Is Málaga Worth Visiting - Ipanema travels

Málaga (Spain) is mostly famous as a package holiday destination among holiday makers and is predominantly visited in the summer. Most of the tourists do not even see this beautiful city, as they land at the airport and from there they are taken to their resorts on Costa del Sol. However Málaga is so much more than that. So, is Málaga worth visiting? Read further to find out whether Málaga should be on your bucketlist.

a Moorish fortress with ruins of castle on the top of a green hill, the Alcazabaof Malaga Fortress, Spain — *The Alcazaba of Málaga Fortress*

Just like you, I was asking myself whether I should give it a go and spend some time in Málaga. I was going to a conference in Marbella and flying into Málaga, so it looked like a good idea to explore the city a bit. I had this idea of Málaga as a party beach destination with tons of tourists flocking to the resorts and the beaches. That’s why I thought that a day will be enough, but Málaga surprised me with being anything but that. I stayed 24 hours in Málaga and eventually regretted that I hadn’t spent more time in this beautiful Andalusian city.

4 pictures of places in Malaga with an overlay text: is Malaga worth visiting? - 7 reasons why you should visit Malaga, Spain

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7 reasons why Málaga is worth visiting

So, let’s see if I can shake off a bit the image of Málaga as a beachy party-goers destination and give you 7 reasons why you should visit Málaga besides for the sandy beaches and the night life.

a view through an arch towards an inner yard of a Moorish castle with columns and arches and a shallow rectangular water basin, Patio de la Alberca, the Alcazaba of Malaga — *Patio de la Alberca in the Alcazaba of Málaga*

1. Historical Heritage

Málaga is a bit overshadowed by Granada if it comes to historical heritage sites, however Málaga has its very own fortress from the Moorish period which is almost as beautiful as Granada’s Alhambra. The Alcazaba of Málaga fortress and the Gibralfaro Castle, built between 11th – 14th centuries, should not be missed when visiting Málaga.

a roman theatre with some purple jacaranda trees at the background; Teatro Romano in Malaga — *The Roman Theatre in Málaga*

Other significant historical sites in Málaga include the Roman Theatre (1st century BC), the Cathedral of Málaga (15th – 17th century), and the Church of Santiago (St. James’ Church) from the 15th century, among others.

2. There are some very good museums

If you are a fine art lover, Málaga won’t disappoint you either. Málaga is the birth place of Pablo Picasso, and has a whole museum (Museo Picasso Málaga) dedicated to the life and the works of this world-famous Spanish artist. You can also visit the birth house of Picasso in Málaga.

a inner courtyard of a building on two floors with columns and galleries; the courtyard of Picasso Museum in Malaga, Spain — *Picasso Museum in Málaga*

Other notable museums in Málaga with some great art are the Pompidou Centre, which exhibits the Pompidou Collection of fine arts, and the Carmen Thyssen Museum, showing a lovely collection of 19th-century Andalusian paintings.

3. Nice weather all year round

Málaga is located on the so-called Costa del Sol (Sun Coast) in Spain and the name says it all. Málaga is one of the sunniest places in Europe. With 300 sunny days per year, Málaga is attracting tourists all year round.

a busy pedestrian street in a city with cafes and a palm trees, visiting Malaga in the summer — *Málaga in the summer*

If you want to escape the rainy gloomy weather in the autumn, Málaga would be the perfect destination for a city trip. Do you want to enjoy a bit of a sunshine in the middle of a snowy winter – Málaga will be your answer.

However, the warm weather comes with a downside. In the summer it could get very hot in Málaga with temperatures well in the 45 plus degrees Celsius (113 degrees F).

a pedestrian street in a city with a column with a cross and four lamps in the foreground; Plaza de la Aguana in Malaga — *Plaza de la Aduana in Málaga*

4. Easily accessible – own airport

In terms of logistics, Málaga ticks off all the boxes. With its own international airport, Málaga can be easily visited from virtually anywhere in Europe. This means that quite quickly you’ll reach your hotel and maximize on your time exploring the city. Besides, the public transportation is quite reliable. The airport is well connected with the city, as are the various neighbourhoods in Málaga.

