Málaga does odd very well.
I’ve lived in Malaga for years now, and there’ve been plenty of weekends when I’ve said to Jethro: “Let’s do something new, please, I’ve had enough of the beach”.
This is my alternative list for Malaga travellers. The unusual things to do in Malaga, and a few hidden gems you won’t find in the standard guides.
Visit Castillo Colomares
Jethro and I only found out about this place a year after we’d moved to Málaga, which is a bit silly given it’s a 25-minute drive away in Benalmádena. It isn’t on the Málaga city map, so I think a lot of people miss it too. If you haven’t got a car, Discover Cars is where I compare hire prices.
It’s not a castle either, even though it looks like one. The doctor Esteban Martín Martín spent seven years building it, finishing in 1994, as a tribute to Columbus. It’s small, but it’s stunning. Not the most famous site on the coast, but one of the most imaginative I’ve seen.
It sits in a sleepy town, and I suspect the people who live there quietly wish it didn’t exist, judging by the traffic it brings in.
Discover Malaga’s Secret Beach: Playa Penon del Cuervo
Playa Peñón del Cuervo is where I’d cycle to along the coastal promenade, and it has more to offer than most of Málaga’s beaches. Parking and the rest are in my full write-up of the beach, and it’s one of the sights in my things to do in Malaga guide too.
Street Art in SOHO and Lagunillas
Go twice and you might not see the same walls. The pieces from the MAUS Project (Málaga Arte Urbano Soho) change over time, so there’s sometimes something new up in Soho that wasn’t there before. They share the walls with big works by Obey (Shepard Fairey) and D*Face, and with large, colourful murals from local and international artists all over the district.
Lagunillas is the other street-art neighbourhood. It’s just behind my home, and I often wander its streets to see the art.
When you’re done with the walls, stay for the rest of it: independent cafés, vintage shops, low-key tapas bars. I’ve written more about the Soho flea market and the streets around it. Go hungry.
Wines and Vermouths From the Barrel at Malaga’s Oldest Bar
Antigua Casa de Guardia is officially the oldest bar in the city, with Málaga wine drawn straight from the barrel and your bill chalked on the counter. What to order is in my best bars in Málaga.
Do a Wine Tasting With Winederlust
If the museum and the barrels have left you curious, this is the next step. At the start of September I did a tasting with Winederlust, run by Linda, from Manchester originally, now living in Málaga, with the WSET Level 3 and a sherry specialist certification. Her pitch is no snobbery and no jargon, just six small-batch Spanish wines (often organic, from regions and grapes you’ve never heard of) and the stories of the people who made them.
For a private tasting she comes to wherever you’re staying, so nobody has to find their way home. Her site lists €50 a head, or €55 with cheese from Quesitos Málaga. The catch is she needs at least eight people, so if there are two of you, look at her public Wine for the People evenings (six wines, €55) instead.
She also runs wine trails through the old town, two hours, four stops, a glass and a tapa at each, and hardly any walking. I haven’t done those, I only know them from Linda and her website, and the wines and tapas are fixed, so they’re no good if you have a food allergy.
Stroll Through Malaga’s Old Fishermen’s Quarter
One of my favourite walks in Málaga is out at Pedregalejo. You can start anywhere along the beach. I usually start from my home and walk all the way, or do a bicycle ride from Málaga centro. If you’re coming from town, it’s a short drive east of the city centre, and if you’d rather stay out here, Hotel La Chancla is my pick.
It was a fishing village once, and it’s turned into a laid-back seaside neighbourhood with small bars and restaurants all along the seafront. The old hand-painted fishing boats, the barcas de jábega, are still there, sitting on the sand between the rows of beach umbrellas.
The beach isn’t one long stretch. It’s cut into lots of small coves by short man-made jetties, and they keep the water calm.
Retro Gaming Nostalgia at the OXO Museum
OXO is part museum, part arcade, and fully retro, and we’ve been back a few times. It’s also great if you have kids who are bored with the city, and it’s covered in my things to do in Malaga guide.
