Things to Know Before You Go – Malaga, Spain

Malaga, Spain is such a beautiful city that has changed hands throughout history. It is the home to Pablo Picasso and Antonio Banderas. I have been wanting to visit for some time and I was excited to finally have the opportunity to go. This was possibly one of my favorite holiday destinations.
Airport
First off the airport is pretty hot. Didn’t seem like they had any air conditioning. When checking in, you need to look at the board to find out which ticket counter to walk up to in order to check in. There is free wi-fi, but I was only able to get it to work when I arrived in Malaga.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
You will need them! Malaga is a walking city. This is especially true if you stay in or around Centro Historico. I did so much walking, I just knew I was going to be leaving with defined legs and buns of steel. Having comfy shoes is a must.
Roll Your Bags Around
If you stay in the Centro Historico area you will more than likely be carrying, rolling, or dragging your bag to and from the place you are staying. Many streets don’t allow for cars to go down. Many of the taxis will drop you in the center and tell you which way to go. We all had to roll our bags through the streets trying to find our Airbnb. I also saw others rolling luggage and carrying golf club bags on their backs.
Stay in Centro Historico

I highly recommend staying in this area. There are tons and tons of restaurants, shopping, things to see and do, night life, and more. It also isn’t too far from the beach. Something is always going on and happening, putting you into the heart of it all. One thing to keep in mind is that you will mostly likely hear all the happenings from the place you are staying, mostly at night until around 3am or so.
Weather
Approximately 300 days of sunshine a year can be found in Malaga. It was very warm in the day with a nice breeze. At night it got a little chilly, so a sweater or light jacket wouldn’t hurt. I would definitely recommend sunscreen. The sun is no joke and beams down. I barely saw a cloud there.
Nightlife

Casual wear is acceptable for the night life. Of course some people were in heels and dresses, but many people, men and women, had on sneakers, jeans, t-shirts, and hats on backwards. I thought that was pretty cool to see people just be comfortable and still admitted into a club. I put on some comfortable flip-flops and had no issues getting in. We also went to a bar and a club, in both when you order a drink the glass is pretty big and doesn’t cost much. They fill half the glass with alcohol and then give you, your juice of choice in a separate bottle for you to pour and mix yourself.
Beggars
There are a lot of people walking around asking for money. They have no problem walking right up into your personal space. Doesn’t matter if you are walking around or sitting down eating. They will stand there asking over and over again. It takes them a good amount of time before the budge and move on. Same with those trying to sell trinkets. One guy even laid it across the table while I was eating, repeating 1 Euro over and over again.
The Beach

I only went Playa Malagueta. There were a ton of people, but it was pretty quiet for the most part. There were women who were topless and kids running around naked. The water was pretty cold, but that didn’t stop people from going in. The views from the beach are pretty. A must do is eat some fish on the beach! They are known for anchovies and fish being grilled right on the beach. Mami Beach had some delicious food with a great view!
Art Everywhere

There are a ton of museums to visit if you are interested. If not, there are tons of art installations all around the city to enjoy for free. All you need to do is take a walk around.
Food

There is some great food in Malaga. If you want to eat local definitely stay in the city center or hit the beach. There are some areas and Puerto Malaga that are more for tourists and have certain foods. We were told by a local restaurant worker that if we wanted eggs for breakfast we would have to hit the tourist spots. Otherwise, ham and cheese sandwiches are on plenty of menus.
I hope some of these tips were helpful in knowing what to expect when visiting Malaga! It is such a beautiful place and I would gladly go back to learn some more! Check out more pictures of Malaga on my Instagram!
Have you ever been to Malaga?

