Museo Picasso Málaga
ModeratePicasso in his birthplace
Two hundred works spanning his career in a 16th-century palace, with Phoenician remains in the basement.
CentroArtMust-see
Málaga, Spain
Ideal: 3 daysBest: Mar–Jun, Sep–NovPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Málaga in 60 seconds
Málaga used to be the airport you left for the Costa del Sol; now it is a destination in itself, a lively, sunny city with a Moorish fortress on its hill and some of Spain's best new museums. Picasso was born here, and the Museo Picasso fills a Renaissance palace with his work; the Centre Pompidou's glass cube sits on the port. Climb through the gardens of the Alcazaba to the Gibralfaro castle for the view over the bullring and harbour. Eat in the old town at the tile-lined bars, drink sweet Málaga wine from the barrel at Antigua Casa de Guardia, and take the bus east to Pedregalejo and El Palo for espetos — sardines skewered on canes and grilled over embers in old boats on the sand. The Caminito del Rey gorge walk is an hour inland. Three days.
CityBeach
Best for
- Museums
- Food
- Beaches
- Weekend
Known for
- Museo Picasso
- Alcazaba
- Espetos
- Caminito del Rey
Skip if
You want undiscovered Spain — Málaga is popular with weekenders and cruise passengers, and the centre is busy all year.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Málaga fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Alcazaba & Gibralfaro
InexpensiveMoorish palace-fortress and castle above the city
Climb through patios and fountains of the 11th-century Alcazaba, then up the ramparts to Gibralfaro for the view of the port.
CentroMoorishView
Caminito del Rey
ModerateA walkway pinned to a sheer gorge
A boardwalk high on the walls of the Gaitanes gorge, rebuilt safely in 2015; tickets sell out, so book ahead.
El ChorroBook aheadHiking
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
El Cabra
ModerateNo-frills fish restaurant in Pedregalejo
A classic on the promenade for fried and grilled fish; arrive early.
PedregalejoNo bookingsSeafood
Mercado de Atarazanas
InexpensiveMarket hall with tapas bars
A market behind a Moorish gateway, with bars frying boquerones at the entrance at lunchtime.
CentroFried FishMarket
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Pedregalejo & El Palo
Old fishing quarters with espetos on the sand
Sardines grilled on canes over driftwood in beached boats; eat with your fingers at a beach-side table.
El PaloBeachSeafood
After dark
Bars & nightlife
Antigua Casa de Guardia
InexpensiveWine bar since 1840
Sweet Málaga wines poured from barrels and your bill chalked on the counter.
AlamedaHistoricSweet wine
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Centro histórico
Marble streets round the cathedral
Calle Larios, the unfinished 'one-armed' cathedral and tapas bars in every lane.
Soho
Street-art district by the port
Large murals, the contemporary art centre and newer bars between the river and the port.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Old town
ExpensiveHotels near the cathedral
Stay central for museums and tapas; the beach at La Malagueta is ten minutes' walk.
LivelyWalkable
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- The airport is about 15 minutes from the centre by train; high-speed trains reach Madrid in under 3 hours.
- Getting around
- Walk the centre; city buses run east to Pedregalejo and El Palo.
- When to go
- Spring and autumn are ideal; winters are mild and sunny, summers hot.
- Taste locally
- Espetos, fried boquerones, sweet Málaga wine, ajoblanco and a 'nube' or 'mitad' — the city's own names for coffee with milk.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 700s BC
Phoenicians found Malaka as a trading post.
- 1000s
The Moorish Alcazaba is built on the hill above the port.
- 1881
Pablo Picasso is born on Plaza de la Merced.
- 2003
The Museo Picasso Málaga opens.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Ronda
The town on the gorge
Ronda & the white villages has its own guide.
1 hr 45 min by carViewWhite villages
Granada
The Alhambra
Granada has its own guide.
1 hr 30 min by busPalaceUNESCO