Re; Malaga Spain

Everyone will tell you that Malaga is an awful place...don't visit. And in August, they will probably be right.
The old city itself is quite attractive, and worth a visit, with Roman ruins, a Moorish castle and palace (like a smaller version of the Alhambra), a massive 500 year old cathedral, and old narrow streets with lots of great bars and restaurants.....not to mention some excellent Picasso displays.
However, in August, the entire Costa del Sol from Nerja to Estepona will be JAMMED with Spanish holiday-goers. They flood the place looking for a few square feet on the beach to call their own. Traffic will be unbearable.
Since you'll already have beach time in Barcelona (expect crowds, too), why not a change of pace and catch the high-speed AVE train to Madrid for a couple of days? Great bar and dance club scenes in places like Plaza Santa Ana and Chueca, hot but drier, and day tours to places like Toledo and Segovia. Tickets on the AVE can be purchased up to 62 1/2 days in advance for up to 60% off, putting a round-trip fare at less than 100 Euro. See the Spanish national rail website, RENFE for info. You print the tickets at home.

Thank you Norm! Depending on if my vacation is approved for the August time frame, if not I am looking @ end of Sept or Oct. Will that be a better time to go and can we still catch a bull fight?

A MUCH better time to go. If you want a smaller-town feel, you might consider Nerja, just east of Malaga on the coast....good bus connections there. And from Malaga, there are good bus connections to Granada...definitely worth at least a (long) day trip.

Norm, will the weather be warm during Sept & Oct & will there still be bull fights?

You'll find temperatures in the upper 60's and 70's. Bullfighting season usually draws to a close in September. If you do go during August, the third week is the annual Feria, a huge event, very crowded, and lots of bullfights.

I go to Malaga whenever I can! It's lovely city, especially the old part, and has great rail and bus connections to the rest of Analucia.

I was there for nearly a month last September/October and the weather was really nice and just right for sight seeing. August would be too hot I think, and as has already been mentioned, the whole area will be packed with tourists, not just Spanish, but English and German too.

As for bull fights, I can't help you, but if you look at nearby places such as Marbella and Puerto Banus, you might find something there. Also any ferias are worth seeing.

A very helpful website for the area is Andalusia.com, it's got travel and events in the area.

Thank you all for your advice. I appreciate it.