How to spend 48 hours in Malaga
The Costa del Sol can sometimes get a bit of a rough time from critics with its reputation for heavy drinking, sunburnt beer bellies, and Irish pubs. But Malaga is miles apart from this aspect of the south coast of Spain! So much so that I would rank it as one of the top European getaways. You really should spend 48 hours in Malaga!
About Malaga
Based in the Costa del Sol, sunny Malaga is far more than just a coastal town. In fact, it is one of the largest cities in Spain, and rather conveniently has its own international airport! This highly developed, diverse city is steeped in both history and culture, making it a popular attraction for tourists of all demographics.
Walking around and exploring Malaga, you will notice how compact and also varied it is. It is this sharp contrast within the city that I love most about it!
One moment you could be surrounded by shops; the next you could be standing in front of some magnificent, ancient architecture! Turn one more corner and you could be looking at some incredible street art! Open spaces like the beach and gardens help break up the city and add to the modern and fresh feel of Malaga, with its well-kept buildings and clean streets.
So what exactly is there to do during your short trip to Malaga?
Castillo de Gibralfaro
My favourite part of the city has to be the castle on the hill. (Probably not the same one that Ed Sheeran was singing about though).
Sat at the very top of Mount Gibralfaro, the castle was built around 770 BC and it acted as a military base up until 1925! It was famously besieged in 1487 by the Catholic monarchs for three months. That is until the Arabs were forced to surrender due to hunger.
It can be difficult to see the castle through the trees from the bottom. But having said this, the castle is in fact deceptively large – making the views from the top pretty awesome! With eight towers, two sets of border walls, and two levels to explore there is a lot to wander around, so give yourself sufficient time! Walking the perimeter to appreciate the views from all sides took me around an hour. But the walk up and down took a fair while.
From the castle walls, you can get some great views of the urban expanse of Malaga below. This includes the port and the spectacular cathedral, as well as views over the Mediterranean and the rest of the Montes de Malaga mountain range.
To reach the castle, you can walk up through the surrounding pine and eucalyptus trees. This is my preferred, more scenic, and cheaper method. Or you could follow the zig-zag steps up from the Plaza de Toros and the east side of the botanical gardens.
If you are looking for something a little less sweaty, the Number 35 bus from the town centre will take you to the top of the hill!
Entrance fees for the castle are less than 4 euros (€3.50 when I visited). Though you can get a joint ticket that gets you into Alcazaba Fortress as well for not much more.
Within the castle, there are a couple of places for food and drink as well as toilet facilities.
Gibralfaro Viewpoint
Just outside the walls of the castle, away from the main road, there is a beautiful viewpoint known as the Gibralfaro viewpoint. It is one of the best-known viewpoints of the city and it is completely free!
From this iconic spot, you can look over the port, the highrise buildings and Malaga’s famous bull ring.
Surprisingly, despite the great views, the viewpoint remained very quiet when I visited, which made it even better!
Malaga Park
In between the streets and the buzz of the city, this lush park is a great little oasis to escape into. By no means the largest park in the world, I still recommend taking a short walk through these urban botanical gardens for a change of scenery and to escape the heat of the sun!
Amongst all the exotic plants, there are also several cast-iron monuments of people. Many of them are dressed in traditional Andalusian costumes.
Alcazaba Fortress
At the foot of the Gibralfaro hill is the 11th-century Arabic fortress-palace of Alcazaba. Translated into English, it means Citadel. Yet another part of Malaga’s complex history, this Muslim-built fortress is one of the most important remaining military fortifications from the Hispanic-Arabic era!
As mentioned before you can get a joint ticket for Alcazaba and Gibralfaro. A ticket for Alcazaba on its own costs €3.50.
The Roman Theatre (Teatro Romano)
Right alongside Alcazaba is Malaga’s oldest construction, the Roman Theatre. Despite being the oldest structure in the city, it was only discovered in the 1950s.
It doesn’t take long to look around the visitor centre and read all the material (20 minutes max). The area is completely free to look around or even take a seat in the theatre (Woop!). Ideal for resting your legs from all that walking you’ve been doing!
It even overlooks the plaza so you can sit back, take in some rays and watch the world go by.
The Roman Theatre is situated right alongside Alcazaba and the Palacio de la Aduana. This means you can see Roman, Arab and Renaissance cultures all within a few metres of each other.
You can get a guided tour if you so desire.
