Malaga - An Underrated Spanish City

Malaga - it's a Spanish city that was never really on our radar and pretty much anytime someone mentioned it - it was mentioned in a passing by rather than spending time there. Our opinion, this is a worthy Spanish city, heck even European city and should not be overlooked by travelers.
The city is beautiful. It has beach, mountains, history, architecture, parks, plazas, culture, food, drink and more...

 The historical city center rivals any beautiful city - with intertwined narrow roads, lined with tapas bars - full of people enjoying good food, good drink and good company. Sometimes opening in great plazas.

The marina area - it is modern, inviting and great place to go for a stroll, stopping along the way for a drink and to people watch.

From there - you have the beach! Europe isn't known for great beaches (lots of rocky coasts) but in Malaga, you will find a sandy beach lining the coast. The waters were warm and the sun tanning our souls.


Panoramic views - they have an old fortress which you can hike up for great views of the city. Suggest sunset as a nice time to visit. Bring a little bottle of wine, find a ledge to sit on and enjoy.

The bull ring

And best seen on foot, strolling between the beach and marina, old and new - you will find the streets lined with rich parks - offering people a place to escape sun.

When we were there - it was Easter weekend. This means only one thing: Semana Santa. It is worth experiencing at least once in your travels - to get the pulse of the city, the country - the people. The week long celebrations that occur at all hours of the day and night - are a sight you won't want to miss. Traveler's Tip: Be sure if you know you will be here during Holy Week, book hotels early - they book up quickly and can be left with the last options - take it from our experience.

Travelers Tips & Information:

Malaga Airport Transportation: The airport is super close to the city center and if trying to save on costs - public transportation is quick and easy. The A75 bus runs regularly from the airport to the city center, making a stop first at the bus/train station if you are just using Malaga as a connection to other parts of Spain. To the city center is about 20 minutes or so. Only thing is for early morning flights - it doesn't start running till 7 - so we had to take a taxi which was a little over 20 Euro.

Malaga Train & Bus Station: If you are already in Southern Spain - you likely are traveling to other locations as well. The train station is an easy bus ride from the airport or city center. Note, in Spain - lines can be longer to buy train tickets so leave a little extra time to stand in line and always best to research the current timetables for your destination - they run pretty much on schedule. It's not always like other cities where you can buy tickets from a kiosk - kiosks tend to be for the local train. The station is clean and nice so if you need to spend a little time prior to - they offer an array of shops or stop to have a drink or coffee.

Renfe Train Information 

The bus station is right next to the train station and offers a lot more direct routes to some more remote places. They too run regularly and on schedule.

The Great Adventure: Malaga, Sevilla, Marrakech, Tangier, Tarifa, Cadiz, Sevilla, Lagos/Algarve Coast, Sevilla, Ronda, Malaga