You decided to come to visit Malaga and you lack ideas about things to do? Or you’re just not sure yet about what to do in Malaga? Here are not 30 things to do in Malaga, not even 40 things to do in Malaga, but 50 ideas about activities to do in Malaga!
Whether you came with your family, partner, group of friends, or alone you’ll find great ideas of awesome activities to try in Malaga.
Whether you are into cultural activities, gastronomy, or art, you’ll find some inspiration here. You’ll have a wide choice of activities to meet different tastes and interests.
We offer great things to do in nature, sports activities, leisure, recreational, and relaxing activities.
With this list of things to do, you won’t run out of ideas! Ready? Let’s start!
1. A classic but inescapable thing to do is to visit the Alcazaba (very beautiful castle from the Arab era). The site itself has amazing architecture. But you’ll also enjoy the wonderful view of Malaga from the Belvedere called “el mirador”. 📷
2. Try the typical dish called “espetos” in a restaurant on the beach. These are sardines skewers cooked on open wood-fires. If you want to eat them as locals do, forget the cutlery, and eat them with your fingers!
3. Try the “café bombón” (coffee with condensed milk) in one of the many pleasant terraces of the city centre. This is just a sin but it is so good!
4. Savour delicious local almonds while you stroll around the city. 😋 You can buy them from little stands you’ll find in the streets.
5. Visit the very beautiful Atarazanas Market. There you’ll enjoy the impressive architecture of its main entrance. This huge white door of marble is an amazing piece from the Arab era. Visiting the market is also a great opportunity to buy fresh local fruits and veggies of course. When you are inside don’t miss the stained-glass with symbols of Malaga.
6. Visit the house where Picasso was born, located in “Plaza de la Merced” (Merced Square). You’ll see a reconstitution of the place where lived his childhood. You’ll also learn that his father was an artist too. And you’ll discover some of Picasso’s artworks before Cubism.
7. Visit the wonderful Conception botanical garden. In it, you will discover a wide range of plants: more than 2.000 species. This is a great activity and place to spend the day with your kids, partner, or group of friends.
8. Order coffee like locals using one of the 8 names they gave to their coffees. “Nube” (cloud), “sombra” (shadow), “mitad” (half), etc. And tell us which one is your favourite. ☕
9. Have a picnic in one of the nice parks close to the city centre: West Park, Huelin Park. A must-do as you’re in Spain is the nap or famous “siesta” on the grass, listening to birds singing. Isn’t this one of the best things to do?
10. Try local products from the region like olives, figs, olive oil, or almonds. Exquisite! The variety of olives you’ll find here is impressive. 😋
11. Have a relaxing walk in the Gibralfaro Park, in the city centre. Don’t forget your bottle of water, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
12. Spend a chilling time in a Hammam, it is a very nice thing to do too. Take time to relax and enjoy a delightful massage surrounded by exquisite fragrances.
13. Try the delicious “fritura malagueña” (typical dish of fried fish and seafood) in a “chiringuito”. “Chiringuitos” are restaurants located on the beach. Enjoying lunch with a view of the beach, that’s a great thing to do in Malaga! 😎☀️
14. If you visit Malaga in April, discover the Holy Week or “Semana Santa” celebration. During this week 44 thrones are carried in the streets by hundreds of men. The important info is that these processions weight between 3 and 4 tons and are carried for hours.
15. If you visit Malaga in August, one thing to do is to discover and enjoy the feria. Basically, this celebration consists of eating, drinking, singing and dancing all day long. This event lasts a week so you have time to practice your flamenco steps. 💃💃
16. A great thing to do in Malaga if you are with kids is to spend the day in Dove Park or “Parque de la Paloma”. This is a huge park of 200.000 m², located in Benalmadena and full of animals. Among them, you’ll see rabbits, chickens, goats, swans, ducks, and peacocks. Some of them wander around freely in the parks. And the best part of this activity is that it is totally free!
17. Practice sport for free in one of the parks with professional machines close to the sea. You can do that in the “Parque Calistenia” for example.
18. Among the things to do in the city centre of Malaga is to have a walk in the beautiful and relaxing “Parque de España”. There, you will enjoy the huge variety of plants from all over the world. You will also see amazing sculptures and fountains from the 19th century.
19. Discover the hidden treasures in Malaga with a Cooltoural local. This is the opportunity to get great tips and info that only locals know. It is the best way to make the most of your stay and have a real immersion in the culture. Contact us! 😊
20. Having a coffee or breakfast in one of the many terraces of “Plaza de la Merced” (Merced Square) while enjoying the sun. This is a must-do when you’re in Malaga. What’s fun in this square is that there are almost always artists giving free shows there.
21. Try one of the many typical soups we have in the region. You can savour for example some gazpacho, gazpachuelo, ajoblanco, or porra antequerana. This is the thing to do when the weather is hot and you want a fresh, healthy, and nutritious dish. 😋
22. Enjoy a drink in one of the many wonderful rooftops in the city centre. They usually have a fantastic view of the city. And, the prices are not that expensive, reasonably priced compared to rooftops in other European cities. 🍹
23. Visit the Soho area and enjoy the street art you’ll find in almost every corner of this district. Many great international artists marked this district with their art. This is the thing to do in Malaga if you are a street art lover!
