Malaga attractions

Spanish architect Joaquín Rucoba built Málaga’s neo-Mudéjar bullring in 1874. Entrepreneur and former president of Málaga Football Club, Fernando Puche Dona, owns it today. The arcaded stadium has capacity for 14,000 spectators, with stables and training grounds for the horses, corrals for the bulls, and a mini-hospital.

An offshoot of the Parisian art gallery of the same name, the Centre Pompidou Málaga houses over 100 contemporary masterpieces by artists such as Kahlo, Picasso, and Magritte. Here, the exterior is as notable as the interior—Centre Pompidou Málaga is housed within a modernist multicolored greenhouse known as "The Cube."

The enormous prehistoric Nerja Caves (Cuevas de Nerja) boast extensive grottoes, archaeological remains, and the world’s largest column, rising 105 feet (32 meters) up. The cave formations look like organ pipes, and the area’s evidence of human habitation stretches back 25,000 years to the Paleolithic Period. Galleries display artifacts, paintings, and skeletons unearthed since the caves were discovered in 1959.

One of Malaga’s top galleries, the Carmen Thyssen Museum houses the private collection of Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, a wealthy art collector. Occupying the converted 16th-century Palacio de Villalón and an adjoining modern annex, the museum rewards visitors with a host of magnificent Spanish art and other works, set in serene surroundings.

Plaza de la Marina, also known as Marina Square, is in the historic heart of Málaga. Right in front of the port, the square was built in the late 19th century when the southern city walls were demolished. It’s the first thing you’ll see if you’re approaching the Port of Málaga.

The old Moorish town of Ronda teeters precariously atop the El Tajo Gorge, which historically served as a daunting obstacle for approaching enemies. Water from the Guadalevín River and melting snow flowing down from the Sierra de las Nieves eroded the gorge, and Ronda is one of the few towns in the world to be split in two by a ravine such as this.

Housed in a former tobacco factory, Malaga’s Automobile and Fashion Museum showcases a unique combination of vintage vehicles displayed against a contemporary art background and haute-couture design across themed rooms. The brainchild of Portuguese car fanatic and art collector Joao Magalhaes, the museum celebrates the close historic links of brands such as Ferrari and Aston Martin with high-end fashion houses.

Centered around three main pathways bordering the Paseo del Parque, Málaga Park stretches along the city’s seafront, from Plaza del General Torrijos to the Plaza de la Marina. The park is a popular stop on Málaga cycling tours, and horse-and-carriage rides also pass by gardens filled with roses, orange and cypress trees, and exotic plants.

With its history, culture, and sun-drenched beaches, Málaga ranks among the most popular destinations on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Situated close to Málaga proper, the Málaga Cruise Port also serves as a gateway to wider Andalucia with its wineries and whitewashed villages, as well as Granada, the region's capital.

Pablo Picasso’s life in Spain spanned nearly all of the country’s corners, but his former family home in the heart of Malaga’s old town is where you’ll find the Pablo Picasso Birthplace Museum (Museo Casa Natal de Picasso). It houses over 4,000 pieces by some 200 artists, including Picasso, and artifacts from his early life.

Formed more than 150 million years ago by the movement of tectonic plates, the landscapes of El Torcal de Antequera encompass stacked rocks and knobbly karst towers. In addition to its unique geology, the park is also celebrated for the diversity of its plants, which total more than 700 different species.

Tucked down a narrow lane in Malaga, the MIMMA Interactive Museum of Music (Museo Interactivo de la Música) presents one of Europe’s largest collections of musical instruments in an immersive and interactive way. You can view the instruments, discover their origins, and can even play select items to experience their tactile beauty and sounds first-hand.

The Malaga Museum of Wine (Museo del Vino) celebrates one of Spain’s most important wine regions, famous for its muscatel. Housed in the 18th-century Palacio de Biedmas, the museum traces the province’s winemaking history through a collection of wine labels, posters, and artifacts, and visitors can sample local wines in the shop.

Málaga’s Contemporary Art Museum—or CAC Málaga (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga)—is housed in a 65,000-square-foot (6,000-square-meter) multi-use space, with about a third of its size dedicated to art exhibits and the remaining two-thirds to conferences and cultural events. The museum has a permanent collection of about 400 works, many of which are on loan to the museum from private collectors.

Suspected to be the one-time residence of King Abomelic, the last Moorish ruler of Ronda, Mondragón Palace is an example of traditional Mudéjar architecture found throughout Andalusia. Perched atop El Tajo Gorge, the palace has been renovated many times over the centuries and today features a mishmash of architectural styles.

Perched on the edge of the city, Malaga’s Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico Histórico La Concepción let you find tranquility amid Costa del Sol sightseeing. The gardens boast Europe’s largest collection of subtropical plants, in addition to palms, architectural follies, fountains, and more.

