I was fortunate enough to spend a long weekend in Malaga and soak in so much of what the city has to offer! After lots of walking, eating, coffee drinking and hotel browsing, I’m here to give you a list of my recommendations for what to do in Malaga. Hopefully you’re lucky enough to make it out there!

*Disclaimer: this post was sponsored in part. As usual, all opinions, musings and daydreams are my own!*

Food

• Casa Lola. Someone from my hostel recommended it and then I ended up sitting next to a travel agent who has been coming to and recommending the restaurant for years! I always ask for food recommendations or for the server to order for me, and here I’m glad I listened. I tried the hamburguesita presa ibérica, porra antequerana (which is like salmorejo), and ensaladilla rusa with a local beer. The hamburguesita was a slider with delicious iberian ham, arugula and cheese, the ensaladilla rusa was the traditional spanish potato salad. My favorite part was the porra antequerana. It’s a cold soup, thicker than but similar to gazpacho. When served as a tapa, it’s usually topped with a hard-boiled egg, ham and maybe shredded beef. It sounds weird but wow it was delicious. My neighbor ended up getting the boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar), which is another typical tapa and it looked delicious!

• Bar El Pimpi: no matter where you look someone will recommend Bar El Pimpi. It’s a classic, but what they recommend is that you go inside the original building. Now, El Pimpi has grown to include several covered terrace areas with a view of the Roman Theatre and Alcazaba. I ate there and recommend it, especially if the weather’s nice! Try the fried eggplant, ensalada Malagueña and salmorejo. Oh! Also the Victoria beer, their local brew. They have way more on the menu but that’s all I could handle in one meal!
• Chiringuito Miami Beach. Ok, this is more of a half recommendation. Chiringuitos are those kitschy beach bars where they grill everything right there on the beach. I’m recommending it more for the vibe and as part of the experience rather than for the food. The food is decent but a bit overpriced, but again, it’s the vibe and it’s typical in Malaga.
• El Taqueo. Ok, fine. I wanted comfort food and for me, that means spicy, authentic Mexican. Taqueo is just that! They’re a bit on the pricier side, but the tacos, margaritas and hot sauces are delicious!

• Martonela, for ice cream. I never considered ice cream before going to Malaga, but it gets so warm there that it’s a must-do, even if just to cool off! I was in the mood for a richer flavor, so I got – and 200% recommend – the Ferrero Rocher ice cream with Rocher topping. It’s rich but divine.

Coffee

You all know I’m a coffee fiend. I’m not talking fancy, fru-fru coffees either. I’m an Americano, black with maybe a bit of brown sugar type of person. Should be simple, right? You’d think so, but not always. Fortunately I had some pretty good coffee in Malaga and have some decent recommendations for you!

• Dulces Dreams cafe. I went to this cafe specifically for coffee on the first time, and the Americano was yummy! I ended up going back and they serve some yummy toast options too!
• Cafe Central. It’s definitely more known for churros, but their coffees are also really good. The americano here wasn’t too strong and I barely had to add sugar!
• Casa Aranda. This was also a churro stop, but the coffee here was good and strong!
• La Canasta. I went in for some baked goodies but got coffee as well and it was surprisingly smooth.

Accomodation

As you know, I stayed at the Alcazaba Premium Hostel and really enjoy my stay. Depending on the type of trip you want to take, there are other accomodations I’d recommend.

• For a beach trip, I’d recommend staying on the beach, obviously! The Bellavista Malaga Hostel seems like the best and closest hostel option. For hotels, the Hotel Soho Boutique Las Vegas seems to be decently priced and have great amenities!
• For a city trip, I’d obviously recommend you stay closer to the city center, where all the attractions are! The Alcazaba Premium Hostel is my hostel recommendation but the Hotel Malaga Premium is on my list for next time! It has a great location and amenities!

I’d also recommend heading over to this blog for a much more in-depth article on the different areas to stay and which hotels in those areas! I took some tips from there as well.

Attractions

Well, as far as attractions go, it depends on what you like. Malaga has a bit of everything. Want to go to the beach? You can. Want to check out some art and museums? You can. Want to experience some history and architecture? You can. Really it has something for everyone! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see everything on this list, but here are some top attractions and things to do when in Malaga.

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• The Gibralfaro. It’s a 14th century castle built to protect the Alcazaba. It sits atop a hill, so it’s either a hike or bus ride up. The building and grounds are worth it but the views really top off the experience!
• The Alcazaba. This is the true jewel of Malaga. It’s a palace built in the 11th century by the Moors. Think Alhambra on a much smaller scale.
• Catedral de la Encarnacion de Malaga, or the Malaga Cathedral. It’s a beautiful 15th century cathedral with lots of history, art and architectural value, but it has one standout factor: only one of the two planned towers was built. The funds meant to build the second tower went to the British colonies to help them in their war for independence from Great Britain. Cool, right?
• Roman theatre. No, not a movie theatre. Think outdoor amphiteatre, right on the back of the Alcazaba. Romans, Moors, it seems like everybody had stake in Malaga at one point or another!
• Museo Picasso Malaga, the Pablo Picasso Museum. Didn’t know Picasso was born in Malaga? Me either! The building itself is supposed to be gorgeous but there are also over 280 original works inside!
• Carmen Thyssen Museum. It started with a personal collection of art that is mostly 19th century Spanish paintings. This building is also beautiful and has a stunning courtyard!

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Obviously there is way more to do, but even with this short list, you could fill up a week!

Hopefully by now it’s clear I really enjoyed Malaga and can’t recommend it enough! I genuinely believe it has something for everyone, plus the weather is pretty incredible year-round. I just hope to make it back soon to do more sight-seeing!