25th February 2025 
Leave a commentGet to know the real Malaga along these alternative routes away from the beaten tourist routes in the centre.
We have prepared this article in which we introduce you to places in Malaga that are well worth discovering. As in any metropolis with a high tourist load, the area of the historic centre of Malaga is usually very saturated with visitors throughout the year.
This is due to the fact that most of the attractions, monuments and museums are located within a very small radius. The cruise port is also only 1 km away from the centre of Malaga. As a very important port of call in Spain, a large number of tourists embark here all at once, who basically just want to see the most important sights of the city centre before continuing their journey.
And last but not least, most guides to Malaga only refer to the ‘most visitable’ parts of the city.
There is undoubtedly much more to discover if you stray a little off the beaten track.
Alternative routes in Malaga
These seven itineraries aim to discover new areas for visitors, promoting areas with tourist attractions that have not yet been fully exploited. This increases the added value of tourism in Malaga by offering unique routes and experiences that highlight the cultural, historical and natural wealth of the city and its surroundings.
La Malagueta
The Malagueta beach is located in the district of the same name, next to the port of Malaga and just a few metres from the historic centre. In other words, it is THE city-beach of Malaga, a very popular sport for both locals and visitors.
The port area during the 19th century was occupied by sugar factories, shipyards and other types of industrial production.
At the end of the century, Malaga’s high society chose this area for their summer residences.
The Plaza de Toros was built. And in general the area, flanked by a long promenade, is characterised by a wealth of architecture such as the Gran Hotel Miramar. There you can enjoy an aperitif on its roof terrace and enjoy magnificent views over the Mediterranean.
Just a few metres away are the wonderful Palmeral de las Sorpresas and Muelle Uno. An open space by the sea that was created after a complete overhaul of the old and obsolete port. The area is home to the Pompidou Centre. There is also a wide range of restaurants and shops, as well as open-air markets. A very popular space among urbanites.
Next to La Malagueta is also the Real Club Mediterráneo de Málaga, the oldest in Spain.
La Malagueta beach has an extension of about 1,200 metres. It has all the services such as sun lounger and parasol hire and nautical equipment. There is a children’s play area, and the beach is adapted for the disabled.
El Soho
Soho is a beautiful and very central quarter. It is located between the port, the river and the historic centre. It was conceived – as its name suggests – as a ‘copy’ of the avant-garde neighbourhood of New York.
Although it is not a real artists’ quarter as such, there is a special charm to stroll through its streets. There are several alternative cafés and vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
The quarter also hosts the Cruzcampo Brewery where you can enjoy a craft beer brewed on site and live concerts.
There are several art and culture centres such as private galleries, artists’ studios, the Teatro del Soho, the Contemporary Art Centre (Temporarily closed. Reopens in 2026) and the MAUS-Malaga Urban Art Soho.
On the last Sunday of every month, the ‘Made in Soho’ market takes place in Tomás Heredia Street with stalls dedicated to design, crafts, plastic and audiovisual arts, antiques and vintage products.
The neighbourhood is also known for its large number of murals. Urban artists from all over the world have painted their art on the buildings of Soho Malaga. If you walk around the neighbourhood, you can even scan the QR code next to the works to find out more about them.
The Malaga Centro Alameda suburban train stop is just a few metres away.
- More information at the official FB site
- How to get there
El Pedregalejo and El Palo
One of the next alternatives routes in Malaga takes us to the neighbourhoods Pedregalejo and El Palo.
They are former fishermen’s neighbourhoods in the eastern district of Malaga, about 4.5 km from the city centre. You can get there for example by enjoying a bike ride along the promenade.
These neighbourhoods still exude a charm that most of the coastal villages of the western Costa del Sol have lost. The low houses next to the beach give the area a distinct and relaxed feel.
In the streets a little further away from the coast we can see some of the summer residences of the Malaga bourgeoisie of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Nowadays Pedregalejo – what not many people know – has one of the highest concentrations of Spanish schools and academies in the country.
But what is an open secret: If you want to eat the best fish in Malaga at a good price, this is your place of choice! Along the promenade there are countless restaurants specialising in the typical delicacies of the Malaga Alboran sea.
Try the ‘pescaito’ (the typical fried fish dish), the best ‘Espetos de Sardinas’ (sardines grilled on a stick over wood-fired barbecues) and other typical dishes of this area in its traditional beach bars.
Virgen del Carmen Festival
If you come in summer, keep this date if you want to experience a deeply rooted custom: The 16th of July is the festivity of the Virgen del Carmen. She is the patron saint of sailors and is celebrated with great devotion in Pedregalejo (and also in Torremolinos in La Carihuela and Estepona).
