Walking through the streets of Malaga is like something out of a movie with picturesque views around every corner.
This seaside city boasts a very strong tourism industry in the south of Spain, which is helpful if you don’t have your Spanish skills quite up to par. The city has many restaurants with offerings of food from all around the world. My first meal was a spot just around the corner from my hostel named Amigo’s which is a chain boasting Mexican-Indian cuisine. Not quite a traditional find on the Spanish food front but the options for international cuisines are definitely all there. My roommate was a vegan and we had no trouble at all finding restaurants that fit with both of our preferences, for any meal and tapas in the afternoon too! If you want to stick with Spanish foods, the choices will not disappoint. Restaurant patios line the streets along the entire town, many of which offer very affordable tapas specials throughout the afternoon, which turned out to be a great money saver, some places even have tapas for as low as one euro, and cheap sangrias to go along with it, so there’s always something to be offered. Traditional Spanish paella is often served with these afternoon specials, so get ready to leave full.
If you’re looking for a little bit of history in this beautiful city, it happens to be the birthplace of one of the worlds most renowned artists, Pablo Picasso. You can visit his birthplace at “Casa Natal” situated in the heart of the city. Right nearby to the city centre is the Picasso museum, housing some of his works with rotating exhibits from other artists. Along with the museums, there are also a number of other cites within walk distance of the city centre, including a fortress with incredible views over the city, after quite the climb up. I very much suggest not wearing flip-
flops for the walk up as it is quite a steep walk (along a path, but still felt like I was sliding out of my shoes on the walk. Have a stop at Gibralfaro viewpoint, where you get a fantastic view of the city of Malaga, as well as the cruise port and the beach at Maraguete. In the distance you can watch the planes come in to land at the AGP airport and see the mountains in the distance. These mountains take a couple of hours to hike up if you’re looking for an experience in nature outside the city. Or for anyone who wants to head up the mountains but aren’t as crazy about the idea of hiking, a cable car is available to take you one way, or both ways of the hike. (This is something I spoke to someone about on my last day, so I didn’t get the chance to do but would like to on my next visit) The Benalmadena Cable Car has a cost of about 15 euros per adult, but also has a host of food and other activities once you arrive.
If you’re a little more on the slow paced vacation type and a mash up of beach bars and great history are your thing, then Malaga is a good option for you to look into on your trip to Spain. This is a place I didn’t know much about while booking my trip, but it was my favourite stop along the way through Spain because it has a little something for everyone.