I checked the weather every single day when I lived in South Africa. It’s unpredictable there and can flip within a few hours, so you got into the habit of looking before you planned anything outdoors.
I don’t really do that in Malaga anymore. I couldn’t tell you exactly when I stopped. Checking a forecast just stopped feeling necessary, this city gets over 300 days of sunshine a year.
So when it does rain, it still feels almost novel, like I haven’t seen it in months. Welcome, even, right up until you’re actually outside. The marble cobblestones around the Cathedral and along Calle Larios get genuinely slippery in the rain, and that part isn’t charming at all.
The old town packs in more than 40 museums, which is a decent argument for staying indoors regardless of the weather. Here are 18 places to do exactly that.
Museums and Culture
Malaga’s old town crams in more than 40 museums, one of the highest museum densities anywhere in Europe, so a rainy day here is never really a problem. I love that you can hop between three or four of them without walking more than about 10 minutes in between, which makes wandering the old town on a grey afternoon one of my favourite ways to spend a few hours.
1. Picasso Museum
The Picasso Museum is the one I keep coming back to, in a 16th-century palace on Calle San Agustin 8, and it’s worth booking online the night before if rain’s forecast. Hours and prices are at museopicassomalaga.org, and the full rundown is in my guide to the museums in Malaga.
2. Centre Pompidou Malaga
Bold, rotating modern art inside the multicoloured glass Cube at Muelle Uno, and the building alone is worth ducking in out of the rain for. Details at centrepompidou-malaga.eu and in the museums guide.
3. Carmen Thyssen Museum
Nineteenth-century Andalusian painting in a restored palace on Calle Compania 10, and the costumbrismo scenes are my favourite part. Details at carmenthyssenmalaga.org and in the museums guide.
4. Malaga Cathedral
The nickname La Manquita, the one-armed lady, comes from the second tower that was never finished. It’s on Calle Molina Lario 9, and the rooftop climb is closed for now while the roof is rebuilt, so it’s the inside only. Details at malagacatedral.com.
5. Interactive Music Museum (MIMMA)
At MIMMA you can pick the instruments up and play them, on Calle Beatas 15. Details at musicaenaccion.com and in the museums guide.
6. Museo del Vidrio y Cristal
I walk past the Museo del Vidrio y Cristal almost every night on the dog’s route, and it’s one of those unusual things to do in Malaga most visitors never find. Pair it with the Jorge Rando Museum just up the road for a couple of hours of culture, and find both in the museums guide.
Most of Malaga’s museums have free hours or free days, and the times are all in my guide to free things to do in Malaga.
Food and Markets
7. Mercado Central Atarazanas
Duck in out of the rain and you’re standing under iron and glass that’s been sheltering shoppers since the 19th century, on a spot that used to be a Moorish shipyard. Dozens of stalls crowd in around you: fresh seafood, cured meats, local cheeses, piles of olives, whatever’s in season.
What I love is that you don’t just look. Tapas bars sit right in among the stalls and cook with whatever’s stacked around them, so you can grab fried fish, gambas al ajillo, or a plate of jamón and eat it while the market carries on around you. It’s one of the better markets in Malaga, and one of the cheap places to eat in Malaga too.
Give yourself at least an hour here. You’ll want it.
- Address: Calle Atarazanas 10
- Hours: 8am to 3pm (closed Sundays)
- Entry: Free
- Website: mercadomalaga.es
8. Churros at Casa Aranda
Casa Aranda has been frying churros since 1932. The chocolate comes out thick and rich, basically a sauce, made for dunking rather than sipping.
A ración runs about 1.50 euros and a cup of chocolate around 2.
- Address: Calle Herreria del Rey 3
- Hours: 8am to 1:30pm and 5pm to 8:30pm
- Price: Churros from 1.50 euros, chocolate from 2 euros
9. Spanish Cooking Class
Book yourself onto a cooking class and a wet morning or afternoon sorts itself out fast. A handful of operators around the city teach paella, gazpacho, tortilla española, or other regional dishes, and most of them start with a trip to the market (often Atarazanas) before you head into the kitchen to cook and eat together.
You walk away with recipes in hand and the skills to actually pull them off back home, not just a nice memory of the afternoon. Rain or shine, that’s a few hours well spent.
