Malaga in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

In the capital of the Costa del Sol you can reach the beaches by walking through the city centre, while museums, Roman heritage, gastronomy and flamenco shows seduce you.

And this is not the only thing, among the best things to do in Malaga there are also the dizzying Caminito del Rey, some caves and several of the surrounding villages. In this itinerary you will get to know all the places you can see in a 3 days stay, come with me.

After your transfer from Malaga airport, I recommend that you spend the first day touring the city's must-see urban enclaves along the historic centre and the city centre. You can do this route in different ways:

• Walking on your own, to let yourself be surprised by the city.
• With a tour in an electric tuk tuk, which takes you around the outside of the museums and monuments while a guide tells you their stories for 1-2 hours.
• On board a Segway, a guided tour of a couple of hours of fun.
• Riding the tourist bus, with a ticket that can include everything from entrance to the city's main museums, to flamenco shows, to boat rides. This option offers a complete tour of this Andalusian capital.

Whatever your choice, these are the essential stops:

The Alcazaba of Malaga and Gibralfaro Castle

Start the day at the Alcazaba of Malaga, a fortress of 15,000 square metres that stands on the outskirts of the Gibralfaro mountain. It was built during the 11th century to protect the Muslims from the Catholics. Inside the castle you will travel back in time among its rectangular courtyards, exhibitions, gardens and well-preserved ponds.

Once you finish your walk around this fortress, you can enter through an interior corridor, called the Coracha, to the Castle of Gibralfaro. Here you can get a panoramic view of the city from the Gibralfaro viewpoint, as well as walk around the 8 towers of the castle, the tallest being the Torre Mayor at 17 metres high.

• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday between 09:00 - 18:00 hours in summer and Monday to Sunday between 09:00 - 20:00 hours in winter. Here is a post in case you are interested in knowing the special opening hours of the Alcazaba.
• Address: Alcazaba Calle Alcazabilla, 2.

Roman Theatre

After leaving the small Alhambra, walk along Calle Alcazabilla to visit the Roman Theatre, rediscovered in 1951.

Admission is free and inside you will find the proescenium - the stage - in the middle of the building which opens up from the vomitorium of the cavea, a set of 13 tiers rising 16 metres.

A series of legends and a web of stories accompany the Roman legacy and the open-air performances that take place today.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 - 18:00. Sundays and public holidays between 10:00 - 16:00.
• Address: Alcazaba Calle Alcazabilla, s/n.

Museum of Malaga

In the middle of the Roman settlements, I suggest a stop that you will find on your way to the Plaza de la Aduana. This is one of the best museums in Malaga, the main one on the list, the Museum of Malaga, where art and archaeology converge.

In 1945 it was decided to unite the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts and the Provincial Archaeological Museum to concentrate the best of both worlds in the same cultural space. Admission is free. If you add to that the Palacio de la Aduana (Customs Palace), how interesting does it sound?

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday between 09:00 - 21:00. Sundays and public holidays between 09:00 - 15:00.
• Address: Plaza Aduana s/n.

Picasso Museum

It is said that in every corner of this historic quarter there is a small representation of the works of Pablo Picasso. It is therefore necessary to visit the site dedicated to the artist from Malaga: the House-Museum of Pablo Ruiz Picasso.

Just 350 metres from the Museum of Malaga, in the vicinity of the Plaza de la Merced, a handful of 200 works by the artist await you inside the Renaissance building of the Buenavista palace, which is constantly being renovated to portray the life of the Malaga-born artist. If you are interested in learning about this pioneer of cubism, it might be interesting to listen to the comments of the experts.

• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday between 10:00 and 19:00.
• Address: Palacio de Buenavista, C. San Agustín, 8.

The Cathedral Basilica

From its 16 chapels to the cathedral's organ, this basilica, located just 650 metres from the Picasso Museum, is well worth a visit.

Also known as La Manquita, it is so nicknamed because in the process of transforming the work from mosque to cathedral, it was interrupted leaving the South Tower incomplete. Despite this drawback, its North Tower rises 84 metres, making Malaga Cathedral the second highest in Andalusia.

• Opening hours: Monday to Friday between 10:00 - 18:30 hours. Saturdays between 10:00 - 18:00 hours. Sundays between 14:00 - 18:00 hours.
• Address: Calle Molina Lario, 9.

Carla's Tip

From Monday to Saturday between 08:30 -9:00 and Sundays between 08:30 - 09:30 admission is free. In addition, this cathedral has an audio guide for adults and children.

Recharge your batteries in Larios Street

Once you leave the Cathedral, you will find yourself in the middle of the commercial heart of the city, Calle Larios. There, as well as strolling along its boulevard of shops, you can stop for lunch.

El Balcón de las flores with its Mediterranean food, the tapas at Taberna de Pintxo Larios or the fried fish at Mellizos de Málaga are just a sample of the variety and good taste available.

You can also go straight to the white thorn (nicknamed because the shape of the roof resembles a thorn and is painted white) of Muelle Uno and have lunch in one of the bars near the beaches.

Afternoon at the beach

From Muelle Uno head towards the promenade to continue your walk along the seafront. The first beach you will come across is La Malagueta. It is the most popular thanks to its easy access - only 500 metres walk from the pier - and the complete services it offers.

If you continue walking you will reach La Caleta beach and Pedregalejo beach. A stroll along the beaches is one of the things to do to try to avoid the heat of this Andalusian province, especially if you visit Malaga in summer.

