My Top 20 free things to do in Malaga
There are many things to see and do in Malaga, but we are lucky that many of these plans are free. Here you have the list of the best 20 free things to do in Malaga from a local guide.
You will find the best views of the city, the option to visit most of its museums for free and a large number of things typical of Malaga, such as going to the flea market on Sundays or walk along the promenade, whether heading east or west.
Best 20 free things to do in Malaga
Visit the Museum of Malaga.
My favorite museum in Malaga is a personal weakness for its design, for the building where it is located and for the collection it houses. If we add to that that it is free and that if you go up to the terrace you will have incredible views of Malaga, they make it a mandatory stop on any visit to the city.
For more details, visit our article on the Museum of Malaga, where you will find details of the collection, schedules, tips, etc.
Enjoy Malaga from the Gibralfaro viewpoint.
Perhaps the best views in the entire city and a fantastic place to watch the sunset. To get here, the most beautiful thing is to walk from the entrance to the Alcazaba or from the Coracha; Another option may be to go by bus, car or taxi to the Castillo de Gibralfaro and from there walk.
Best views in Malaga
Walk through Pier One and the Palmeral de las Sorpresas.
The sprawling area of the city is a perfect place to walk around and get a complete overview of Malaga, with the Cathedral, Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle. In addition, it is surrounded by shops and restaurants, an entire open-air mall.
Do not miss the TOP 25 things to DO in MÁLAGA Capital.
Visit the city’s museums on Sunday afternoons.
Every Sunday from 4:00 p.m. admission is free to the Picasso Museum, Thyssen Museum, Russian Museum or Pompidou Center. Of course, try to arrive in advance at the start time of the free entry, because otherwise you will have to stand in line for 30-45 minutes.
My recommendation is to go to the Pompidou Malaga Centre (free entrance every Sunday from 4 pm) or the Russian Museum, avoiding Picasso and Thyssen, which tend to have more public demand.
Centre-Pompidou-Malaga
Visit the CAC (Contemporary Art Center) Malaga.
If contemporary art is your thing, you’re in luck because the CAC Málaga has free admission and extensive opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A luxury to have a museum like this in Malaga completely free.
Discover the street art of Malaga.
The city’s open-air museum has three large areas: Lagunillas, Bulevart and Soho, which I explain to you on the urban art tours I do in the area.
Visit the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle.
The two historical monuments of Malaga have free admission every Sunday from 2 pm. A fantastic opportunity to learn more about the history of the city.
El-teatro-romano-y-la-Alcazaba-de-Málaga
Enter into the beautiful churches of Malaga.
Except for the Cathedral of Malaga, the rest of the churches (San Juan, Santiago, Los Mártires, etc.) are free, you can even visit the Basilica de la Esperanza, a key point in Holy Week in Malaga.
Take a walk around “La Térmica”.
The cultural center of the Malaga Provincial Council has a wide agenda of cultural activities, so it is always interesting to check the latest plans on its website.
On the first Friday of the month they hold a special event called “Red Friday”, with concerts and a craft market.
Walk by the sea along the promenade of Malaga.
Whether heading east (towards El Palo) or heading west (Antonio Banderas promenade), strolling along with the sea breeze is always a fantastic option in Malaga, whether alone, with your partner, family or friends. In addition, you will always have bars and restaurants available to eat or drink during the tour.
Contemplate the city from the viewpoint of the Alcazaba.
Malaga from another point of view, with the Roman theater at your feet, the Alcazaba on one side and the Jewish quarter and the Picasso museum in front, going up to this viewpoint, rarely visited, is always one of my great recommendations in Malaga.
Views from Alcazaba viewpoint
Visit the botanical garden of La Concepción on Sunday.
Like the museums, the botanical garden has free admission on Sundays, in this case from 2:00 p.m., so it is a fantastic option to get away from the center of Malaga and discover a beautiful place.
A highly recommended option is to walk to the botanical garden from the Ciudad Jardín area.
Enter art galleries and feel the culture of the city.
In the center of Malaga you have several highly recommended options: Matraca Gallery, La Casa Amarilla, La Invisible or Javier Román’s gallery. And in Soho area, you have a couple of them: Ignacio del Río’s studio and the Javier Marín gallery.
Walk around the city first thing in the morning (before 9:30).
An almost mandatory activity, because you will discover a different city. A Malaga that has empty streets, that has other colors and that, little by little, is entering a commercial and tourist boil.
You will take the best photos of Malaga at this time.
The Atarazanas Market (central Market)
One of the nerve centers of Malaga, the central market which, after a recent refurbishment, has become a focus of tourist interest, both for its interior stalls and for its interior and exterior restaurant offerings.
The name of Atarazanas comes from Arabic and means “place where ships were repaired“, because centuries ago the water reached this point.
Drinks at Casa de Guardia
Go into the neighborhood markets or the great Sunday flea market.
Practically, all the neighborhoods of Malaga have their own flea market that they set up from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Here you can find everything and it is one of the most authentic things in the city. And if what you really want is to immerse yourself in something big, you will have to visit the flea Sunday market, located next to the fair palace.
Stroll along the mouth of the Guadalhorce river.
Located at the end of the Antonio Banderas promenade and next to the Martín Carpena sports palace, you will find a beautiful walk around the Guadalhorce river. You will have bird lookouts, trails that end in the sea and a green and open space 15 minutes from downtown. A fantastic option to start the day.
Visit the MUPAM (Málaga Municipal Heritage Museum).
The MUPAM offers an extensive collection of local art from the 15th to the 20th century, including works by Picasso. With free admission, we can visit it from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
It is one of the least visited museums in the city, but it is nonetheless interesting and a good opportunity to get to know the heritage of Malaga.
Discover the local culture of Malaga in the Museum of Popular Arts.
Affordable admission (€4) from Monday to Saturday, you can visit it for free on Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Unicaja Foundation, it is a journey through the history of Malaga and its province, its customs and activities in the 19th century.
See the old wall of Malaga in the Rectory of the University of Málaga.
If you want to discover something authentic about Malaga and delve into its ancient history, I recommend that you visit the lower part of the Rectorate of the University of Malaga. Here you will find remains of the old city wall and also with good lighting and detailed explanation.
You can complement the visit to the wall with the exhibitions that they have both on the 1st floor and on the second floor.
Sunset at Muelle Uno
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