On a cool November day, my niece Amelia and I took a walk along the Palmeral de las Sorpresas promenade by the port (that’s us in the photo at the top).
I moved to Málaga’s old town in August 2022, and my daughter is 28, so I haven’t done this coast with small children of my own. Friends and family visit with their kids, though, and these are the places I’ve been. Families here eat out late and bring their children with them, and the centre is flat and mostly pedestrianised, so getting around with little ones is easy.
This is the short list of things to do in Málaga with kids. For everything else, my full guide to things to do in Málaga covers the whole city, and if you’re coming in December, have a look at Christmas in Málaga too.
11 things to do in Málaga with kids
1. The port: a pirate ship, the fish and Galaxy Park
Best for: toddlers and up · Cost: free, except Galaxy Park
Walk along the port promenade to Palmeral de las Sorpresas and you’ll come to a fenced playground built around a wooden pirate ship. There are slides, ladders, climbing nets and swings, the ground is soft rubber, and the palms throw some shade over the benches for whoever’s watching.
I’ve been, and my friends’ children have played on it. With the fence all the way round, you can sit on a bench while they climb. It’s free, and it’s right in the centre.
Further along, steps at the edge of the port go down to the water. I always take a loaf of bread down to feed the fish, and kids love it, because the shoals come right up to the steps. Keep a hand on small children here, the steps get slippery.
Galaxy Park at Muelle Uno is the newer addition, an amusement place with mini bowling and games for kids, so it suits a range of ages. I went in with friends and their daughter, and nobody tried the bowling because the little girl was 2, but she loved the games and the lights.
2. La Malagueta beach
Best for: all ages · Cost: free
When friends ask which beach, I always send them to Malagueta. It’s the famous one, about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre, and while it isn’t the prettiest beach on the coast, it wins on being close.
I pack a picnic and make a lazy half-day of it. There are loads of playgrounds for kids along the beach, plus lifeguards in summer, showers and chiringuitos (beach restaurants) for lunch. It gets busy at weekends.
If you want to compare it with the others, my guide to beaches in Málaga goes through them.
3. Parque de Málaga
Best for: toddlers and up · Cost: free
I walked through the Parque de Málaga in spring 2025 and stopped to photograph Platero, the brass donkey statue from Juan Ramón Jiménez’s book Platero and I.
The park runs along the seafront between the port and the old town, with tall trees giving plenty of shade. It takes about ten minutes end to end, it’s free, and there’s a beautiful kids park along the way.
There are definitely a few rats lying about if you look for them, and some areas smell like cat pee. But hey, it’s a park.
4. The Roman Theatre
Best for: all ages · Cost: free, closed Mondays
I don’t think I’d take kids up the Alcazaba or Gibralfaro, it’s steep, uneven and a long climb for little legs. I’d take them to the Roman Theatre instead, because it’s free and feels a bit more safe.
It sits at the foot of the Alcazaba hill on Calle Alcazabilla in the old town, and you don’t need to book a self-guided visit. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sundays and holidays 10am to 4pm, closed Mondays, with no entry in the last 30 minutes.
The modern interpretation centre at the entrance has pieces found in the dig, and the Roman law of Málaga written on its walls. Outside, nobody’s allowed to climb on the walls, children stay with an adult, and big bags and backpacks aren’t allowed.
Plan on 20 to 30 minutes, then walk up the street to the glass pyramid in the pavement over Roman fish-salting tanks. Both are on my list of free things to do in Málaga.
5. OXO Video Game Museum
Best for: 6 and up, and teenagers · Cost: €12 to €15, under-6s free
I played Sonic at the OXO Video Game Museum. The games run from old arcade machines to newer kit, and you can play them, which is why teenagers settle in.
The rooftop is awesome. Terraza Catedral has a restaurant and bar with views of the Cathedral, so you can enjoy a meal or some drinks while the kids play in the museum, if they’re old enough to be left alone or they’re with a group.
It’s open every day. Tickets are €15 for adults, €12 for ages 6 to 13, under-6s free, or €46 for a family ticket (two adults and two children), and you’ll need about two hours.
It’s the answer on a rainy afternoon, or one that’s too hot to be outside. My guide to museums in Málaga has more indoor options.
6. Bioparc Fuengirola
Best for: all ages · Cost: €23 to €29.50, under-3s free
At Bioparc Fuengirola, I watched the orangutans through a carved wooden window. I loved the fact that none of the enclosures look like a cage, they all look integrated into a forest, even though each enclosure is a secure environment for the animals.
Boardwalks take you under the trees past gorillas, otters, tigers, sea lions and lemurs. My full guide to Bioparc Fuengirola has the route I walked and what it’s like in the evening.
Take the C1 train from Málaga Centro-Alameda, about 45 minutes, then it’s a ten-minute walk. Give it half a day at least. Tickets are €29.50 for adults, €23 for ages 3 to 9, and under-3s go free. If you’d rather have the day sorted before you land, you can book Bioparc tickets ahead.
7. The Benalmádena cable car
Best for: 3 and up, on a calm day · Cost: from €12.90 return, under-3s free
I loved the Teleférico, and kids would too. It climbs from Arroyo de la Miel to the top of Mount Calamorro in about 15 minutes, and on a clear day you can see Africa from the top.
