Decision time: 1 day in Málaga

Relaxing on the beach

My personal opinion is that the beaches in Málaga, despite the fame of the Costa del Sol, really aren’t the best beaches in the region. Sure, they’re on the Mediterranean Sea but there are plenty of far better beaches in Spain, including those just nearby. 

If you’re not interested in tours then the two most accessible beaches in Málaga are: 

Playa La Malagueta (La Malagueta Beach)

Playa de la Caleta (Caleta Beach)

🚲 If you are an active person, why not pack your towel & swim suit and rent a bike to explore the Málaga coastline at your own pace. 

➕ If you’re going to spend the day strolling around Málaga, I recommend heading down to the beach for a meal or a drink at a chiringuito (beachside restaurant).

➡️ The beaches in the Andaluz provinces of Huelva or Cádiz are some of the finest I have ever seen in Europe. 

History and museums

The city of Málaga was founded around 770 BCE by the Phoenicians, who named their city Malaka. From the 6th century, control was in the hands of Ancient Carthage and by around 215 BCE, it was under Roman rule. From Roman hands it passed to the Visigoths until, in the 8th century CE, it became part of the Islamic empire of Al-Andalus. In 1487, the Catholic Kings conquered Málaga for Castile. 

Most people don’t realise just how old Málaga is and how many fabulous museums and historic sites there are to see in the heart of the city. If you’re here to see museums and historic sites, then you are in for a treat.

Historic sites in Málaga

Teatro Romano / Roman Theatre 

Málaga’s Roman theatre was discovered in 1951, having been buried for centuries. It was built in the first century during the reign of Augustus. During the Moorish period its capitals and column shafts were taken for use in the building of Málaga’s Alcazaba to support doorway arches. 

💲 You can see the amphitheatre as you walk around the city. It’s an open-air site at the base of the Alcazaba. Free to visit

Top Tip: The Malaga city sign is up a set of stairs at the side of the amphitheatre – head up here for a nice view down over the site. 

Castillo de Gibralfaro / Gibralfaro Castle 

This magnificent castle was built in the 14th century CE to protect the Alcazaba from the Catholic kings. It was considered to be the most impregnable fortress in all of Spain when it was built. Today it stands proudly atop the city of Málaga offering visitors spectacular views out to sea. 

💲 €5.50 to visit with the Alcazaba or €3.50 to visit alone.

The walk up to the castle is more strenuous than you might expect so if you’re not up for a steep walk, best to take a cab or a tour. 

⭐️ Take a ‘fun’ tour up the Gibralfaro mountain on a segway

⭐️ Take a private electric car tour of Malaga that includes a stop at the Gibralfaro Castle

Alcazaba Fortress

This is the Muslim fortified palace of Málaga. It was built in the eleventh century and is considered to be one of the best preserved Alcazabas in all of Spain. It can be very busy when visiting on a weekend. 

💲 €3.50 solo visit. €5.50 to visit Alcazaba and Gibralfaro. Free tour every Sunday at 2 pm.

⭐️ Skip the line small group tour of Alcazaba and Roman Theatre

⭐️ Book a 4-hr walking tour that includes skip the line tickets to the Alcazaba and the cathedral as well as 2 different tapas and wine stops.

​Málaga Cathedral

This enormous Renaissance cathedral took over 200 years to build (between 1528 and 1782). It’s possible to visit the cathedral or to climb on to the roof for incredible panoramic views over the city. The cathedral is sometimes called “La Manquita” because it looks unfinished – Manquita means “one-armed lady”.

💲 €10 to enter the cathedral €10 to climb on the roof or €15 for a combined ticket. 

⭐️ Or buy a skip the line tour of the cathedral to save queuing 

City of Málaga museums

There are over 30 museums in Málaga – that’s a heck of a lot for a regular city let alone a place everyone thinks of as a summer party town. 

My personal favourite is the City of Málaga Museum. It is a wonderful place where you can learn a lot about the history of Málaga.

The easiest way to get a feel for the history of Malaga is to take a city tour

⭐️ Take a “traditional and unknown history” tour of Malaga – perfect for those wanting to get beyond the city’s most famous monuments and really delve into the culture and history of Malaga. 2hr tour

⭐️ Treasure Hunt tour around the city for a fun way to explore Malaga and learn about the city’s past. 3 hr tour. 

⭐️ If you’re not sure you want to walk around the city all day, take a 3hr historical segway tour of Malaga. 

Soaking up Málaga’s ambiance

The heart of Málaga is a deliciously & fabulously confusing warren of plazas and narrow streets to explore and get yourself lost in. If you’re using your 1 day in Málaga to explore the heart of the city, do not miss:

Calle Larios – This is the 3rd most expensive street to live on in all of Spain but for most people it’s simply a pedestrian street lined with shops. If you’re in Málaga in December this is where you’ll join thousands of others to see the now incredibly famous Málaga Christmas lights. No one comes to Málaga and misses this street. 

Paseo del Parque – Paseo del Parque runs, parallel to Muelle Uno, unsurprisingly through a park. It’s a lovely place to take a stroll. Before it becomes the Paseo, this road is called the Alameda where we always enjoy an evening walk with Malageños. 

Top Tip: You’ll find a very helpful tourist office here just at the entrance to the park.

Muelle Uno – Muelle Uno (photo above) runs around the port of Málaga and is a beautifully modern area (constructed in 2011). It’s a popular place to walk for locals and visitors alike. There are shops and restaurants in this area and the Pompidou Centre is here too. 

