Planning a cruise with a port stop in Malaga, Spain? Here’s my travel guide that covers the best things to do, places to see, and where to eat in the beautiful city of Malaga.
Malaga is located on the southern coast of Spain along the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun). It is the birthplace of the artist Pablo Picasso.
If you are arriving by cruise ship, there is a shuttle that you can take from the cruise terminal that will drop you off near the Plaza de la Marina y Oficina de Turismo and Parque de Malaga. From there it is only a short walk to Alcazaba.
Alcazaba (Moorish Castle)
Alcazaba was built between 1057 and 1063 with some materials taken from the nearby Roman Theatre. It is beautiful inside with gardens, fountains, arches, towers, and gates.
Alcazaba opens at 9:00 am and I highly recommend that you are in line before they open. There was a huge difference between being there when they opened with no one around versus when we were leaving and it was very crowded with lots of tour groups. You can buy a combo ticket for both Alcazaba and Gibralfaro (fortress above). We debated doing both but decided against it just due to time in port.
Roman Amphitheatre
The Roman Amphitheatre ruins reach 1st century BC and the times of Augustus. It is free to walk through the amphitheatre which is awesome.
Malaga Cathedral
The beautiful Malaga Cathedral was built over a span of two hundred years and never completely finished. It is called La Manquita (the one-armed lady) because of the towers which were not completed because they run out of funds.
Plaza de la Constitución
The Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Square) and the surrounding area is populated by charming cafes and restaurants, with small balconies and inviting gates! Let yourself get lost in the narrow passages. Be sure to see Fuente de Génova (Genoa Fountain) which is the Renaissance-style fountain funded by King Charles V in 16th c.
Churros and Chocolate
Eat churros and chocolate! We choose to eat this delicious combo at Cafe Central Malaga at Plaza de la Constitución. The waiter told my daughter that you can eat the chocolate like soup and she did just that when we finished all the churros! It was that good!
Tapas
Tapas are an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine and translates to a small portion. While in Spain, we knew that we wanted to stop for tapas and really wanted to try paella. We choose a cafe near Alcazaba and sat outside to people watch. The food was delicious!
We really enjoyed our visit to Malaga and would love to visit again soon! Have you visited Malaga?