La Concepcion Botanical Garden
My favourite part of La Concepción is right at the top, where a stone arch and a calm pond look out over Málaga. I’d count it among the best viewpoints in the city. Garden hours and the calendar of night visits are worth checking before you go, and it’s in my things to do in Malaga guide too.
Cuevas del Tesoro in Rincon de la Victoria
Just east of Malaga, in Rincon de la Victoria, the Cuevas del Tesoro (Treasure Caves) were my favourite new find of 2025.
Jethro and I spent two hours exploring the caves, and each time we thought we had seen it all, another path led us further down and deeper into the unknown. There are tall, narrow walkways, large impressive rooms, and glowing pools of water to explore and photograph.
According to legend, the caves hide a hoard of Moorish gold left behind by a fleeing Arab noble, a myth that still fuels the imagination of treasure hunters today. Tickets are €6 for adults.
If you want a bigger cave, the Cueva de Nerja is one of the most impressive cave systems in Europe and makes a good day trip to Nerja. And if you want a real adventure rather than a cave, the Caminito del Rey gorge walk is about an hour from Málaga, one of the best day trips from the city. Tickets sell out weeks ahead in season, so book that one early.
Attend La Feria de Malaga (Dressed up)
We never miss the Feria de Malaga and usually end up going more than once each year. This week-long celebration only comes around once a year, so timing is crucial. Expect fireworks, processions, pop-up discos and restaurants, and tons of rides.
Last year I bought a bright red flamenco dress for the festival, and I loved it. This year I wore a black one. If you feel like a dress or suit is a bit much, you can always rent one. Read my article to find out where to get an outfit for the feria.
The dates and everything else on that month are in my what’s on in Málaga in August. There’s an equally famous feria in Seville as well. Check the schedule if you can’t make it to Malaga.
Unique Things to Do in Malaga at Night
Karaoke on a Rooftop at La Terraza Merced
My new favourite rooftop. La Terraza de la Merced, literally two blocks from my apartment, is one of Malaga’s most unexpectedly fun spots: a rooftop karaoke bar with views of Gibralfaro castle.
It’s not fancy, and the karaoke setup is basically five mics and YouTube, but I love it because the people have always been a mix of the best travellers and locals, and the drinks are cheap.
Cocktails Two Ways at Chester and Punk
Chester and Punk is one of my favourite late-night pit stops. It’s a double-concept cocktail bar that feels like two worlds under one roof.
Step into Chester, and you’re surrounded by leather armchairs, vintage lamps, and a bar stocked with fine whiskies and small-batch gins. Then cross the threshold into Punk, and the mood flips. You’re suddenly in a neon-lit den of creative mixology with drinks like the Walking Dead or Basil Smash.
The full story, including the door I walked past for a year, is in my best bars in Málaga, and there are more places like it in my guide to quirky bars in Malaga.
Drink a Porrone at Bar La Guarida
Beware, you may have a headache the next day if you stay here too long.
Hidden down a narrow side street, Bar La Guarida is one of Malaga’s quirkiest late-night spots, and home to the legendary porron.
The place looks unassuming from the outside, but step through the door after 10:30pm and you’ll find locals crowded around concrete tables inside this cave-like room, drinking mostly from porrones.
A porron is a traditional Spanish glass pitcher with a long spout, designed for communal drinking. The bar’s signature mixes, like The Hulk, Caramelo, or Fresa Salvaje, are poured into these pitchers, and the goal is simple: pour the stream into your mouth from as far away as possible without spilling.
More to Come
I live here and I still haven’t got to the bottom of Málaga, which is the best thing about it. So this page will keep growing.
If you know something that should be on it, say so below. And if you haven’t done the essentials yet, my main guide to things to do in Málaga covers those, and the free things to do in Málaga have a list of their own. I’ve also written about the markets in Málaga, the unique souvenir shops and getting from the airport, and cyclists have their own bicycle guide. See you in the comments.