24. Try the official fish in Malaga: The “boquerones” or anchovies. This is the thing to do if you like fish. You can try them fried or in vinegar. To me both are delicious, tell us what your favourite version is. 😋
25. Visit a typical picturesque white village (and cities) around Malaga. Among them, you can visit Mijas, Ronda, or Sedella. This is the thing to do if you want to enjoy a quiet spot for a day.
26. Stroll around in the streets of the city centre. Why? You’ll always have a nice surprise. We have many good artists in the city with very good shows, voices, and rhythm.
27. Watch an authentic flamenco show in one of the “tabernas” we have in the city centre, not in touristy spots. This is a great opportunity to dance with locals and let them teach you a few steps.
28. You’re not really into flamenco? Why not try a free live concert? Rock, salsa, jazz? 🎷 Tell us what you like and we’ll take you to the best bars to enjoy your favourite music.
29. You want to practice or improve your Spanish? Try a language exchange.There are many events planned almost every week in Malaga. This a great activity to meet locals and other foreigners.
30. Go for hiking in one of the many beautiful spots around Malaga. Here are a few suggestions: El Torcal, el Chorro, los Montes de Malaga, Sierra de las Nieves.
31. Visit the Cathedral and discover why it is called the one-armed lady or “la manquita”. And if you want to do what other travellers don’t usually do, visit its rooftop!
32. A less common activity is to visit Victoria’s basilica. It is less famous than the Cathedral, but it is still amazing and a very nice place to visit. Don’t miss its underground exhibition.
33. A great thing to do if you like art and don’t want to spend too much money is to visit the CAC (Contemporary Art Centre). It’s free all the opening days and often has new exhibitions. Sometimes they have free film projections too.
34. Visit the “Aduana Museum” and discover its 15.000 archaeological relics. It is also free. It has amazing treasures from different eras of Malaga’s history. There you can admire Phoenician, Roman, and Arab treasures. It often has free concerts on Sundays.
35. An inescapable thing to do is to try typical desserts like “turrón”, “mazapán”, or “polvorón”. They are not the lightest and healthiest options, but we have to try local food, right? The main ingredients are almonds, honey, sugar, and butter. Once is OK?
36. A must-do is eating paella in one of the chiringuitos of the beach. Just because you are in Spain and it is a super typical dish here. 😋👌
37. Admire the amazing architecture of the 3 main buildings in the Cervantes Avenue. These buildings are the City hall, the Bank of Spain, and the University headquarter. They are all from the 20th century.
38. One cool thing to do in Malaga is to learn how to prepare a “tortilla de patatas” with a local and try to do it at home. This is a typical dish in Spain made of eggs, potatoes, and onions.
39. Enjoy the amazing fountains we have in Malaga. You will discover how some of them were moved in different squares over the years. Among these fountains, you can admire Genova, the 3 graces, or the Caracola nymph fountain.
40. With all the hills and mountains we have around Malaga, you can practice rock climbing. This activity can be done in El Chorro, in Archidona, or in Torcal de Antequera for example. These spots are also a great site for just a chill day in nature.
41. One of the fun activities close to Malaga is visiting the “Caminito del Rey” (the King’s little pathway). It was known as the world’s most dangerous hike. It had to be closed because of the number of accidents. Now it is totally secure and can be visited by families. The views from up there are impressive. You will enjoy them for sure.
42. Try a huge amount of traditional dishes ordering “tapas”. The tapa is a small sized-dish. This allows you to savour many different recipes in one meal. A great concept isn’t it? 😋👌
43. Savour an iced coffee like Malaga locals on the beach. This is super typical here. The tip if you want to add sugar to your coffee is to add it to the hot coffee before adding the ice. For coffee lovers, this is a must-do.
44. Enjoy a play in Cervantes Theatre. This is the main seat of the Malaga Movie Festival, the most important Spanish film festival.
45. Visit the Butterfly Park in Benalmadena. It is the number 1 park in Europe with 1.500 exotic butterflies. This a great activity for families with kids. They’ll love it!
46. If you visit Malaga in February, you can’t miss its Carnival. You will see many people dressed up in different costumes, many parades, and shows in the streets.
47. If you come in June, don’t miss San Juan celebration. People celebrate it on Malaga beaches with huge free concerts. And at midnight many people go have a swim in the sea. Tradition!
48. Malaga isn’t known for its ice creams but we have really good ones here too. Casa Mira in Larios street is a great option to enjoy a delicious ice cream. 🍦 You’ll find flavours you won’t have in other countries like the turrón ice cream. A great reason to give it a try!
49. Another cool thing to do is to enjoy the “chocolate con churros”. This a very typical dessert locals love to have in the afternoon. The technique is to dip your churro in the chocolate. In my opinion, the chocolate is too thick and sweet to be drunk alone. And then have a good walk to burn off all these calories.
50. Visiting the Carmen Thyssen Museum is a thing to do in Malaga if you like art. It gathers one of the main collections of Spanish and Andalusian works. It has amazing pieces mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. It also has temporary exhibitions that are usually very interesting to discover.
We hope that with all these ideas of things to do in Malaga you’ll make the most of your stay. Don’t forget that our Cooltoural locals have many more great tips and tricks to tell you. Don’t miss the authentic and hidden Malaga, contact us. 😊