5. Lots of tours to other places in Andalusia

I was surprised to find out how many tours are organized out of Málaga. Basically, you can spend a week, or two in Málaga and explore the rest of Costa del Sol and Andalusia. Indeed Málaga would be the perfect base for your Andalusian adventures.

a narrow street along white houses with blue flower pots hanging on the walls with geraniums in bloom and other flowers; the White village of Mijas in Spain — *Mijas White village in Spain*

Read more: Best things to see and in Mijas Pueblo

Here are some of the places that you can visit on an organized day tour from Málaga:

6. The food and wine are great

Well, that’s not true only for Málaga but for the rest of Andalusia, as well. It goes without saying that tapas paired with a local wine are a guarantee for a well-spent evening. The one dish that is symbolic with Málaga, is espetos – sardine skewers roasted on a BBQ directly on the beach. Another typical dish is the fritura malagueña – a platter of fried fish, which includes various catch-of-the-day seafood. The best place to try the fish platters are at the so-called chiringitos – a type of beach bar/restaurant.

8 bbq-ed sardines with a piece of lemon on a plate — *Espetos*

Other dishes that are must-try in Málaga include gazpachuelo malagueño (a warm fisherman’s soup, not related to the gazpacho), porra antequerrana (a cold tomato soup), and last but not least the famous ensalada malagueña (fresh potato salad with salt cod, onion, green olives, and oranges).

7. Festivals all year round

Whether you are visiting in the winter or in the summer, Málaga is buzzing with festivities, from traditional festivals like Noche de San Juan (the Night of San Juan) in June and the Semana Santa (the Holy Week) at Easter to the Picasso month in October and the Biannual Flamenco Festival.

an abstract painting in vibrant colors of a candle, palette an d a head of a red bull; a painting by Picasso — *“Candle, palette, head of red bull” by Pablo Picasso*

The most famous festival of Málaga is Feria de Agosto, celebrated in the second half of August. The Fair of Málaga commemorates the conquering of the city by the Catholic Monarchs on 18 August 1487 during the Reconquista.

Is Málaga worth visiting in winter?

Absolutely! With the mild winter temperatures and no crowds at all, Málaga is the perfect destination for a winter city trip. As the high season in Málaga is in the summer, during the rest of the year the city is left to the locals, so it’s less crowded.

Besides, Málaga is pretty magical during the Christmas period. The Christmas lights are one of Málaga’s main attractions in the winter period. Each year there’s a different design with a different theme and the lights are officially lit the last week of November.

a view with a green park with palm trees, blue sea with a white lighthouse, and blue sky; The lighthouse of Malaga — *The Park of Málaga with the Lighthouse*

How many days to spend in Málaga

If you want to explore Málaga properly you should stay at least 2 days so that you have time to visit most of the museums and other tourist attractions in a relaxed pace. However, you can also see most of Málaga in one day, but you won’t have time for the beach.

Málaga can also serve as a base to discover the rest of Andalusia on day trips, as it is very well connected to the other major cities and also lots of tours depart from Málaga, thus you can visit Marbella, Granada, and Mijas, for example.

a view from a rounded opening in a fortress towards a cityscape with a cathedral and some green trees; view from the Alcazaba of Malaga fortress — *View from the Alcazaba in Málaga*

I’ve spent roughly about 24 hours in Málaga and they were enough to see the main attractions. But I wish I had planned to stay longer in the city, as I couldn’t visit all the museums I wanted. So, you should be planning at least 2 days for visiting Málaga.

Málaga vs Granada – which is better

Without a doubt Granada is more popular than Málaga. And there’s reason for that. You can’t compare Alhambra in Granada with anything else. But Málaga has it’s very own fortress and castle from the Moorish period – the Alcazaba of Málaga, which is also quite beautiful.

a part of a cathedral with a fountain in front; the Cathedral of Malaga — *The Cathedral of Málaga*

Granada’s got beautiful gardens – the Generalife gardens, Málaga – as well – the Botanic Gardens. Granada’s got a beautiful cathedral, Málaga – as well. However, Málaga’s got Picasso and beaches, but Granada’s got Albaicín and Sacromonte neighbourhoods.

So, which is better Málaga or Granada? Which one should you visit? I would say both! You don’t need to choose between them. If you are short in time, plan a day in each and you’ll be able to get a glimpse of these two worlds.