- Duration: 3 to 4 hours
- Price: 50 to 80 euros per person
- Book on: GetYourGuide
10. Tapas Tour
Hand the decisions over for a few hours and join a guided tapas tour instead. A good guide takes you to bars most tourists never stumble on by themselves, and talks you through the history behind each dish while helping you navigate a menu that can be baffling if you’re new to it.
Most tours hit 3 to 4 bars with a tasting at each stop, working through things like fritura malagueña, berenjenas con miel, and a few regional wines along the way. Guides like this are usually your fastest route to the best tapas bars in Malaga, and by the end you won’t want to order tapas any other way.
- Duration: 2 to 3 hours
- Price: 40 to 70 euros per person (food and drinks included)
- Book on: GetYourGuide
11. Moscatel from the Barrel at Antigua Casa de Guardia
Step up to the counter here and you’re drinking from barrels that have been pouring since 1840, in what’s Malaga’s oldest bar. There’s no menu as such, your order just gets chalked straight onto the wooden counter in front of you.
Go for a glass of moscatel or Pedro Ximénez and order some local cheese alongside it.
- Address: Alameda Principal 18
- Hours: 10am to 10pm daily
- Price: From 1.50 euros per glass
Live Flamenco Shows in Malaga
Malaga wasn’t the first city I associated with flamenco, if I’m honest, my best flamenco experience so far happened in a hostel common room in Seville, of all places. But the shows here have won me over more than I expected them to.
The venues are small, and that changes everything. You’re not looking at a stage from twenty rows back, you’re close enough to feel the stamping in the floorboards.
Teatro Flamenco Malaga Club, on Calle Echegaray, has nightly shows in a small theatre in the centre, and Flamenco Alegria is near the port. Shows last about an hour and tickets run around 25 euros.
For something a bit rougher around the edges, Kelipe in the old town puts performers just metres from where you’re sitting. Teatro Cervantes hosts bigger flamenco productions a few times a year if you’d rather go for the fuller staged version.
Whichever you go for, book ahead, rainy evenings fill these seats faster than you’d think.
Wellness and Relaxation
Not every rainy day has to be about ducking between museums, sometimes the better move is just disappearing into a spa for a few hours.
12. Hotel Spa Day
If you’d rather not leave wherever you’re already staying, a handful of Malaga’s hotels open their spas to non-guests for the day. Gran Hotel Miramar, right on the Malagueta beachfront, has an indoor heated pool and a full hydrotherapy circuit, with day passes for non-guests from around 50 euros. Vincci Posada del Patio, in the historic centre, has a rooftop pool and spa, though you’ll need to call the hotel directly to get non-guest pricing. Either way, call ahead, weekend slots go first.
Entertainment and Shopping
13. Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are such a good shout for a rainy afternoon, especially with a group of friends or family in tow. Several venues around town run their challenges in English, so the language barrier’s a non-issue, and they work well for anywhere from two to six people.
Fox in a Box, on Calle Casapalma 4, has a genuinely fun line-up with bank heist and prison break themes, my favourite kind of rainy-day plan. Enigmatium, on Calle Comedias 9, goes for mystery and adventure rooms instead, and Parapark Malaga and The Rombo Code both offer a great range of difficulty levels, so there’s something for total beginners and hardened escape-room fans alike.
Sessions run 60 to 90 minutes and cost 15 to 25 euros per person, though it works out cheaper the bigger your group is, so it’s worth rounding up a few extra people if you can.
14. Shopping at Larios Centro
Malaga was never going to be a shopping capital, but the pedestrianised streets around Calle Larios give you plenty to do when the sky opens up, and it’s a nice way to burn a few hours.
Larios Centro, on Avenida de la Aurora, is the main shopping centre, packed with high-street brands and a food court for when you need a break, open 10am to 10pm. El Corte Ingles, on Avenida de Andalucia, is the classic department store covering everything from fashion to gourmet food, open 10am to 9:30pm.
For something with a bit more character, Calle Nueva is lined with Spanish fashion brands and local boutiques, and the artisan shops around Plaza de la Constitucion are a real find if you’re after handmade leather goods or ceramics. My unique souvenir shops in Málaga are all within a short walk of each other, which helps when you’re dodging showers.
If you’d rather have a few activities booked ahead of time rather than working it out on the day, GetYourGuide lists family-friendly Malaga tours and skip-the-line museum tickets too.
