Malaga is located between the provinces of Granada and Cadiz and is part of the Mediterranean coast. In this article, our bloggers have listed the 17 best things to do in Malaga Spain. More than 3,000 years of history have passed since Malaga’s establishment by the Phoenicians up to achieving the beautiful, friendly, and cosmopolitan city that enchants tourists from all over the world today.
Malaga is a place which if you visit will not disappoint you. Malaga is a seaside city in the region of Andalusia, which is one of the most important regions in Spain. Beyond its 16 sunny beaches, this Andalusian city on the shores of the Mediterranean has a fascinating cultural side. And the birthplace of Pablo Picasso has reinvented itself in recent years, inaugurating museums for all tastes. Let’s explore the 17 most interesting things to Do in Malaga Spain.
17 BEST Things to Do in Malaga Spain
- Malaga Cathedral
- Picasso Museum
- Costa del Sol
- Atarazanas Market
- Malaga Old town
- Soho (The Art District)
- Gibralfaro
- Marbella
- Ronda
- Botanical Garden
- Ojen
- The Alcazaba of Malaga
- Museo Carmen Thyssen
- Teatro Romano
- Automobile and Fashion Museum of Malaga
- Muelle Uno
- Centre Pompidou Malaga
Malaga Cathedral
Malaga Cathedral is a catholic church. Dedicated to the incarnation it is one of the main jewels of the Spanish Renaissance, so it’s an important thing to see in Malaga. Its long history comes from the Great Mosque on which it was built. Go to the choir and feel the spirituality of one of the main sculptural ensembles of the Spanish Baroque. The original project was made by Diego de Siloe from Burgos, an author very famous and with prestige, and who projected a large number of monuments.
Picasso Museum Malaga
Another thing you can do in Malaga is visit the Picasso Museum, which is located in a building with a great view, Buenavista Palace. Buenavista Palace represents the civil architecture of the Renaissance in Andalusia. This center was a desire of Pablo Picasso, for his work to appear in his birthplace. There are more than 200 works to see in Picasso Museum Malaga, by the brilliant artist Picasso. There are also many exhibitions as well as educational and cultural activities, you can see.
Costa del Sol
Costa del Sol is famous for its beaches, you can see the most beautiful beaches and have a lot of fun. Costa del Sol extends along 150 km of coastline and is washed by the Mediterranean Sea. In Costa del Sol you can see 325 sunny days a year, with a wonderful climate, where you can taste a paradise view of beaches. Every beach you can see is unique, some of them are livelier, some are quieter and some of them are untouched. In Costa del Sol you can see beaches with the most modern services, you can have many areas to have all kinds of water sports or even other sports.
Malaga Atarazanas Market
Atarazanas Market is a great place where you can see and find the best food products of Malaga. The building is very interesting and there are many architectural styles that you can see. The Atarazanas Market is organized into three departments, fruits, and vegetables, meat and fish, so you can see and find everything there. You can find all the seasonal, delicious, unique, fruits and vegetables in Andalucia, Malaga, that you can’t see or find in other places.
Malaga Old Town
The old town of Malaga is very compact, it is easy to get around on foot in one day. However, despite its small size, it is here that most of the historical monuments and sights of the city are concentrated. The streets of the historic center of Malaga are narrow and impressive. On the streets: historic buildings, museums, and churches, as well as small squares with an abundance of cafes and restaurants, shops and boutiques, salons and banks, nightclubs, and souvenir shops. If you are in Malaga, go have a walk-through because the old town is one of the best places to see in Malaga Spain.
Soho (The Art District)
Soho is a neighborhood where you can see the modern art of Malaga, started as a project from the public. You can see murals from graffiti artists like Obey and D*Face. In this neighborhood, you can walk on foot and it is very near the main tourist area in Malaga. Soho Art District is full of shops, businesses, art, and cultural services, Alameda Theatre, and the Contemporary Art Centre. Also, you can see many shops where you can have drinks or food and enjoy the view and art.
Gibralfaro
Gibralfaro Castle is a must, you have to see it if you go to Malaga. It was built in the 14th century to protect the Alcazaba. It offers a great view of the city of Malaga, and even you can visit the Interpretation Center to discover the site’s history. When you see the Gibralfaro Castle you may notice two lines of walls and eight towers. The other wall meets the coach, zigzagging walls that are arranged to link to the Alcazaba Castle. You can walk inside the whole perimeter of the fortress to see more things from inside.
Marbella
Marbella is an hour’s drive from Malaga, and it is known for its beaches a luxurious life. In Marbella, you can see the great classic of the Andalucian coast, thanks to its, important sports, climate, natural setting, and friendliness. You can organize your vacation in Marbella, Malaga because you can do a lot of things there and can see many beautiful things across the entire coast. Marbella has the best hotels, with good services, and beach clubs where you can have a drink and party all day. You can see and enjoy 320 days of sun in Marbella Malaga. This is why Marbella is one of the best places to see in Malaga Spain.
Ronda
Ronda, the white village of Malaga, is one hour and thirty minutes drive from Malaga. A little village is known for its bridge that connects the old and the new part of the village. You see a great view from the hill and even take a photo of you and the bridge. If you want you can go for a walk on the Arrows roads of Ronda Malaga, and have a look at the bullfighting arena, Mondragon Palace, or La Casa Del Rey Moro.
