Your expert guide to exploring Málaga with kids
Málaga, gateway to the famous Costa del Sol, is a great city to visit with the kids. While it might have a reputation for being a city that likes to party, it’s definitely also a fun option for families. It’s actually a very kid friendly place with plenty of culture, great food, easy access to beaches, fun day trips and more for your family. My kids absolutely love a trip to Málaga (we live in Sevilla so it’s a popular and easy win for us!).
In this article we’ll take a look at all the great things there are to do in Málaga with kids as well as consider where to stay, how to feed the kids & awesome family friendly day trips & adventures.
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Málaga family friendly highlights
🏖 Beaches – Málaga is a beach city that also has excellent access to other nearby beach towns
🔎 Culture – Málaga is full of culture and history and it isn’t hard to make it kid-friendly
🍕 Food – Málaga has a real foodie scene. Unlike smaller towns in Spain, here you’ll find all cuisines and you’ll be able to feed your kids on your own schedule
👧🏽 Accessibility – Málaga is a very walkable city and much of it is pedestrianised. There are good buses, a metro and its airport is just 25 minutes from the city centre.
🛝 Fun – There are playgrounds, kid-focused museums, places to run, and lovely, wide open beaches with calm water
🍻 And of course, Spain in general is extremely kid-friendly & welcoming to the whole family. Everywhere you go in Spain you’ll see families out having fun until late into the night. Parents sit on the plazas and chat while kids play & run around together. Really, it’s quite idyllic.
Where to stay in Málaga with kids
🏨 MexicoCassie hotel recommendation: Molina Lairo – this beautifully central hotel has a roof terrace where you can swim in the rooof-top pool and enjoy views over the centre of Málaga. Breakfast is excellent here and the hotel offers a free taxi from the airport too.
🏨 MexicoCassie hotel recommendation: Icon Malabar – this is a centrally located 4⭐️ hotel with beautiful, modern and airy interior designed rooms & public spaces. There are family rooms available here. Enjoy views over the city from the terrace. (this is also a pet friendly hotel)
🏨 MexicoCassie beachside hotel recommendation: Sol Principe – located in nearby Torremolinos, this is the perfect hotel for families who love some beach & pool action – with 3 pools, a kids’ club and all inclusive options, you can’t go wrong here.
🗺 Or, if you don’t like the look of these 3 hotels, you can use my interactive hotel finder map
➕ If you’re coming from overseas and will need to rent equipment, check out Babonbo
Getting to / from Málaga
✈️ Málaga’s airport is just a 25 minute drive from Málaga.
🚗 Having a rental car gives so much freedom to do what you want, when you want.
→ Check car rental options & prices now
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to driving around southern Spain
🅿️ Driving in Andalucía is absolutely fine as long as you always plan on where you’re going to park. Spanish towns tend to have narrow, winding roads that can be stressful if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Avoid this stress by always know where you plan to park (always have a back up too) and if possible, book in advance as it’s cheaper.
🚌 Andalucía is well covered by bus networks. The bus station in Málaga is located on Paseo de los Tilos right next to the train station, meaning it’s easy to use for day trips, should your family be public transport fans.
→ Use Busbud to check bus timetables & book tickets in Europe
🚆 Málaga’s train station, María Zambrano is located on Calle Esplanada de Estación. If you plan to travel by train in Spain, always book in advance to save money and to ensure you can travel when you need to.
Ⓜ️ Málaga has a metro service that serves the centro historico as well as more modern areas of the city.
→ Use RailEurope to check train timetables & book tickets in Europe
When to visit Málaga
Truthfully, there is no such thing as peak season or down time in Málaga, it’s always busy. The hint’s in the name, really – it’s called the Costa del Sol for a reason! Málaga is actually one of the sunniest cities in Europe.
🔆 Summer months – If you love long, hot days then June – Sept are perfect for your family. July & August actually have 11 hours of sunshine on average per day.