Carolina Colborn
We were there in 2015 but your post does not contain anything that we went to! Explored different parts, I guess.
Holly Dayz
Probably so.
Cindy Ladage
Great tips that will help all who come! I love the idea of grilled fish on the beach.
Holly Dayz
Thanks, the fish was great.
Evelyne CulturEatz
I defenitely want to hit the south of Spain some day, only did the big cities. So many great tips for sure and yeah good shoes alwasy a good thing on any trip ha ha.
Holly Dayz
Thank you, It is beautiful, a must visit. You are right, good shoes are always a good thing, but people forget sometimes.
EG III
I’ve never been to Malaga but 300 days of sunshine sounds like my kinda place!
Holly Dayz
Gorgeous weather so I agree.
Tosha
Spain has been on my bucket list for years. I speak Spanish and I know I would love to visit their museums. I always visit museums because it’s a great way to learn more about the culture.
Holly Dayz
They have a ton of museums so you would love it. I hope you get to Spain soon!
danik
I love Malaga, its one of my favourite cities in Spain and so much better than the ones in Barcelona and Madrid. I feel there is more culture down here and of course, better beaches 😀
Holly Dayz
It is such a beautiful city. I would happily go back.
loisaltermark
We’ve been to many areas of Spain but never Malaga. Your beautiful photos make me want to plan a trip. I love cities you can really explore on foot.
Holly Dayz
Hopefully when you get back there you can visit Malaga.
Tami
I’ve only been to Spain once, and we focused our explorations near Madrid. I sure hope we’re able to go back – because obviously there is so much more to see! Malaga sounds wonderful!
Holly Dayz
Spain is beautiful. I hope to get back soon and explore more of it. Maybe next time you will make your way to Malaga.
Houseful Of Nicholes
I don’t think that I’ve ever heard of the city of Malaga in Spain. However, the country has been on my vision board to visit for the longest time! I kind of want to do a Mediterranean cruise so that I can hit quite a bit of Europe in general.
Holly Dayz
It is a beautiful city. I am sure that vision will come true sooner rather than later.
staciesayzso
Lovely pictures! I’ve never been to Spain, but I did experience something similar to the beggars in Mexico. Sounds like a beautiful place to visit though.
Holly Dayz
Yea they are a bit relentless. Spain is so pretty and so was the weather.
Mimi & Mitch
never have been yet and can’t wait! Beggars is something quite annoying but you can get use to it when you travel a lot. Always be aware of your stuff and all just in case. Can’t wait to go!
Holly Dayz
Not something I have had to get used to. This was some next level begging.
Tomiko
Spain is on my bucket list for 2018. We are trying to decide between Spain and Africa. I’m so confused because I want to see them both equally
Holly Dayz
That is great, excited for you to go. Do both. You can go and take a ferry into Morocco from Spain.
Adeola Naomi
I love span but I haven’t been to Malaga yet! I am definitely adding it to my list.
Holly Dayz
Definitely pay Malaga a visit. Beautiful city.
Kirstin N. Fuller (@thetravelindiva)
Love the bright vibrant colors of the buildings, they remind me of Curacao and Miami. The ham & cheese for breakfast is funny. Great tips!
Holly Dayz
Thanks! Yep, ham and cheese. We checked a few places and that was pretty much the extent of what you could order at that time.
Carola
I’ve never been to Malaga. Though it looks like the historical center could be quite interesting. I’d probably read up more on the history of the city before going.
Happy travels!
C
Holly Dayz
It is interesting and really pretty. I loved walking around it.
Julie
Any place with 300 days of sun has my vote as a place that must be seen to be believed! Of course, super aggressive beggars are not my idea of a good time, but for the sun? I’m all in!
Holly Dayz
I agree. Yea, they got a little annoying, but besides that, great time.
Cleverly Changing (@Cleverlychangin)
My close friends did a year in Spain through their colleges study abroad program. Ever since hearing their stories about the old country I’ve longed to travel there. One day my dream will come true.
Holly Dayz
Oh wow that sounds amazing. I hope you get the chance to go soon.
Myrthe
I’ve been a couple of times to Spain but never to Malaga.I didn’t know it was such an interesting city. It looks like a nice region where you have everything you need to have for a good city trip. It’s so cool that you have art everywhere! Definitely a place we have to visit in the future. Thanks for sharing all the info.
Holly Dayz
Next time you go, check out Malaga. Art is all over it is pretty cool.
Foodie Flashpacker
I’ll be in Spain in a few weeks! I hadn’t considered going to Malaga but now I may have to check it out. It looks interesting but I hope they water would be warmer when I go!
Holly Dayz
I hope you go and visit Malaga! You will enjoy it! I hope it would be too.
Christopher
Hey Holly,
This is a great summary. I love Spain, such a passionate country. I’ve been looking for a reason to go back and I think this might be it!! The pictures look fantastic. I get that beggars and sellers are everywhere but I think the owner or workers should intervene when they are stopping you from enjoying your meal
Holly Dayz
Thank you. It is beautiful, I look forward to going back and seeing even more of the country. One of the workers ended up telling this one person to stop bothering us, but other than that, they are persistent.
Carmen Edelson
Spain is one of my favorite countries and I try to visit as much as I can! I have family there too so that’s always a good excuse. I have yet to go to Malaga though so thanks for sharing! Bookmarking 🙂
Holly Dayz
It is a gorgeous place. I look forward to seeing more of it. Malaga is gorgeous, I would happily go back.