Destinations Travel Advice

24 hours in Malaga

24 Hours in Malaga with H+I Adventures
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24 hours in Malaga

Our top tips for how best to spend 24 hours in Malaga

Now that you’ve booked your MTB tour or E-MTB tour in Spain with us you need to begin planning your travel to Malaga, and the start point of your Andalucían adventure, with our 24 hours in Malaga guide.

We always recommend that you arrive at least one day before your adventure begins to allow for any travel or luggage delays. It’s also good to acclimatise to local time and recover from your journey before you start turning the pedals.

To help you make the most of your extra time in Andalucía, we’ve pooled our collective local knowledge to create this handy city guide for how best to spend 24 hours in Malaga before you set off on your fantastic adventure in Spain.

24 hours in Malaga: Morning

To kick off your 24 hours in Malaga you need to get into the rhythm of Andalucían life by strolling along Calle Larios and into the historic part of the city.

This is the real Malaga, with impressive architecture at every turn, including the cathedral nick-named La Manquita (one-armed lady) because one of its towers was strangely left unbuilt. There’s also the Alcazaba (Arab Fortress), and bustling squares such as Plaza de la Merced and Plaza de la Constitucíon, where you can grab a café cortado and do some people watching.

Afternoon

Now that you’re suitably warmed-up, you can satisfy your appetite for culture by visiting one (or more) of Malaga’s exceptional museums and art galleries, such as the Pompidou Centre, the Carmen Thyssen Museum and the Picasso Museum.

After your cultural spell indoors you might want to breathe in some sea air again, and a walk up to the ruins of Gibralfaro Castle will give you spectacular views across Malaga and the Costa del Sol.

Evening

Head down to the harbour and the Muelle Uno ‘lifestyle centre’ for some open-air shopping Spanish-style. There are lots of boutique shops and restaurants, however for a more authentic (and less expensive) culinary experience, we recommend walking back up to Calle Alcazabilla in the old town, to Bodega Bar El Pimpi, which serves delicious, traditional local cuisine and wines in a typically Andalucían setting.

5 Local Phrases

‘Gracias’ ; Thank you

‘Por favor’; Please

‘Una copa’; Glass of wine

‘Hasta luego!’; See you later

‘Salud’ ; Literally translates from Spanish as ‘health’. A common drinking toast

Accommodation Options

Malaga has a great mix of small hotels deep in the historic city centre as well as some more modern options.

AC Hotel Málaga Palacio

Mariposa Hotel

Holiday Inn Express, Málaga Airport

Malaga Transport Links

Getting to Malaga city centre from the airport is very straightforward:

Train – The airport train station is a 3 minute walk from the arrivals area of Terminal 3. As you leave the terminal you will see a ticket office where you should purchase your tickets. Malaga Airport Train Station is on the Malaga Cercanias Line, and trains run every 20 minutes or so. It is a 12-minute journey to Malaga Centro Alameda, in the city centre.

Bus – The Aeropuerto Express bus takes you from Malaga Airport to Malaga City Centre. The total journey time is around 15 – 25 minutes depending on time of day and traffic. It costs just 3€ and you can pay the driver direct.

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