The Virgin is accompanied by hundreds of devotees in a maritime procession on board of a typical jabega (little wooden boat typical of Malaga). It is undoubtedly a very beautiful and colourful spectacle.
Talking about summer and beach: Pedregalajo beach, with a length of 1200 metres, has the oldest promenade in the city. The beaches of Pedregalejo are curious for the way they have been divided into small coves, in a u-shape to protect the beach from erosion by the waves.
This beach has all kinds of services such as sun loungers and umbrellas for rent. It has access adapted for the disabled.
The Tobacco Factory and Industrial Heritage
In the eastern part of the city, next to Misericordia Beach, we can find a beautiful building, a vestige of the city’s industrial past.
The Tabacalera is a group of several pavilions with regionalist aesthetics and Renaissance elements from the 19th century. At that time, it was the factory for the fermentation of tobacco until 1977.
The building, which is one of the best-preserved 20th century buildings in Malaga, is today an attractive cultural centre.
It is also home to the Automobile & Fashion Museum and the Russian Museum Collection.
The Automobile & Fashion Museum has an extraordinary private collection distributed in 13 thematic rooms. The museum also offers monthly dramatised night visits (in Spanish) where interesting characters such as Agent 007, Amelia Earhart, Coco Chanel and Salvador Dalí tell their stories.
The Russian Museum hosts temporary exhibitions and also has an auditorium, projection and reading rooms and organises activities for all audiences.
If you continue your walk – by bike, for example! – along the city’s lively promenade heading west, you will find another industrial vestige of the city.
The remodelled chimney of the lead smelter stands next to Huelin beach. The tower is popularly known as Mónica because someone in love once left a graffiti with the name of his beloved.
And don´t worry if you got hungry and thirsty after all this walk. There are plenty of neighbourhood cafés and restaurants along the promenade with very affordable prices and where you won’t see many foreigners.
Historic quarter El Perchel
El Perchel is one of the oldest districts of Malaga dating back to Roman times. From those times, this area close to the beaches was already a salting industry and where fish was dried on hangers, hence its name.
El Perchel is subdivided into two neighbourhoods which are El Perchel Sur and El Perchel Norte.
Many archaeological remains were found in the area and nowadays, although the appearance of the original quarter has almost completely disappeared, we can still find beautiful corners, squares and churches.
Take a stroll through its streets and enjoy Malaga life in one of the informal cafés or buy fresh produce in the Mercado El Carmen.
There are also some alleys and corralones (small historic flats set around a central courtyard) where you can still breathe what this area used to be. A peculiarity of this neighbourhood is the popular week of the corralones. Every year at the end of May and beginning of June, the locals offer a sample of life and customs in the courtyards and corralones.
The courtyards are decorated with flowers and there is an extensive programme for all audiences: guided historical tours, free visits to the courtyards, exhibitions, gastronomic exhibitions, workshops and performances.
All the information about the activities in the neighbourhood is available on its informative website.
You can get to El Perchel by metro or suburban train.
- How to get there: El Perchel Norte I El Perchel Sur
Viewpoints of Malaga
Malaga is nestled in the bay of the Alboran Sea and surrounded by hills and mountains. Without having to go too far, the city has several natural viewpoints from where you can enjoy wonderful views.
Gibralfaro mountain
The Gibralfaro mountain is located next to the historical centre and the Moorish castle Alcazaba. It’s a green area with several trails. There is also a lovely viewpoint with views of the city and the sea. It’s also a great place to enjoy the sunsets.
You can get there on foot and by bus. There is also a little terrace where to quench your thirst and eat a bite.
Natural site River Guadalhorce
On the western border between Malaga and Torremolinos is the natural site of the mouth of the river Guadalhorce. It is made up of five lagoons with a high ornithological value as a resting area for migratory coastal birds.
The area is part of the coastal path of the Costa del Sol. A wooden bridge over the Guadalhorce river was recently renovated. As you can see in the photo, it is an abundant river with fantastic views of the sea and ideal for walking or cycling.
Discover the alternative routes in Malaga with E-Bike rental
Due to the good weather almost all year round, Malaga is an ideal city to discover for example by E-Bike. The advantage of this alternative transport is also that you can cycle longer distances along the coastline without getting too tired and at your own pace.
There are several companies that offer electric bike rental services in the centre of Malaga. Here are the links to some of them.
- Soho Bike Málaga
Rental of electric bicycles, touring bikes, children’s bikes, baby bike carriers, children’s trailers, etc. - Ebike Málaga
Specialised in electric bicycles, including mountain e-bikes, both for sale and rental.