Indoor Activities with Kids
If you’re travelling with kids, Malaga has plenty of indoor options to keep everyone entertained when the rain won’t let up. My full Malaga with kids guide covers picks for rainy and sunny days alike, but these four are worth having on your list when you need to stay dry.
15. OXO Video Game Museum
OXO is my favourite rainy day spot in Malaga, and I’ve been three times. It’s on Plaza del Siglo 2, with details at oxomuseo.com, and there’s more in my Malaga with kids guide.
16. Museum of Imagination
Optical illusion rooms, shadow chambers and playable instruments in Soho, at Calle Martinez Campos 13. Opening hours are split across the afternoon, so check museoimaginacion.com before you go, and see Malaga with kids for more.
17. Cliche Selfie Gallery
Over 25 themed photo sets at Calle San Telmo 14, with details at clicheselfiemalaga.com. The rest of the family plans are in Malaga with kids.
18. Indoor Soft Play and Bowling
For younger kids, a few play centres around the city have soft play, ball pits and climbing structures, a lifesaver on days when they need to burn off energy somewhere dry. Megaocio, inside the Rosaleda shopping centre, has bowling, arcade games and play areas all under one roof. Monkey Park is more of an indoor playground with trampolines and soft play, better suited to toddlers and younger kids. Some centres close for a few hours in the afternoon, so it’s worth checking opening times before you head over.
How Often Does It Rain in Malaga?
Not often, and that’s exactly why so many people build a trip around it. Malaga averages around 50 rainy days a year, making it one of the driest cities in Europe.
Here’s what actually matters when you’re planning around it:
- Rain concentrates between October and March, with November the wettest month at around 6 rainy days
- Summer (June to August) sees barely any rain at all, just 0 to 2 rainy days a month
- Winter is the wettest stretch at 4 to 6 days a month, though it stays mild and rain rarely lingers
The city itself tends to see less rain than the mountains just behind it, so if you’re staying close to the coast, you might only catch a few showers the whole trip. Even in November, showers usually pass within a few hours, so you can generally mix indoor and outdoor plans into the same day without much trouble.
My own habit is to check the hourly forecast rather than the daily summary, a morning shower often clears by afternoon and the rest of the day is fine. If you’re still weighing up when to come, I’ve gone into more detail on the best month to visit Malaga.
It’s rare that a rainy day actually derails a Malaga trip, and that’s exactly why I never think twice about booking one.
Tips for Rainy Days in Malaga
The marble cobblestones in the old town get genuinely slippery when they’re wet, and even good shoes can let you down on them. Take it slow on the slopes, especially around Plaza de la Merced, it’s not worth risking a slip for a shortcut.
If rain’s in the forecast, book the Picasso Museum in advance. Everyone whose plans just changed heads there first, and the queue grows fast. Ten minutes on their website the night before saves you a solid hour standing in it the next morning, trust me.
It’s worth checking Sunday free entry too. Most of the main museums open up free in the afternoon on Sundays, though the exact times shift from museum to museum, so double check each one before you commit an afternoon to it.
Pack a light jacket even if you’re visiting in summer. Rain here is usually warm, but every museum interior runs the air conditioning year round, and the jump between the two catches people out more than you’d think. A thin layer folded into your bag is really all you need.
For the parts that matter most, here’s one day in Malaga mapped out so you’re not guessing where to duck into next.
None of this requires a change of plans, just a slightly fuller day bag.
Getting Around Without Getting Wet
The old town is compact enough that most of what you’ll want, the museums, the cathedral, the market, sits within a 10 to 15 minute walk of everything else, so a good waterproof jacket handles anything short of a downpour.
When it really comes down, duck under the covered streets around Calle Nueva and Calle Granada, and the awnings along the pedestrian stretch of Calle Larios give decent cover too. I won’t pretend the old town is built for staying dry the way some northern European cities are, you’ll get a little damp moving between stops, and that’s fine.
For anything further out, the EMT bus network covers the whole city and runs often, a single ride is around 1.40 euros, or grab a rechargeable card if you’re making more than a couple of trips. Taxis and Uber both work well too, especially if you’re bouncing between somewhere like Soho and the historic centre and don’t feel like walking it in the wet. I’ve put together a full Malaga public transport guide if you want the details on fares and routes.
A little rain never once ruined a day for me here, and I doubt it’ll ruin one for you either.