Malaga Botanical Garden
La Concepción botanical gardens. The lovely setting and great selection of tropical plants make them one of the best gardens in Malaga and well worth a visit. La Concepción gardens and house were built in 1855 when two members of Malaga’s rising bourgeois class, Amalia de Heredia Livermore and Jorge Enrique Loring Oyarzabal, got married. Between them, they brought and ordered plants and trees from all around the world and created a tropical oasis throughout the 23-hectare site. In 1911, La Concepción was acquired by the Echevarria-Echevarrieta family – another influential family in Malaga – who added to the gardens and built the famous mirador at the southern end of the grounds. In 1943, the gardens were declared national treasures and just under 50 years later La Concepción became municipal property. In 1994, the gardens opened to the public.
Ojen – White inland villages
Ojén, population 3,000 like Istán, despite its accessibility and closeness to Marbella, has retained all the charm of a traditional white village. Ojen is a town of Moorish origin located between the sea and the Sierra de las Nieves and less than 10 km from the beaches of Marbella. In addition, Ojen celebrates every year, one of the festivals concerning national independent music, el Ojeando. Ojén is an inspiration for the senses. The beauty of the natural landscapes of its surroundings, its cultural life, and its proximity to Marbella allows you to combine relaxation with activities of active tourism, nightlife, and practice golf in the Soto Golf Club.
The Alcazaba of Malaga
This fortress palace, whose name in Arabic means citadel, is one of the city’s historical monuments and is much visited because of its history and beauty. The building which dates from the Muslim period is located at the foot of the Gibralfaro hill, crowned by the Arab defense works to which the Alcazaba is connected by a walled passage known as the Coracha. We suggest visiting these places because Alcazaba is one of the best places to visit in Malaga.
With the Roman Theatre and the Aduana Customs Building, this special corner offers the chance to observe Roman, Arab, and Renaissance culture, all within a few yards of each other.
Museo Carmen Thyssen
The Carmen Thyssen Museum is in the Palacio de Villalón, a 19th-century building in Málaga’s historic center. The museum’s permanent collection consists of works from Spanish 19th-century artists, especially Andalusian painters. The museum also houses temporary exhibits and organizes cultural and educational events. Since it opened to the public in 2011, the collection has had four clearly differentiated periods: Old Masters, Romantic Landscape and Costumbrismo, Précieux Style and Naturalist Painting, and Fin-de-Siècle. The collection is home to works from artists such as Zurbarán, Diego de Regoyos, and Julio Romero de Torres.
Teatro Romano of Malaga
The Roman Theater of Malaga is the main preserved vestige of the Roman presence in the city. It was built in the first years of the 1st century AD, that is, at the beginning of the Empire, at a time when numerous public buildings were built to make the city the image of the new political, economic, and religious.
Before the theatre, some baths from the Republican era were located in this space, of which part of an opus spicatum floor has been preserved. The theater is built, in part, on the structures of these baths, which are currently being moved to a nearby site.
The Roman Theater of Málaga is a medium-sized theater that preserves a large part of the cave or stands, the richly decorated orchestra with large marble slabs, and the scene, in which today the flooring has been reproduced with a wooden parquet like the one you would have at the time of use. The scenic apparatus would close in the background with an ornamental façade decorated with openings, columns, and sculptures, of which several copies have been recovered.
Automobile and Fashion Museum of Malaga
Automobiles have always been the social symbol that reflects the evolution of fashion through every period of time. The Automobile and Fashion Museum shows how artistic tendencies have evolved due to automobile stylists such as Ettore Bugatti, Gordon Buehrig, Giuseppe Figoni, Firestone or Labourdette.
Muelle Uno
With the best views of Malaga, Muelle Uno is a piece of Heaven on Earth. Located in the Port of Malaga, Muello Uno is a new shoppingcentere concept. Looking out onto the city and facing the sea, it’s a bustling shopping thoroughfare that offers a unique shopping, leisure, and dining experience. This open shopping area with a host of unique fashion and dining options was designed to amaze you every time you visit.
Since it opened in 2011, Muelle Uno has become an essential part of the city’s cultural life. Music is part of our DNA and you can always expect the events calendar to be jam-packed with concerts, art interventions, children’s activities, outdoor films (summer), theatre, crafts markets, etc. One of the main attractions at Muelle Uno is the Centre Pompidou, the first of its kind to be introduced outside of France. From its unusual venue within the Muelle Uno complex, it invites all types of audiences to experience its generous collection, fantastic program, range of artistic disciplines, and innovative mediation schemes.
Centre Pompidou Malaga
Since its inauguration in 2015, the Center Pompidou Málaga invites the public to experience the Center Pompidou through its rich collection, the excellence of its programming, and the intersection of artistic disciplines. The Center Pompidou Málaga represents the first establishment abroad of the French institution and has already welcomed more than 850,000 visitors since its inauguration.
The Center Pompidou Málaga and its iconic building “El Cubo”, intervened by the French artist Daniel Buren, has become an indisputable symbol of hyperactivity and the prestige of a city that has opted for culture. Not surprisingly, Malaga is among the mandatory tourist destinations in Spain.