Malaga’s Museo del Vidrio y Cristal (Museum of Glass and Crystal) showcases more than 3,000 pieces from the 6th century BC to the 20th century. Located in an 18th-century Casa Palacio (“palace house”) in the center of town, the decorative arts museum is one of the few dwellings from this era to be preserved in Malaga.

Built on the remains of an old Moorish palace in Ronda’s old town, Casa del Rey Moro (House of the Moorish King is best known for its hanging gardens and water mine. Despite its name, the space was never inhabited by a Moorish king. Visitors are often most excited to see the 14th-century water mine, which was constructed to provide the city with a secret supply of water during times of siege.

The late 19th-century Cervantes Theatre (Teatro Cervantes) experienced decades of neglect before it was renovated and reopened in 1987. Its interior remains true to the original design, with an ornate painted ceiling and gilded detailing on the horseshoe-shaped boxes and stalls. It’s Málaga’s cultural center for opera, ballet, rock and orchestral concerts, and jazz and flamenco performances.

Situated inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Reservatauro Ronda, a bull- and horse-breeding farm, offers curious visitors an alternative way to explore the history and culture of Spanish bullfighting. Learn about each stage of the fighting bull’s life, the breeding process, bullfighter training, and more during a guided tour.

History and culture come together in Almuñécar, one of the Costa Tropical’s most appealing destinations. Admire the ruins of a Roman aqueduct, stroll through a Phoenician necropolis, and visit the 16th-century San Miguel Castle, before lounging on one of the town’s two dozen beaches or hiking into the surrounding hills.

Stretched along Malaga’s portside, the Palmeral de las Sorpresas (Palm Grove of Surprises) is a contemporary palm-lined promenade serving as a scenic corniche and leisure space between the city’s ferry and cruise terminals. Visitors stroll and relax under a striking white pergola, enjoying the sea views, palm gardens, and cafés.

The Basílica de Santa María de la Victoria is located at the edge of Malaga Old Town. It is one of the city’s oldest churches and, some say, the most beautiful in all of Andalucia. Don’t be fooled by its plain exterior: Inside, a baroque whirl of chapels, sculptures, religious artifacts, and an ornate crypt await.

Discover the Costa del Sol’s largest seahorse collection, stroke a starfish or a sea anemone, catch a glimpse of Yellow, the giant green turtle, and more at SEA LIFE Benalmádena. Explore the underwater world first-hand—whatever the weather—in the aquariums several exhibits, and get up close and personal with marine animals.

Tucked away down a tiny side street in the cramped alleyways of Málaga’s historic center, the Sacred Heart Church Málaga (Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón Málaga) welcomes visitors and locals alike. The neo-Gothic-style basilica has a captivating façade in biscuit-colored stone, topped with two spires and covered in tracery. It was built in 1920 by an order of Jesuit monks.

Consecrated in 1890, the Church of the Sacred Heart (Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón) is one of Bilbao’s most striking churches, and one of its newest, as well. Designed by architect José María de Basterra, this place of worship is instantly recognizable for its red-brick, neo-Gothic exterior and its rose window.

Situated in a renovated 1920s tobacco factory, Málaga’s State Russian Museum (Colección del Museo Ruso) is home to over one hundred pieces of Russian art dating from the 15th century onward. As the first and only European branch of the Russian museum of the same name, this gallery a must for Russophiles.

Wedged between Malaga and Fuengirola, Torremolinos or “Torrie” epitomizes the package-holiday spots of Spain’s Costa del Sol. Having spearheaded the mass tourism of this sun-baked coast during the 1950s, its previously brash image has mellowed into something simpler—a cheerful, easier-on-the-wallet appeal. While it still revolves around high-rise hotels, energetic nightlife, and sandy beaches—notably La Carihuela and El Bajondillo—today’s Torrie now lays out other lures, from old-town murals and great seafood to Picasso-themed mosaics and a distinct, LGBTQ+-friendly vibe.

Terraced into a Malaga hillside, the tree-shaded Malaga English Cemetery (Cementerio de Inglés Malaga) dates from 1831 and is mainland Spain’s oldest Protestant Christian graveyard. Visitors can view the more than 1,000 graves of British and other nationalities, gain poignant insight into Malaga’s diverse history, and view the Protestant St. George’s Church, which stands within the burial ground.

The protected Guadalhorce River Estuary Natural Area (Paraje Natural Desembocadura del Guadalhorce) covers 165 acres (67 hectares) of prime wetland and is a magnet for migrating birds, as well as the permanent home of many others. Comprising five man-made lagoons backed by woodland, this is a popular spot for hiking, bird-watching, and even cycling close to Málaga.