Malaga in Spain is one of the most popular cities to visit in Andalucia, along with Seville, Granada, and Cordoba. It’s also a fantastic destination for a city break, especially if you’re after some winter sun – Malaga has an average of 300 sunny days per year! I spent three glorious days here soaking up the sunshine on a girls trip, and had the absolute best time. Here’s my itinerary for how to spend three days in Malaga!

This post is written in partnership from a press trip with Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays, but all opinions are my own.

Where is Malaga?

Malaga is in southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol in Andalucia. It’s a great destination for combining a beach holiday and city break, because the city has both! Check out city breaks to Malaga to start planning your trip.

How to get to Malaga

Malaga Airport is the fourth-busiest in Spain (after Madrid, Barcelona, and Mallorca), and the largest airport in southern Spain. I flew to Malaga from Liverpool Airport – I’d never flown from this airport before, and I was really impressed! It’s small and easy to get through security, and all the staff were really friendly (even at 6am). Search for flights from Liverpool Airport to get started. Because Malaga Airport is so convenient for flights to southern Spain, you can fly in here and head on to other destinations around Andalucia. Check out flights to Malaga with Jet2 to book your trip.

Where to Stay in Malaga

I absolutely loved the hotel I stayed at! Hotel Catalonia Puerto del Mar, a popular hotel with Jet2 Holidays, has a great location right in the heart of Malaga. We were able to walk pretty much everywhere we wanted to go – nothing was more than a 15-minute walk or so! The bed was huge and super comfy, and I loved the big rainfall shower. The breakfast was unreal – fresh pastries, fruits, yogurts, cereals, hot breakfast dishes like eggs, bacon, sausage, Spanish tortilla (yum!), and more. The fresh-squeezed orange juice was the perfect way to start my day. I would absolutely recommend Hotel Catalonia Puerto del Mar for your trip to Malaga.

Malaga Day 1 Itinerary

If this is your first day and you’re flying in the morning, give yourself plenty of time to unwind.

Walking Tour or a Tuktuk Tour

This is a great way to get your bearings of Malaga, and decide what you want to see and do over the next few days! We did a tuktuk tour, which was so much fun. The tuktuk tour took us up to the stunning viewpoint at Castillo de Gibralfaro. I was glad I didn’t have to hike up in the heat of the afternoon! The views here were superb, and it’s one spot you can’t miss on a city break to Malaga. If you’d rather do a walking tour, check out this tour of Malaga’s main sights.

Tapas and Wine Tour

In the evening, kick start your eating adventure with a tapas and wine tour. This was such a fun way to explore the city, and I loved getting to sample so many different types of food! It was a great activity to do with a group, but also a fun way to experience Malaga’s food scene if you’re traveling solo. If I’d been on my own, I would have definitely wanted to do this tour. Highlights were trying moscatel (sweet Malaga wine), salmoreje (a tomato and garlic soup), and the final dish of goats cheese on toasted bread with tomato marmalade.

You can book the exact same activities I did here!

Malaga Day 2 Itinerary

Hit the ground running, you’ve got lots of attractions to see in the center of Malaga! Spend a full day seeing the sights around the city.

Mercado de Atarazanas

This is the main market in Malaga, with an impressive Moorish arch over the entrance. While most stalls sell fresh meats, cheeses, fish, and produce to cook with, a number of spots have items to takeaway or eat on the spot. It’s open Monday to Friday from 9:00am, so get here right when it opens.

Roman Theater

The Roman Theater in Malaga dates back to the first century, and it was used for a few hundred years – it then went out of use, eventually hidden out of sight underground. It wasn’t discovered until 1951. Today, you can see the impressive ruins of stands and gateways from the street, and there’s a small museum with more history about the monument.

Alcazaba

The Alcazaba is a must-do in Malaga – this is the former fortress of the city, built in the 11th century. It’s one of the best-preserved alcazabas in Spain. Eventually, it was used as a palace before it became a normal city neighborhood for civilians in the 18th century. Be sure to keep an eye out for columns from the Roman Theater that were taken and used as building support in the Alcazaba! Lines are long and tickets for the Alcazaba can often sell out, so booking a guided tour is a great way to avoid the stress. Our guide, Dani, was excellent, sassy, and so much fun.

Picasso Museum

Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, and the Picasso Museum is a must-visit for art lovers in the city. Some of his famous paintings and sculptures are displayed here – there are over 250 artworks in the museum. My favorite was Musketeer with Sword. Tickets for the museum are often sold out well in advance, so book ahead of time or consider doing a tour with GetYourGuide, which takes care of the tickets for you.

