Panoramic view of Málaga and its port from Gibralfaro
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Málaga in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 5.9 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days is just the right amount of time for Málaga to stop being a stopover and become a real city: enough to climb Gibralfaro, dip your toes in the sea at La Malagueta and see a couple of museums without watching the clock. It's a weekend plan, with guided walks in the morning, looser afternoons and time for long lunches, which locals take very seriously.

Day 1From the museum to the sea

Set off mid-morning with “The best of Málaga: from Picasso to the lighthouse” and let it lead you from the Picasso Museum to the cathedral and the Alcazaba before strolling down the Paseo del Parque to La Farola. Lunch is pescaíto frito at Atarazanas Market. In the afternoon, climb up to Gibralfaro, the city's finest viewpoint, then head down to La Malagueta to rest on the sand. The English Cemetery is a stone's throw from the beach, and that's where “Hidden Málaga” begins as the sun goes down. Round it off with an ice-cold ajoblanco at El Pimpi, below the Alcazaba.

  1. Morning

    The best of Málaga: from Picasso to the lighthouse

    Mixed · 2 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Museo Picasso MálagaPicasso offered works to his home city in 1953; it took half a century for the museum to become a reality.
    2. Málaga CathedralA Renaissance giant built over the great mosque, with some of the tallest naves in Spain.
    3. The AlcazabaCourtyards with fountains, Andalusi arches and the best view of the port, ten minutes from the cathedral.
    4. Paseo del Parque and City HallWhere palm trees and giant fig trees grow today, there was sea until the late 19th century.
    5. El Cubo of the Centre PompidouA coloured glass cube on the quay announces the first Pompidou outpost outside France.
    6. La Farola lighthouseOne of the few lighthouses in Spain with a feminine name has watched over the port since 1817.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Pescaíto frito at Mercado Central de Atarazanas. Calle Atarazanas, 10

  3. Afternoon

    Gibralfaro Castle

    A 14th-century Nasrid fortress built by Yusuf I on the hilltop and linked to the Alcazaba by the Coracha wall. Walk the ramparts between the battlements: the views over the port, the bullring and the bay are the best in Málaga.

    Directions

    La Malagueta Beach

    Málaga's city beach begins where the port ends, ten minutes' walk from the Paseo del Parque. Beach bars grill espetos, skewers of sardines, over fires in sand-filled boats, and a palm-lined promenade runs alongside: the perfect place to unwind after Gibralfaro.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Hidden Málaga: traps, prisoners and a missing tower

    Mysteries & legends · 2.3 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. English CemeteryBefore it existed, Protestants who died in Málaga were buried at night on the beach.
    2. Plaza de la Merced and the Torrijos obeliskBeneath the obelisk lie 49 men who fell into a trap baited with fake letters.
    3. Church of Santiago and Jesús El RicoEvery Holy Wednesday a Christ figure leaves this church with the privilege of setting a prisoner free.
    4. La Manquita: the missing towerThe cathedral never got its second tower, and Málaga has been arguing ever since about where the money went.
    5. Church of the Holy Martyrs (Santos Mártires)Two young people stoned by the river in the year 303 became, twelve centuries later, the patron saints of Málaga.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Ajoblanco at Bodega Bar El Pimpi. Calle Granada, 62

Day 2Romans, merchants and murals

Get up a little earlier for “Málaga in layers: from Malaka to Calle Larios”, while the Roman Theatre and the Alcazaba are still quiet. The route heads down past the Customs House Palace and Plaza de la Constitución to Atarazanas Market. From there, stroll along the port to La Malagueta for a lunch of sardine espetos at El Cachalote, right on the sand. In the afternoon, head back into the centre: the Carmen Thyssen Museum is five minutes from Calle Larios; afterwards, cross the Alameda into Soho to see its murals. For an afternoon treat, Casa Aranda, by Atarazanas, serves churros with chocolate, which locals call tejeringos.

  1. Morning

    Málaga in layers: from Malaka to Calle Larios

    History · 1.6 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Roman TheatreIt lay buried under a government building until 1951, and today its seats face the street once again.
    2. The AlcazabaThe fortress that held out through the long siege of 1487 and watched the Catholic Monarchs enter Málaga.
    3. Customs House Palace (Palacio de la Aduana)It was designed to tax trade with the Americas and ended up as a tobacco factory, a civil government office and a museum.
    4. Plaza de la ConstituciónIts name has changed with every regime, but since the 15th century this is where Málaga comes together.
    5. Calle LariosA street cut in one go through the Moorish maze, paid for by a family of industrialists who wanted a modern Málaga.
    6. Atarazanas MarketThe gateway of a Nasrid shipyard, which once opened onto the sea, is now the entrance to the city's central market.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Sardine espetos at El Cachalote. Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso, s/n (playa de la Malagueta)

  3. Afternoon

    Carmen Thyssen Museum

    Housed in the 16th-century Palacio de Villalón, it brings together Spanish painting from the 19th and early 20th centuries: landscapes, Andalusian genre scenes, Sorolla and Romero de Torres. It's a manageable size, easily seen in an hour and a half, and just two streets from Calle Larios.

    Directions

    Soho district

    The grid of streets between the Alameda and the port has reinvented itself as an arts district, with whole façades painted by muralists such as Obey and D*Face, plus galleries and cafés. At its far end, by the river, CAC Málaga shows contemporary art in the old wholesale market.

    Directions

The map

Málaga in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Málaga in 2 days

  • The path up to Gibralfaro is a steep cobbled track that starts next to the Alcazaba. If it's hot or you have kids with you, take the city bus that stops by the castle and walk down instead: going downhill with the bay in front of you is twice as enjoyable.
  • The Alcazaba and Gibralfaro offer a combined ticket: buy it in the morning on day one's route and use it for the castle in the afternoon. Check the conditions and closing time, which changes between winter and summer.
  • Check which day the Thyssen and other museums close before you fix the order of your days, and look out for free-entry slots, which draw queues. During Holy Week and the August Fair the centre is packed, so book accommodation and tickets well ahead.

Questions

Málaga in 2 days: your questions

Are two days enough for Málaga?

For the city centre, yes, with a bit of room to spare: you'll see the main monuments, a couple of museums inside, Gibralfaro and the beach. What won't fit are day trips such as the Caminito del Rey, Nerja or Ronda; for those you'll need at least a third day.

How far will I walk in two days?

The three routes add up to about 5.9 km. With the climb to Gibralfaro, the walk down to La Malagueta and getting between places, day one comes to around 9 km and day two, with the stroll along the port to the beach for lunch, to about 7. The only tough stretch is the hill up to the castle.

Where should I stay for this itinerary?

In the old town or in Soho, so you can do everything on foot. La Malagueta is a good choice if you want an early swim, and it's a quarter of an hour from the historic centre. Avoid staying far out: this plan strings together neighbourhoods that are best enjoyed walking.

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