Malaga Airport is huge, and you can easily imagine, would be very frustrating to navigate when busy with the summer masses. As it was late January, the arrival halls were quiet, and we were getting into an Uber within 30 minutes of our plane landing.
Those tourists who arrive at the airport, and instantly get whisked away to the resorts of the often-maligned Costa Del Sol, are missing out on a delightful city visit.
Malaga, like much of Andalucia, carries its multi-layered history gracefully.
The city buzzes with bars and restaurants, has a growing reputation for its museums and art galleries (as befitting the birthplace of Picasso), proudly shows off a recently renovated port district with a wonderful promenade, and makes for a perfect staging post for an extended tour of the wonders of Andalucia.
This is a city where you can visit for 3 days and feel like you have seen it all or spend a couple of weeks enjoying it at a leisurely pace. Will definitely be back for the latter.
STAYING (prices are from January 2024)
AC Hotel Malaga Palacio (Calle Cortina del Muelle, 1)
This is a welcoming hotel on the southern edge of the Centro Histórico, just next to the magnificent Cathedral.
Staying here, you are a short walk to monuments, restaurants, shops, and the waterfront with lovely walks around the port district.
The rooms are spacious and beds comfortable. The downstairs lobby is a welcoming and comfortable spot for a coffee and a place to do some work if needed.
The rooftop bar / restaurant is a very popular spot for residents and visitors alike. It’s the perfect place for a cocktail as you watch to sun set over the coast of Andalucia. As a resident you do get priority access.
Stayed on a Bonvoy points redemption.
Highly recommended.
EATING (prices are from January 2024)
El Pimpi (C. Granada, 62)
Of course, El Pimpi was the first place we visited in Malaga. In hindsight, I wish it had been our last.
Getting used to the style and pace of drinking and eating in Andalucia took me some time to figure out, and on the first night I did not have either the confidence or knowledge to sidle up to the bar and order a couple of glasses of wine and some tapas.
Instead, we were ushered upstairs to a large dining room that seemed to be full of other tourists and presented with a large menu that was a bit overwhelming for our first night.
We ordered some drinks, two starters and a shared entrée. We paid a reasonable €49.00. Perfectly nice but not great.
Passing through the busy downstairs bar reinforced that we had missed the entire point of visiting El Pimpi. Next time.
Recommended.
Mercado Central de Atarazanas (C. Atarazanas, 10)
One of the great pleasures of visiting any city in Spain is a visit to the central market (or markets) and Malaga is no exception.
The Mercado Central de Atarazanas is housed in a beautiful building that was originally a shipyard built during the Nasrid era. It was not until the 19th century that it was converted into the market that exists today – check out the doorways, cast iron work, and stained glass.
The market is organized into 3 halls – fruit and veg, seafood, and meat – and it is just wonderful to stroll through. There are places to get a glass of wine or a beer an enjoy some tapas at one of the counters.
We chose to find a table on the pavement outside the market (which is served by one of the restaurants in the Market – N1) and ordered some fresh seafood. I do advise you to double check the prices of the specials of the day– we were especially surprised by the price of the Huelva Langoustines (€22.50 for four).
Overall, we paid €68.00 for a couple of glasses of wine each, prawns, the langoustine, and some octopus.
On a sunny day this is a fine place to be. If you love seafood, you will enjoy it very much. Do check the prices.
Recommended.