• Shopping at first light: The best time to go to Malaga’s Atarazanas Market is first thing in the morning to hear the shouts of vendors advertising their trays of juicy oranges, strings of sausages and legs of cured ham, piles of slippery squid, razor clams and mussels, or aromatic teas and spices. When you’ve had your fill, settle yourself in a nearby café for a breakfast of coffee and toast, or maybe a sweet pastry or two.
  • People-watching in Plaza de la Constitución: Located in the heart of the Old Town, this airy square is a hub of Malaga’s social life. Malagueños meet and greet here, stop for a cold beer, sherry or tapas under the shade of a parasol at the Central Café, or come to take part in festivities from Carnival to Christmas, as they have done for a few hundred years.
  • Taking in the panoramic from the Alcazaba: From here you are blessed with the best views across Malaga in possibly the finest remaining Moorish fortress in Spain. Come late afternoon to see La Malagueta bullring, the marina, the Paseo del Parque and the Old Town bathed in the setting sun.
  • Joining the tapeo: Yes, the Spanish have a word for eating tapas. Whether you stay put in your favourite restaurant or hop from one place to another, don’t be afraid to taste something different in each one. From oysters and whitebait in a contemporary beachfront tapas restaurant to tortilla and Serrano ham in the traditional backstreet mainstays, there’s a flavour and a place to suit everyone.
  • Strolling on a Sunday: Locals head to the Paseo del Parque each Sunday to walk with their families and loved ones among the exotic oasis of palms and fountains. If you come at midday you might catch Malaga Municipal Band playing in the bandstand, a gentle aperitif to a long, Spanish lunch.
  • Daytripping: Head east along the coast with the blue sea on your right and rocky hills to the left, turning inland at Nerja for Frigliana, a picture-perfect white Andalusian village set on a ridge. Here you can walk along narrow, cobbled streets of whitewashed houses framed by colourful hanging baskets of flowers and browse buy local leather and ceramic goods from the Thursday market.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.