➕ Plaza de la Constitución, Plaza de la Merced, Plaza del Obispo, Plaza del Siglo – all the plazas have their own personalities and most will be full of bars, restaurants and people enjoying themselves. 

Picasso and the art scene

As you can imagine, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso is a city full of art galleries and references to the great man. There are two Picasso dedicated museums.

​Museo Picasso Málaga

If you have any interest Picasso then this museum will blow you away as you learn about his different styles over his lifetime. Don’t miss the Roman ruins in the basement.

⭐️ Buy your skip the line Picasso Museum ticket now

Museo Casa Natal Picasso 

In the birth place of Picasso you will find a permanent collection of his works, mostly focused on engravings. There are also temporary exhibitions and the museum offers an interesting look at 19tth century bourgeois life in Málaga. 

⭐️ Buy your skip the line ticket now

Centre Pompidou

While not a patch on the Parisian Pompidou, the Málaga Pompidou is still a great gallery for anyone with time and an interest in art. With just one day in Málaga it may be that you stop to admire the now iconic building rather than actually going in.

🎨 Keep an eye out for fabulous street art while you’re exploring Málaga.

⭐️ Take a self-guided Picasso audio tour of Málaga

⭐️ Take a 2 -3 hr private tour of the Picasso museum 

Flamenco

There’s no real reason to assume you couldn’t fit a flamenco performance into your day in Málaga if that’s something you really want to do. Flamenco performances rarely last more than an hour.

💃🏻 Teatro Alegria – has shows at 2pm, 4pm & 6pm as well as evening shows

💃🏻 Teatro Flamenco Malaga – has a 5.30pm show as well as later shows

→ For more information about flamenco and exactly what it is, use the MexicoCassie guide to flamenco

Eating in Málaga

If you have one day in Málaga you’ll need to eat no matter what your plans but if you’re here to eat-eat, then be sure that you will eat well. 

Markets in Málaga

🕥 There are a some great food markets in Malaga to check out but it’s important to remember that markets need to visited in the morning. If you go later you’ll probably find almost everything is closed and you’ll be disappointed. 

🍦 You’ll see numerous ice cream shops as you explore, whether you’re in town in the summer months or winter, it’s always worth stopping for one. 

Atarazanas Market – In this covered market not only will you find meat, fish and fruit & veg stalls but also some tapas bars where you can join locals in eating a traditional Spanish breakfast (strong coffee with toast with olive oil, ham and cheese).

This market is housed in the port’s 14th-century gateway underneath a massive wrought-iron structure. 

Mercado de la Merced – This market was established to salvage a traditional gastronomic market and you can buy fresh products here and then enjoy a drink or tapas on a terrace overlooking the plaza or the Cervantes Theatre.  

Mercado de la Salamanca – Housed in a Neo-mudejar building with a gorgeous archway, this market is covered in tiles representing the products you’ll find here. 

Restaurants in Málaga

Really, everywhere you turn in Málaga you’ll be faced with a multitude of restaurants and tapas bars. You’ll see streets crowded with happy people drinking small glasses of beer (cañas) and eating tapas. Join them, raise your glass to Spain and enjoy!

I’d highly recommend eating on the beach in a chiringuito for the freshest seafood but otherwise, when you’re hungry, scour Google Maps and find somewhere you like. There are simply too many restaurants in Malaga for anyone to claim to have real opinions unless they eat out several times a day for many months. 

El Pimpi – El Pimpi gets a mention here purely because it’s the most famous bodega and bar in Malaga. I have never chosen to eat here and reviews are a mixed bag these days but it is extremely famous.

⭐️ Explore Atarazanas Market with a guide to learn about, and taste, of course, typical local foods. 

⭐️ Take an “eat like a local tapas tour” of Malaga – this is a great way to try new foods that you might otherwise never choose and to learn about them from your guide. 

⭐️ Learn to make traditional Spanish food while drinking sangria with professional chef, Laura

→ Use the MexicoCassie guide to vegetarian tapas to ensure you don’t accidentally get served meat when you don’t eat it

→ Use the MexicoCassie guide to kid-friendly tapas if you’re travelling with kids or have a restricted diet

Málaga 1 day itinerary ideas

Ok, so we’ve talked about all the different options but how can you fit a bit of everything into your valuable time in Málaga? Here are a few itinerary ideas based on pace and interests. 

1 day in Málaga: taking it slow

If you want to take it slow, choose one activity for the morning and one for the afternoon, leaving time for a nice long Spanish style lunch.

➡️ Picasso Museum in the morning ➡️ Long lunch on the beach or at a tapas restaurant in the historic center / Flamenco show ➡️ Alcazaba tour

1 day in Málaga: cramming it in

If you really do have a full day and like to cram a lot in then you could follow the below itinerary, it really includes the highlights of Málaga. This is my style of 1 day exploring.

➡️ Roman amphitheatre ➡️ Alcazaba / Gibrilfaro Castle ➡️ Pause for a delicious ice-cream ➡️ Walk along Muelle Uno to the beach ➡️ Lunch in a chiringuito ➡️ Museum / gallery of choice ➡️ little shopping in the old town / flamenco show

or

➡️ A guided tour of the old town ➡️ Lunch at a chiringuito on the beach ➡️ Walk up to Castillo de Gibralfaro. 

Other MexicoCassie Málaga guides

→ MexicoCassie 3 days in Málaga guide

→ MexicoCassie answers, should you visit Sevilla or Málaga?

→ MexicoCassie guide to day trips from Málaga

→ MexicoCassie guide to Mijas Pueblo

→ MexicoCassie guide to Ronda and Ronda with kids

→ MexicoCassie guide to Antequera