Malaga Cathedral

Malaga Cathedral is an absolute stunner – it dates back to the 15th century, and is built on the site of a former mosque. It opened for worship in 1768, and it’s one place you can’t miss in the city. The interior is breathtaking, with high pillars and intricate ceiling designs, plus a grand nave and quire. Book your tickets for Malaga Cathedral here.

Sunset Rooftop Drinks

This was one of my favorite things from the entire trip to Malaga! The views over the city at sunset from the rooftop were phenomenal. We went to the rooftop bar at AC Marriott, which cost 11€ per person – this was redeemable against a drink. Seeing the city glow in that perfect golden hour light was unreal. Other rooftop bars for sunset drinks are H10 Croma Malaga, Batik, Lolita Skyview, and La Terraza de Valeria.

Flameno Show

Andalucia is the home of flamenco – it’s where this emotive, passionate, and iconic form of art began! It’s not just dance, but guitar and vocals as well. If you’re in Malaga, I highly recommend booking tickets for a show at Teatro Flamenco Malaga Club – the performance we saw here was so incredible!

Malaga Day 3 Itinerary

Day trip to Ronda (and Setenil)

If you’re just spending three days in Malaga, try to explore more of Andalucia and take a day trip somewhere else! We did a full-day excursion to Ronda, stopping at Setenil in the morning. Setenil is a pretty little town, with buildings built into the cave walls. Be sure to climb up to the viewpoint (Mirador del Carmen) for an incredible view over the whitewashed buildings.

Ronda is famous for its bridge, which is 250 years old and connects the two parts of the city over a dramatic gorge. Be sure to visit Alameda del Tajo, a pretty park with an outstanding viewpoint overlooking the countryside, and the Bullring (Plaza de Toros), which has a capacity of 5,000 spectators. And don’t miss snapping some photos from the various viewpoints of the bridge!

We booked this tour with GetYourGuide, which included a guided walking tour of Ronda (our tickets to the bullring were also included in this). We left at 8:30am, and got back to Malaga right on time around 5:00pm. It was a long day which did include a fair amount of time on the bus, but I’m glad we went and were able to experience a bit of Andalucia outside Malaga!

Alternate: Beach Day

You could easily spend another full day relaxing at the beach! Malagueta Beach is the closest to the city center, with a long stretch of sand perfect for swimming and sunbathing. Head further east to El Palo for more traditional beach bars with tasty grilled fish. Or if you’re not wanting a day at the beach, you can see more attractions in Malaga and eat your way around the city.

Where to Eat and Drink in Malaga

Malaga is a fantastic foodie destination – especially if you’re traveling in a group, and love trying and sharing different foods. I was 98% tapas and tinto de verano by the end of this trip! Here are my recommendations on where to eat and drink around Malaga!

• Tragata – this is a lovely restaurant with top-notch tapas. Try the croquettes and roasted aubergine!
• El Tapeo de Cervantes – a popular, authentic tapas restaurant with a stellar wine list. The pumpkin risotto is excellent.
• Restaurante Mexicano Tulum – super tasty Mexican dishes, including massive burritos, blue corn quesadillas, and delicious pork tacos.
• Casa Lola Strachan – another fantastic choice for tapas – we ordered a crazy amount of food here and all of it was amazing! The mixed ham/cheese charcuterie plate, garlic prawns, and croquettes were phenomenal.
• El Pimpi – this is a gorgeous spot for food and drinks, especially for wine as they focus on local wines from Southern Spain.
• Antigua Casa de Guardia – this is the oldest winery in the city, dating back to 1840. It’s got loads of old-school charm (bills are written in chalk on the counter) and they serve an excellent moscatel!
• Casa Aranda – a busy, sprawling cafe that serves the best churros con chocolate in town.
• Lucciano’s Malaga – a top pick for gelato in Malaga, with loads of different flavors. My favorite was dulce de leche!

The Best Tours to Book in Malaga

There are so many great tours to do in the city. These are the ones I did on my trip to Malaga!

Malaga is an amazing destination for a city break or winter sun destination. The city itself has fascinating historical and cultural attractions, plus it’s easy to add on day trips to other cities around Andalucia. Check out last-minute holidays with Jet2 and put a city break to Malaga on your bucket list!

This post is written in partnership from a press trip with Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays, but all opinions are my own.

Have you visited Malaga before? What was your experience like?

You might also like my posts:

8 Fantastic Destinations for a European City Break

8 Years Since I Caught the Travel Bug: Reflections on Spain

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