Malaga’s city center is very easy to navigate on foot. Walking is definitely the most practical way to move around. The only exception might be the Gibralfaro castle, which is on top of the hill –getting there can be a bit challenging.
To give you an idea, here are some walking distances between the city’s most important attractions:
Regarding safety, Malaga is a safe city to walk around both day and night. As anywhere else in the world however, common sense must be used. You should always be aware of your surroundings and never leave your belongings unattended. Also, as in any other popular city, be aware of pickpocketers in the most touristy/crowded areas.
The city of Malaga has an extensive bus system with over 50 lines. Depending on where you are staying and the landmarks you plan to visit, some of them might be useful to you. For example, the bus line 92 (called “Bus Turístico”), links the train station with the cathedral, Malagueta beach and Gibralfaro castle among others.
The bus line A Express Aeropuerto conveniently links the airport with downtown. For more information, check out our page How to get to Malaga from the airport.
Also, be aware that during peak traffic hours, buses are slower.
For more information about these and other types of tickets: www.emtmalaga.es
One way to move around Malaga is using the hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses. These buses have a set route through Malaga’s main touristic attractions that will allow you to visit them at your own pace and get back in the bus whenever you are ready to continue.
At the bus, there are also audio commentaries that will give you some history and anecdotes about the city while you are on the go. You can choose between a 24 and 48-h pass with prices starting at 20€.
The ticket includes several perks: free guided walking tour, free boat tour, free entrance to several attractions (including the flamenco show at the Interactive Music Museum), etc.
Taxis in Malaga are a convenient and affordable way to travel. To give you an idea, the ride from the airport to the city center takes 20 minutes and costs around 20€.
Once in Malaga, you will soon realize that the city center is easily visited by foot and there will probably not be more than a couple of occasions when you will need any means of transport. If that is the case, taking a taxi can be much easier than having to figure out the public transport options. It can also be a pretty good deal if you are traveling with more people (splitting the taxi cost instead of buying several bus tickets).
Taxis in Malaga can be easily identified because they are white with a diagonal blue line in the side.
Uber is operating in Malaga. However, there are not that many drivers which can mean long waiting times. You will usually save a little bit compared to taking a taxi, but it might not be worth the wait.
Although it is very easy to travel by car in between cities in Andalusia, getting into Malaga’s city center can be quite stressful. The old town is made up by narrow one way streets and there seems to always be some type of construction going on in the area resulting in streets being closed to traffic. Although there are several parkings in the old town, during peak times (weekends, holidays, etc.) they can get full.
If you are not planning to get out of the city, however, you will probably not need/want a car during your stay in Malaga. Using taxis and/or public transport will end up being a cheaper option, since you will save money on parking and gas. Our recommendation would be not to rent a car on arrival and only do it when you are leaving the city.
But if you end up having a car while in Malaga, we would recommend you to avoid getting in the old town by car. If your accommodation happens to be in it, then make sure to look up a parking garage prior to your arrival (or even better, make sure to book a hotel with parking) set it as destination in your GPS and go straight there.
Although parking prices vary, generally speaking you can expect to pay around 20 - 25€ per day for parking downtown. Here is a list of the largest parkings in Malaga’s downtown:
PARKING | INFO |
---|---|
Smassa Parking Alcazaba | Located in the old town: 2 min walk to Plaza de la Merced, 3 min walk to the Alcazaba, 6 min walk to the cathedral Plaza Jesús el Rico 1, 29012 Málaga 23 €/day (weekdays), 26€/day (weekend) |
Smassa Parking Camas | Located in the old town: 6 min walk to the cathedral, 10 min walk to the Alcazaba Calle Fernán González 7, 29005 Málaga 23 €/day (weekdays), 26€/day (weekend) |
Parking Granados | Located in the old town: 4 min walk to both Plaza de la Merced and the Alcazaba, 5 min walk to the cathedral Calle Granados 1, 29008 Málaga 22.50 - 25 €/day |
Smassa Parking Tejón y Rodríguez | Located in the old town: 6 min walk to Plaza de la Merced, 7 min walk to the cathedral Calle Tejón y Rodríguez 9, 29008 Málaga 23 €/day (weekdays), 26€/day (weekend) |
Parking Indigo – Mena | 5 min walk to the old town, 10 min walk to the cathedral, 15 min walk to the Alcazaba Calle Cerezuela 3, 29007 Málaga 17€/day |
Smassa Parking Avenida Andalucía | 5 min walk to the old town, 10 min walk to the cathedral, 15 min walk to the Alcazaba Calle Nazareno del Paso, 29007 Málaga 23 €/day (weekdays), 26€/day (weekend) |
Smassa Parking Cervantes | Right next to the bullring, 5 min walk to la Malagueta beach and Pier One, 12 min walk to the old town Calle Cervantes 6, 29016 Málaga 23 €/day (weekdays), 26€/day (weekend) |
Smassa Parking Central | Located south of the old town, right next to the port. It is a 4 min walk to the cathedral and a 12 min walk to Pier One Plaza de la Marina 5, 29001 Málaga 26 €/day |
Parking Muelle Uno | Located right on Pier One: 10 min walk to the old town and the cathedral Muelle Uno, 29015 Málaga 26.60 €/day |
Parking Parkigrund | Located in the Soho neighborhood, south of the old town: 5 min walk to the old town and 9 min walk to the cathedral Calle Vendeja 34, 29001 Málaga 20 €/day |
Parking Saba Estación de Tren | Right next to the train station: 15 min walk to the old town, 21 min walk to the cathedral Calle Explanada de la Estación, 29002 Málaga 22.70 €/day |
To find the best deals on rental cars, we recommend Discover Cars, which searches through the web for the best prices.
With over 320 sunny days per year and some of the best temperatures in Europe, Malaga is the perfect city to enjoy by bike. Although we recommend you to wander through the old town on foot, the bike is a great way of exploring the coastline.
While the city has over 9 km of bike lanes, there is also a network of paths linking Malaga to the coastal towns surrounding it: Pedegalejo, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, etc.
The local government is responsible for the bike rental program called MálagaBici. This program is designed to promote bike usage as a complement to the public transport. E.g., it is made for quick bike use of under 2 h (you are penalized for keeping a bike any longer than that - see below).
Although it is a bit more complicated than renting a bike from a shop just for one day, if you are staying in Malaga for a while and you use it right, it can be a very affordable option.
To use this service, first you need to register either online or in person (MálagaBici office at Malaga’s bus station). To be able to register, you will need to have a credit card and a travel card from EMT (company responsible for public transport in Malaga).
The yearly fee is 10€ (waived the first year) plus 10€ for the insurance. You will then top up your card (5€ minimum) and spend that credit for using their bikes.
There are 24 stations for bike pick-up/drop-off spread throughout the city. Here you can see them on the map as well as up-to-date information on how many bikes there are at each station.
The MalagaBici prices work as follows:
There are also several companies offering bicycle rentals in Malaga. You can expect to pay around 15 €/day for a bike. Usually, there are discounts when renting over several days.
Malaga’s metro is made up of two lines linking the train station with the west side of the city, both along the coast and the interior. However, it is not of much use to visitors (unless you are staying in that area).
For more information about Malaga’s metro: metromalaga.es
Note that, in any case, you will have to pay 0.30€ for the card itself. For more information about tickets and fares, visit this page.
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