The fun of nightlife in Málaga is just wandering, although there are a few standout destinations. More than just about any other city in the region, Málaga offers night owls the chance to stroll a labyrinth of inner-city streets, drinking wine at any convenient tasca and talking with friends and new acquaintances.
Start out along the town's main thoroughfare, Calle Larios, adjacent to the city's port. Off Calle Larios, you can gravitate to any of the tascas, discos, and pubs lining the edges of the Calle Granada.
If you want to eat well and cheaply, do as the locals do and head for the taverns below. Don't expect a refined experience, but the food is some of the most enjoyable and least expensive in Málaga. You can easily fill up on two or three orders of tapas because portions are extremely generous.
The entrance to Bar Logüeno, Marín García 9 (tel. 95-222-30-48), is behind a wrought-iron-and-glass door. It leads into a stucco-lined room decorated in a local tavern style -- enough hams, bouquets of garlic, beer kegs, and sausages to feed a village for a week. However, there's hardly enough room to stand, and you'll invariably be jostled by a busy waiter shouting "Calamari!" to the cooks.
Nearby, an all-pedestrian street, Calle Compagnía, and a square, the Plaza Uncibaj, are home to simpler tascas. Completely unpretentious (and in some cases without any discernible name), they serve glasses of wine and tapas similar to those available from their neighbors.
The best hipster joint for rock and indie music is Road House, Calle Alamos 45 (tel. 95-222-98-50), featuring some of the hottest bands in the area. A rock venue, ZZ Pub, Tejon y Rodríguez 6 (tel. 95-244-15-95), is a favorite hangout for university students drawn to hear DJs spin or to check out local bands: Sometimes the Málaga newspaper, El Sur, publishes details. Habana Café, Av. Carlos Haya 3 (tel. 95-210-21-61), tries to re-create those heady days of pre-Castro Havana, and a varied mix of Andalusians attempts to imitate Cuban salsa moves.
The main theater in the province is Teatro Cervantes, Ramos Marin s/n (tel. 95-222-41-09; www.teatrocervantes.es), which opened its doors in the second half of the 19th century. Reopened in 1987 after a long closure by Queen Sofía, this is an elegant yet austere building. Its programs include plays in Spanish, as well as a number of concerts and flamenco entertainment of interest to all. The major performances of the Málaga Symphony Orchestra are staged here in winter. The theater is open from mid-September until the end of June; its box office is open Monday to Saturday 11am to 2pm and 6 to 8pm.