🎄 December – January are the coldest months but with an average of 17℃ and good weather, & generally clear skies, even winter is a delight. In fact, winter is extremely popular thanks to Málaga’s Christmas lights, the Christmas markets and the winter wonderland they open in the Botanical garden every year.
☔️ November and March are the wettest months in Málaga.
What to do in Málaga
🏖 Beaches
Málaga’s beaches are all on the Mediterranean coast so the water is generally pretty warm and pretty calm, perfect for the kids.
🍽️ You’ll find chiringuitos (beachside restaurants) nicely spaced out along the beaches. It’s generally a good idea to reserve a table if you want to eat in one as they’re very popular.
🚾 ♿️ There are public toilets & showers spaced out along the beaches too. There are generally playgrounds, exercise spaces and accessible areas should you need them.
To the east of the port you’ll find Playa de la Malagueta, Playa la Caleta & Playa Pedregalejo
To the west of the port you’ll find Playa de Huelin and Playa de la Misericordia
If you’re visiting Málaga with small kids, you’ll probably want to find a spot on Playa de la Malagueta, the closest beach to downtown Málaga and set up there. If you’re visiting with older kids, why not rent bikes, pack your snacks & swim stuff and head off along the coastal path to explore the other beaches?
Culture
Málaga’s old town is a great place to explore if your kids are up for it. From the Roman amphitheatre, the Alcazaba & the castle, to the computer museum and delicious turrón shops, there’s really something for everyone!
👣 Choose a self-guided walking tour, a segway, or a bike tour if you’re visiting with bigger kids or perhaps the hop-on-hop-off bus or a tuk-tuk tour if you’re in town with little ones.
Main sites
Castillo de Gibralfaro
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.
The views are really amazing from up here and kids will enjoy walking on the castle walls but it is a hard walk up to the castle for little legs, especially in the summer.
💲 €5.50 to visit with the Alcazaba or €3.50 to visit alone.
If you’re visiting with little ones, strollers or anyone who really doesn’t enjoy walking, I recommend taking a tour up here. I made my kids do it when they were 9 and 11 and it wasn’t even particularly hot. We were all surprised at how hard the walk up was (and if you follow my adventures then you know I make my kids hike everywhere all the time so you know I don’t say this lightly).
⭐️ 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
🧒🏻 My kids enjoyed being at the castle but they didn’t love the walk up. They said they deserved more snacks for having walked all the way! 😉
Alcazaba
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
👧🏽 My kids did not care one bit about the Alcazaba when we went.
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 Málaga 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.
🧒🏻 My kids loved posing with the nearby Málaga sign and had no adverse reaction to walking by these ruins 😂.
Cathedral roof tour
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
🧒🏻 Of the ‘big 4′ attractions in Málaga this was probably my kids’ favourites, surprisingly. They really enjoyed climbing up to the roof and then looking out over the city. Highly recommended. They engaged with the guide, asked questions and were genuinely interested.
Museums & galleries in Málaga
There are 30+ museums in Málaga – with kids you’re unlikely to be visiting them all. If you do want to get a little history into your cherubs, the easiest way to get a feel for the history of Málaga is to take a city tour or to check out some of the following museum options:
⭐️ Take a 2hr “traditional and unknown history” tour of Málaga, or,
⭐️ Do a 3hr treasure hunt tour around the city as a fun way to explore Málaga and learn about the city.
Picasso Museums
There are 2 museums dedicated to Pablo Picasso in Málaga, unless your kids are truly Picasso fans, I recommend picking one. We went with the Pablo Picasso museum. The other is the Casa Natal de Picasso, which is smaller and has a good collection of his engravings.
⭐️ Buy your skip the line Picasso Museum ticket now
⭐️ Buy your skip the line ticket now
🧒🏻 As you might expect, we had to work to keep our kids interested here. Some rooms and sections were more fun than others for the kids. There were some interactive displays they very much enjoyed, including the one captured above where you could pose with a bunch of old Picasso related stuff and take silly photos – we spent a long time here.
Museo de Málaga
This is an excellent small museum dedicated to the history of the region. I particularly love this museum because they talk about the conquest (not reconquest) of Andalucía by the Catholic Kings.
