When you research trip ideas for going around Andalucía, you usually come up with the “big three” cities: Granada, Cordoba, and Seville. Other than those three, people want to fit in a hill town or two, and probably a few days at the beach. I’m not here to say any of those places are bad options, in fact they’re all good ones. But the best flights to Andalucía go to Malaga, and it’s the closest city to the many beautiful beach towns of the Costa del Sol. So if you are looking at planning a trip to this region of Spain, consider adding a day here, or taking the train up from one of the beach towns for the day to explore this bustling southern hub.
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Malaga is a port city, so the first thing you’ll notice is that a lot of effort has gone into making the entire harbor walkable and enjoyable for residents and visiting tourists alike. Take your pick of spots for a leisurely shaded lunch or dinner with a sea breeze along the water.
Once you’ve seen the water, walk into town. The central streets are full of beautiful architecture and walkable (read: shaded) streets.
If you’re interested in a bit of a climb for the best city view, visit the Alcazaba, Malaga’s moorish fortress. This is a smaller version of the Alhambra in Granada, but it feels more accessible. Even in peak summer season there weren’t huge crowds (or even small ones), so I would recommend getting those steps in!
From the many viewpoints, you can see the harbor, the city, the bull ring (still in use), and a lovely park that stretches between the Alcazaba and the harbor. After climbing down from the Alcazaba, take a stroll and enjoy the lush greenery (and shade).
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring Malaga. There are beaches, museums, and nightlife. I hope this taste of what Malaga has to offer gave you some inspiration to add a day here to your next Andalucía trip. If you follow any of my footsteps, or find more to do in Malaga, please let me know in the comment section below about your experience!
Thanks for coming along,
~ V
(All photos taken in the Summer of 2014 with my Nikon D5300 & Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 lens, panorama taken with iPhone 5)