ market, the Atarazanas market just a few minutes away from Calle Marques de Larios. If you want to try local food, fruits, cheese, meat and fish specialties, you must always visit the local markets. In Malaga, Atarazanas market is the place you want to go to!
Wrapping up the 10 best things to do in Malaga Spain
Now that we’ve discussed some of the best indoor things to do in Malaga, and also things to do in Malaga Spain in August, I’m sure you’re ready to explore the beautiful city yourself! Beyond the top 10 things to do in Malaga Spain, you can also think about planning some day trips from Malaga! If you’ve got more time for your vacation, I do suggest visiting also other cities in Andalusia, such as Seville or Granada! Since we’ve got just 10 pieces to select from the many things that you could actually do in the city, we tried to highlight also some fun things to do in Malaga, but remember that there are also other options like going for a hike, paddle boarding, or renting bikes, and much more! Explore the Costa del Sol!
Exactlyyyyy! Perfect for us girls! And there is so much more to do there, which is not included in this piece of content, but I promise I’ll post them soon!
oh yess! <3
Haha churros is the piece of heaven for us girls! 🙂 🙂
Hope you’ll make it there, I’m sure you will love it as much as I did!
It looks like you had a fantastic time!! I knew Malaga is good for beaches and night life, but I had no idea that there was so much more to see and do. It looks like a perfect spot for a girly holiday. <3
Those churros look SO YUM!!
Malaga looks beautiful and is very high on my list of places to visit! Everything from the beaches to churches look amazing not to mention the food looks and sounds yummy! I would especially love the churros! ?