🧒🏻 My kids sat this is an acceptable museum to visit, not amazing, but not one they hated.
Pompidou Centre
The entrance to this small contemporary art gallery is located at the end of Muelle Uno and it is magnificent.
🧒🏻 The kids were fine with walking briskly through the gallery. The younger one was in love with the activity room and even the bigger one was eventually drawn in by the fabulous and engaging staff who found something fun for them to do too – huge success in the end.
Museums the kids will actually love
OXO Museo de videojuegos – Computer Game Museum
This is a dream come true for kids, teens and nostalgic parents who love a good arcade game. The first time my kids went they were in there for hours, playing all the games, & laughing at the games their parents loved as kids.
🧒🏻 This is my kids’ favourite place to go in Málaga. They ask us to plan trips back to Málaga just to spend time here (and yes, their dad obliges).
Museo de la Imaginacion
This is an interactive optical illusion museum where kids & adults will love figuring out how to take the coolest photos.
🧒🏻 My kids and their dad always love these museums and this one was no exception (I’m not a fan but apparently I’m just mean and boring when I say that!)
Interactive Music Museum
This is a great option for younger children. They will enjoy the touch screens as well as the opportunity to play the musical instruments.
Museo del Automóvil y la Moda
Kids who like cars will love this collection of almost 100 classic cars as well as great posters, & some really cool car art.
Museo Aeronáutico
Located near the modern airport on the grounds of the old airport, this is an amazing place where you can explore old aeroplanes, radar systems and more. My kids want you to know the gift shop is also excellent (and no, they don’t always brush their hair).
⭐️ This is free so just show up!
🧒🏻 Absolute rave reviews from my kids.
Principia Science Center
Sadly, this science museum remains ‘temporarily closed’ in 2026.
Flamenco
Some kids love flamenco, some don’t. Performances only last an hour generally so even if your kids don’t love it, they won’t be put out for too long. My younger kid really loves it, my older one resents every second he’s made to sit through a performance (so now that he’s big enough, we let him sit with a book and don’t waste money on a ticket for him).
Do note that really little ones aren’t always permitted into performances so ensure you confirm your kids can enter.
💃🏻 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
Playgrounds
Parque de Málaga
Running alongside Muelle Uno is this lovely long urban park. You’ll also see it referred to sometimes as Paseo del Parque, which is actually the path through the middle of it. There are a few decent playgrounds here as well as water fountains if anyone gets thirsty.
Muelle Uno
There is a wooden playground here. Weirdly, my kids had more fun running around next to the closed down Aula del Mar Museo though – I don’t know why!
Alameda
By the Puente de Tetúan there is a really cool playground space full of orange and grey climbing cubes that kept my kids entertained for hours because it’s totally different to anything they’d seen elsewhere.
Parque del Oeste
This is a good sized park with ponds, basketball courts and some really impressive statues to check out.
Beach playgrounds
Along the beaches there are various play spaces (see photo above)
Splash pads
In the summer months, look out for free splash pads for the kids – let them join locals in having free water fun. Look for “Parque del Agua” on the map.
What else is there to do with kids in Málaga?
Shopping
If your kids like shopping, Málaga is a good place to be. My kids love to spend hours in shops like Ale-Hop and Flying Tiger, whether they’re allowed to buy anything or not.
Calle Larios (officially called Calle Marqués de Larios) is a pedestrianised road that is the main shopping street in town. If your kids are into clothes shopping, then this is where you need to take them. Enjoy strolling down this street and be sure to wander in and out of the winding, narrow side streets too.
Turrón – this traditional Spanish sweet (nougat) that people generally eat at Christmas time. In Málaga you’ll find a number of shops where you can try & buy.
Plazas – the plazas all have their own personality and are great for sitting and enjoying a drink and snack.
Markets – there are numerous markets in Málaga to explore. The main one is the Mercado Central de Atarazanas – stop in here to pick up picnic supplies if you enjoy a good market.