I went on a windy day. The cabins rocked the whole way up, my husband Jethro gripped on with white knuckles, and the bird of prey show at the top wasn’t running. The cable car shuts in strong wind, so pick a calm day, and know that the bird show is run separately and costs extra.
Arroyo de la Miel station on the C1 train is 5 to 10 minutes’ walk away. You can book cable car tickets ahead, and return tickets online are from €17.90 for ages 8 and over and €12.90 for ages 3 to 7, and under-3s go free.
8. Monowa butterfly park, Benalmádena
Best for: all ages · Cost: €11.50 to €13.50, under-3s free
Up next to the Buddhist Stupa, I spent an hour at Monowa in May 2026 (it used to be the Mariposario de Benalmádena). More than 1,500 butterflies live in a hot greenhouse, and they land on you. It sounds like a gimmick and it isn’t. Children love it, and so did I.
Allow about an hour. Tickets are €13.50 for adults and €11.50 for ages 3 to 12, with under-3s free. That’s steep for an hour, but it’s still worth it with small children.
9. Cuevas del Tesoro
Best for: kids who can manage stairs · Cost: €2.75 to €4.65, book ahead
The Cuevas del Tesoro were my favourite new find of 2025, and I spent two hours underground there with my husband.
They’re in Rincón de la Victoria, about 20 minutes east of Málaga, and it’s cool inside all year, which helps in summer. There’s a lift down to the first chamber, but after that it’s stairs, so I wouldn’t bring a pushchair. A baby carrier is easier.
Tickets are €4.65 for adults, €2.75 for ages 4 to 14, under-4s free, and you must book ahead.
Travelling with little ones is the last time I’d skip travel insurance. SafetyWing is an affordable subscription travel insurance that you can buy even after you’ve left home.
10. Laberintus Park
Best for: 4 and up · Cost: €10 to €12, car needed
I went to Laberintus Park with my husband expecting a quick hour and left far later. It was hot, I got lost, and in the end I asked the staff member on the tower to guide us out.
It’s Spain’s largest hedge maze, near Antequera, about 50 minutes inland, so you’ll need a car. You can compare rental cars at the airport on Discover Cars.
In the hedges there’s an animal hunt, plants that light up and talk, water curtains and giant puzzles. Tickets are €10 for ages 4 to 12, €12 for 13 and over, under-4s free, and everyone needs closed shoes. I’ve written up the whole visit in my Laberintus Park guide.
The Fuente de Piedra flamingos are just up the road, and they’re free. I went in July and the heat was punishing, so go in spring.
11. La Concepción botanical gardens
Best for: toddlers and up · Cost: €3.10 to €5.20, closed Mondays
It’s a short drive or bus ride north of the centre to La Concepción, and once you’re through the gate, it’s quiet. Shady paths run between the tropical plants, and there are fountains dotted around.
I paid €5.20 for my ticket. Children up to 16 pay €3.10, and it’s free on Sunday afternoons, but the gardens are closed on Mondays, so it’s worth checking the day before you go. I’ve also been to the Christmas light show there.
A pushchair copes on most of the paths, though some are gravel or uneven and you’ll have to bump it along in places. When everyone needs a sit-down, the café has shaded seating.
Pick by the day you’re having
If you’d rather choose by the kind of day it is, here’s how the guide splits up.
- Free: the port’s pirate ship and fish, Parque de Málaga, La Malagueta and the Roman Theatre
- Too hot or raining: OXO, Galaxy Park and the Cuevas del Tesoro, which stay cool inside all year
- Toddlers: the pirate ship, the fish, the kids park in Parque de Málaga, Monowa and La Concepción
- Older kids and teens: OXO, Galaxy Park and Laberintus
Where to eat with kids
Terra Mia is where I always take families and friends who come with kids, don’t like the tapas-style food and prefer pizza. It’s Neapolitan-style.
Down on La Malagueta, the chiringuitos let kids run straight to the sand, and nobody minds the noise. My tip is to find a playground next to a chiringuito, so you can sit and watch the kids while you enjoy a meal.
There’s an ice-cream shop on almost every corner of the centre, and a 9pm table full of kids is normal here.
Good to know
Shops close roughly from 2pm to 5pm. I have really embraced the siesta time, because if you can’t beat them, join them, and in summer that’s when to rest.
Public toilets are scarce, but cafés usually let you use theirs.
For a break in the old town, Plaza de la Merced is a wide open square with benches and shade, and room for kids to run while you sit. I live about five minutes away, and I love sitting at Picas, the bar on the square, in the sun.
With a pushchair, the main streets and the port are smooth, while the lanes around the Cathedral are cobbled.
Stay in the old town or La Malagueta, and my guide to where to stay in Málaga has the options.
The best months to come with kids are April to June and September to October. July and August regularly pass 35°C, so if you’re here then, keep the mornings for being outside and the afternoons for the beach or somewhere indoors.
Three to four days is enough for this list. If you have longer, Nerja makes an easy day out, and my guides to the best time to visit Málaga and day trips from Málaga have the rest.