Plaza
The busy plaza at the centre of the cultural district is a good place to take a break for lunch.
There are several reasonably priced restaurants around given the proximity of the university building situated nearby. The surroundings of Malaga town hall and the Bank of Spain and Malaga Museum make the area pleasant to take a pause to your day.
Picasso Museum
Visit the most famous museum in Malaga – the Picasso Museum. It hosts over 285 original pieces by the famous artist born in Malaga in 1881. Since the museum opened in 2003, it has become a global landmark for its work and attracts art lovers from around the world.
Though you can’t see some of his most famous paintings such as Guernica, there are still plenty to admire. And if the main collection is not enough for you, there are temporary exhibitions available for an additional fee.
Tours and audioguides are available to help you make the most of the museum.
Malaga Cathedral
The cathedral in Malaga is a beautiful Roman Catholic church in the centre of the city. With the tower standing at 84 metres in height, it is hard to miss and is a must-see in the city!
La Playa de la Malagueta
Though the beach in Malaga is not one of the finest in the Costa del Sol, it is still worth visiting. Can you really say you’ve been to the south coast of Spain without heading to the beach?
Sun, sand and sea – what’s not to like?
Bullring
I personally chose not to visit the bullring in Malaga. But, since it is part of traditional Malaguese culture and has been declared an Official Site of Cultural Interest, I have included it just in case you are interested.
Bullfights occur regularly between April and September. But the 14,000-capacity stadium sees the most action around the August Festival season.
Feria de Agosto
If you happen to be in Malaga during August you are in for a treat as you will witness the largest fair on the Costa del Sol.
Attracting people from across the globe, Feria de Agosto celebrates the Christian monarch’s successful challenge on the city, making it theirs once again.
The party in the streets provides something for all the senses. Bright and vibrant colours with flamenco dancing. Loud music and thousands of people create an electric atmosphere. Scents and tastes of food and drink as people young and old come together to enjoy themselves.
Usually, the festival takes place in the third week of August (Saturday to Saturday).
Unfortunately, in 2020 it has been cancelled due to Coronavirus but hopefully, the tradition will continue once again in 2021.
Transport in Malaga
Getting around the city of Malaga is very easy as there are plenty of options.
Walk
As a tourist, I would recommend walking as many places as you can so that you can better experience Malaga as a city. There are so many hidden gems to find including beautiful street art scattered around the city as well, particularly around the Soho area.
Bicycle
If walking seems a bit too slow for you, another eco-friendly way of getting around is by cycling. If you do not have your own bike there are plenty of places to rent a bike for a day or half a day.
Trixi
Otherwise known as bike taxis, Trixis are great for short trips around the city. Hop into the pod being towed along by the bike, sit back and enjoy the views of the city.
Be aware that these can get pretty expensive.
Malaga is also known for its horses and carriages if you want a more romantic mode of transport.
Segway
A new addition to exploring Malaga has appeared in recent years, and that is Segway. Though these are primarily used for tours, there are some options where you can rent them out for the day.
Either way, you will receive a helmet and most likely a high-visibility jacket to ensure you keep safe.
If you are looking for a unique way to get around the city, these are for you!
Tour Bus
The hop-on hop-off tour bus is a large, red double-decker vehicle with an open roof (ideal for soaking up those rays), so it’s pretty hard to miss.
What’s great about it is you pay just once, and then over the next 24 hours you can hop on and off as many times as you like in whichever location.
There are 11 stops after the main bus station and it will take you past the majority of the sights that I have already mentioned (Gibralfaro, Alcazaba, beach, port, bullring and more).
There are several free walking tours on offer in the city if you prefer the idea of someone with a bit more knowledge of the city leading you around.
48 hours in Malaga: Summary
Malaga is a fantastic city and is up there as one of my favourite parts of Spain (along with Caminito del Rey, Castle Butron and Barcelona). With many of the main attractions so close together, it is an ideal, yet sometimes overlooked destination for a short weekend getaway.
Given how compact the city is, you can be relatively flexible with which activities you do in which order, especially with such a good transport network. This means you can fit in some of the amazing restaurants in Malaga or maybe even an epic day trip.
You should check the official websites for each of these places to check their timetables before you head out. Several of these activities are closed on Mondays and different days of the week affect prices and closing hours.
Before you go
Thank you for reading my travel guide for 48 hours in Malaga. If guides, itineraries, and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.
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Happy travelling!
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