Eating in Málaga
A note on food culture in Spain
Breakfast – is generally a fairly light meal. If you’re not eating in your hotel or apartment, expect to find toast with cheese or ham or a plate of churros. Spanish kids will typically drink cola-cao, which is basically Nesquik.
Lunch – this is the main meal of the day and it’s eaten sometime between 2 – 4 pm. It’s always a good idea to reserve a table, particularly if you want to eat in a beachside chiringuito.
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to eating in Spain with kids
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to vegetarian tapas in Spain
Supper – the evening meal is eaten much later in Spain than you might expect. Often restaurants won’t open until 8pm. If this is too late for your family, you’ll be relieved to know that fast food places and some tapas bars will cater to a more international timetable in Málaga than in other cities.
Málaga really is a foodie heaven but that doesn’t necessarily help you if your kids are fussy or wary of new foods. You’ll find plenty of pizza, burger, sushi and kebab places all over the city as well as the excellent Spanish cuisine. Another serious win here is Las Muns empanadas – they’re generally around in Spanish cities and my kids go nuts for them.
Ice cream & gelato are everywhere in Málaga and most of it is truly excellent. The kids will love you so hard for letting them eat so many ice creams!
Adventures & day trips
There are plenty of fantastic adventures and family fun days to be had when you’re on holiday in Málaga. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to day trips from Málaga
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to exploring Andalucía with kids (Málaga section) for more adventures in Málaga
Activities the kids will love
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended boat trip – this 3 hr trip along the coast includes snorkelling over a shipwreck from the 1850s, kayaking, a huge inflatable water slide, lunch and even, if you’re lucky, seeing dolphins in their natural habitat.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended ATV / Quad Biking adventure – a 3hr off-roading adventure along dirt roads, through the River Guadalhorce and nearby villages. Note that adults do the driving.
Visit a water park – there are a number of water parks too choose from near Málaga. Aqualand (Torremolinos), Samulandia (Algarrobo Costa), Aquavelis (Vélez-Málaga), Aquatropic Water Park (Almuñecar), Aquamijas (Mijas). There are also inflatable fun courses in the sea such – check out the one in Fuengirola.
➕ I’m not personally a fan of zoos but if you are, Bioparc Fuengirola & Crocodile Park are both nearby, too.
Cultural day trips for the whole family
These day trips are possible to do on your own if you have a car. If not, generally the easiest option is to take a guided tour. I use Viator & GetYourGuide to plan my own family’s adventures.
Nerja – this is a lovely small town to visit. The panoramic view from the Balcon de Europa is pretty special and the enormous caves just outside town are always a win with families.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended trip to Nerja – this is a full day trip that takes in Nerja, the breathtaking Nerja Caves, Frijilana (often called the prettiest village in Spain)
Benalmadena – You can take a local train or bus between Málaga & Benalmádena. The cable car up the mountain is always a nice activity with kids and if you’re in town, the Parque de la Paloma is a lovely spot for kids.
⭐️ Buy your cable car tickets in advance for incredible views over the Costa del Sol
Caminito del Rey – if your kids are over 8 yrs old and enjoy a good hike then this is an amazing walk to do with the family. It can be hard to get tickets even if you have your own transport.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Caminito del Rey tour – full day tour that includes transport, ticket & guide.
Mijas Pueblo – up in the mountains not far from Málaga is one of the cutest mountain villages where you and the family will enjoy great views, lovely food & some delightful tourist shops as you stroll around.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour to Mijas Pueblo – this full day tour also takes in Marbella & Puerto Banus (great for shopping) and allows visitors time to explore all 3 towns.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Mijas Pueblo
Ronda – a trip to Ronda is one of the most popular day trips from Málaga, people visit for the incredible views over the Tajo Gorge.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour to Ronda – this full day trip also visits the incredible town of Setenil de las Bodegas where you can explore the houses caved into the cliffs on a tourist train the kids will love. The tour includes the option to add a 2 hr guided walk around Ronda (or extra free time).
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to visiting Ronda with kids
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to day trips from Málaga