Night of flamenco shows

It's time to savour Malaga's cuisine with a night-time visit with wine and tapas, and what can make the experience better? Its tablaos. The most popular are:

• Tablao Flamenco Alegria: 300 metres from Muelle Uno, it presents 3 shows a day on a cosy terrace. For more than 20 years it has been bringing smiles to the public with its performances and good food.
• Tablao Los Amayas. It is located two streets away from the Pablo Picasso Museum, an artist who, by the way, inspires part of their show. There are 2 performances a day and your ticket usually includes a drink.

On the second day of your trip you will travel 55 kilometres along the eastern Costa del Sol to Nerja. You can drive along the A/7 road or combine your trip with a direct excursion to Nerja and Frigiliana.

At this end of the Axarquia, beaches, cliffs and caves are the order of the day for you to relive Verano Azul, a popular Spanish TV series. Let's see what there is to see and do in the area:

Visit the beaches of Nerja

There are 13 kilometres of coastline where the highlights are:

• Calahonda Beach. Located at the foot of the Balcón de Europa, it has a picturesque entrance: the boquete de Calahonda. A stairway flanked by boats that gained popularity after the filming of the series Verano Azul.
• Burriana Beach: The option that receives the most visitors thanks to its range of services that, together with its water activities, allow you to visit the Maro Cliff, the Caleta de Maro Beach, the Doncella Waterfall, the Nerja Cliff, the Eagle Bridge and the large Maro Waterfall, as well as enjoying the bird watching habitat.

On this beach you can opt for:

• A paddle surfing route from 25€.
• Follow a kayak route to which you can add the possibility of snorkelling, all from 30€.
• Parasailing or powered parachute flight from €60.
• Jet ski for couples from €140.
• Rent a boat and tour the enclaves of Nerja and Maro accompanied by up to 4 people on a half-day excursion from €299.

Visit the Nerja Caves

Make a note of this stop on your list of things to do with children. The Nerja Caves are a Spanish historical heritage site. This monument stands out for its prehistoric symbolism and the richness of the stalactites and stalagmites that make up the cave.

The tour is open to the public and consists of 7 rooms including the Hall of the Ghosts and the Hall of the Cataclysm, the children's favourite areas.

The visit to this cave is often made in conjunction with the Chanquete boat and the Museum of Nerja. The whole family will be amazed.

Look out over the Balcón de Europa

This is one of Nerja's landmarks, a balcony built in the 11th century, which in ancient times was the site of the Torre de los Guardas, thanks to its strategic position and panoramic view. You can walk along the Carabineros promenade on Burriana beach. The walk takes about 20 minutes and there you will be able to find the best postcards of Nerja.

Visit Frigiliana

In this village the historic centre is small and the tour is often guided by the passing of the Twelve Plaques which identify its Moorish heritage. There are several things to do in Frigiliana such as the visit to the Botanical Gardens, the walk through the Reales Pósitos, the Fuente Vieja and the Castillo de Lizar, but the must-sees in my opinion are:

• El Fuerte. A 7-kilometre route at an altitude of 900 metres. The town's skyline presents you with a multitude of whitewashed houses with the coastline in the background. The Fort is a real highlight with its views and trails.
• The Archaeological Museum. This is the first representative museum of the eastern part of Malaga. Inside, Sephardic, Christian and Arab culture are exhibited among a hundred or so pieces.

The sunset from this village is a photo opportunity. In the evening you can return to the centre of Malaga where you might like to sit on one of the terraces along the promenade or take a gastronomic tour.

The route to the Caminito del Rey, Carratraca and Ardales is one of the best day trips from Malaga.

You can do it by private car following the road A/357 or with a private excursion to the Caminito del Rey, Carratraca and Ardales. In both cases it will be 60 kilometres north through the white villages of the Sierra de Alcaparaín, between which it is worth making at least a couple of stops.

Carratraca

Located in the municipality of Guadalteba, this village is home to the Carratraca Spa, an emblematic place that since 1855 has been used to relax with its thermal waters by personalities from the poet Rainer María Rilke to Antonio Banderas.

Another iconic place is the hermitage of the Virgen de la Salud, located on a forest path that winds its way behind the bullring in the countryside.

Ardales

Continuing along the route of the white villages of Malaga you will find Ardales amidst orange groves. In this area it is worth visiting Doña Trinidad Grund, better known as the Cave of Ardales, one of the most important caves in Malaga.

Along its 1.5 kilometres you will find adjoining lakes and an interesting collection of stalagmites and columns that do not leave its visitors indifferent. With this visit you will be able to admire the cultural beauty of Ardales, which not in vain is part of the European Prehistoric Rock Art Trail since 2010.

The Caminito del Rey

The next stop is El Chorro where the mountainous landscape, marshes and valleys give way to the Caminito del Rey. This famous path is a footbridge that rises above the Sierra Huma, in the Guadalhorce reservoir.

It was originally built by fishermen in the early 20th century. Their work was titanic and although the issue of safety for passers-by was not taken into account, King Alfonso XIII walked the footbridge, thus giving rise to its name.

Once you arrive at the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes you will walk for 1.5 kilometres, clinging to the vertical rocks to reach the entrance.

Along the way you will discover the magical landscapes that surround the enclave, whose geology is an ongoing study, as you complete the 3 kilometre walk. Between the walkways and the viewpoints, you will spend between 2.5 and 3 hours suspended 105 metres above sea level.

By far, the adrenaline rush on this trail makes it a must for extreme travellers. Don't forget to bring comfortable shoes, light clothing and a swimming costume to end the day with a dip in the Pantano del Chorro, an inland beach located 600 metres from the Caminito del Rey.