Are you looking for somewhere really nice to go, but isn’t the normal tourist place? If so, let me tell you about a nice trip my girlfriend and I took to Malaga, Spain. This fabulous city located in the Costa del Sol (sun coast) region was a great trip, especially since around that time Stuttgart was doing what Stuttgart and various parts of Germany do. It was starting to be freezing out.
Malaga might not be on your list of places to see in Spain, frankly, it wasn’t top of my list either. We all know the main places, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia. I should probably mention, I’ve been to those three, though Madrid was only like 6 or 7 hours, but I’m still counting it. Spanish cities have a charm and chill nature that just make you want to see what they have to offer. I mean they take siestas, what can be better than that?
Now if you look it up, you’ll notice something pretty convenient about making Malaga your starting point. This is the fact it’s a central location for seeing other fascinating cities in the southern region of Spain. You are able to travel to Granada, Seville, and Gibraltar. Not to mention other smaller cities that have so much to offer. If you have ever have seen pictures or know anything about white towns, those villages where the buildings are just white, these are good to see. You won’t be sorry at all.
You can do a lot in a European city within several days. We were there just under a week, landed on Sunday, left on a Friday. One thing that we found to be really cool, especially for the fact that we are beer drinkers, is the fact that Malaga has a lot of craft beer bars. Yes, the country that is known for sangria, along with really amazing wines, has some really nice, affordable craft beer places.
I’m happy to say that we tried out a good amount of those places, along with really awesome finds not beer related. Of course, there are a lot of places people who have gone to Malaga enjoyed. Here are a few of those really cool places, I think you should go and see for sure.
Craft Beer Bars
Central Beers is a nice craft beer bar and restaurant. Honestly, what is better than traditional Spanish dishes, with tasty craft brews. They have several beers on tap, along with countless bottles of beer from around the globe. This included a nice selection of my favorite beer, which is Belgium beers. For food, they have a good selection of burgers. We had ham that was stuff with cheese then deep fried, so pretty much a very large croquette. This was a perfect meal to share and enjoy.
One of the more interestingly setup places was La Madriguera. When you walk past this place, you wouldn’t think much of it, but once you walk in, you are greeted with a board full of beers, Spanish, Belgium, Scottish, plus many more. The Bartender for our visits, yes, visits were always really good. They could give a lot of recommendations. Here unlike Central Beers, they have more bar food selection of items, with a few unexpected things. Like Poke bowl, not something I would normally be getting, but they have it there for you. It’s obvious that a few American inspired things made their way onto their menu. Depending on your plan for the night, you should go here and get a few drinks.
This was one of the best places that we went for sure. Their selection of beers definitely impressed and made us wanting more for sure. Out of these three places listed, this by far looked like a dive. Though, what they didn’t provide in a hipster like setup, you were welcomed with so many delicious varieties of beers. Unlike the other places, there aren’t any food options here. There are a few places nearby that you can go to for a quick snack, then come back for another beer, but nothing on site.
Cafes, Restaurants, Good drinks, and Eats
We stayed in an apartment that wasn’t very far from Gloria Hoyos. Every day, we walked past here, looked in and said, “It looks good, we should go.” It took until our last evening to finally do it. If you want your fill of tasty traditional Spanish Tapas, this is your spot. The decor is a little eclectic, but still fun and interesting to see. They have a live DJ, along with other live music that happens too. If it’s you and a group of people, or just you and your partner, then order up a variety of things, then go to town. Lastly, they breakfast, yes, we went back there for breakfast on our last morning there. Go there for breakfast too, it will be worth it.
Listen to me here, you need to go to this place. Out of the bars, restaurants, other things I’ve mentioned and will be mentioning, La Tranca was pretty neat. This smallish cafe has so much going on, it’s just great. We were big on drinking beer during our trip, but you have to drink wine here or try one of their aged Vermouths. They are serving you directly from the barrels. I had one because, why wouldn’t I have one? What I found to be pretty cool was the singing of the bartenders. The night we were there, the bartender was a guy, that was just doing his thing. They also have some tapas, which if you want to do it in true Spanish style, get a little something there, then start your tapas tour of other places.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo3g3-GlAXE/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
The best way to describe this place, simple. Several days for breakfast, I would see people eating bread with olive oil, and thought how cool that was. At La Recova, you get some toast, homemade jams, and spreads, some tomatoes, plus some other random things you can also order separately. Some fruit, other vegetables, etc. This place doubles as what I would say is an antique shop as well. The food, coffee, juices are pretty good, and again, simple. Something that I have come to enjoy and love about Spanish food, the use of simple ingredients, that create tasty flavorful dishes.
Sights and Places to See
Do you like markets? Do you like a market where you can see a lot of different things under one roof? If you answered yes to either of these things, then the Mercado Central de Atarazanas is a must. I’ve been to several markets like this in Spain and this one definitely ranks high on the list. You are able to find some really awesome Spanish Chorizo sausage, various amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, etc. What’s another thing that makes this place interesting? There were a few stands where you can order various types of croquettes. They are sold by weight so you can mix a lot of different types of things. I’m happy to say that we had a few different things.
The Playa de La Malagueta is one of the closest beaches to Malaga’s city center, about a 10-minute walk. This is a beautiful beach and definitely one of the first places you have to go and see, that is after you’ve had your sangria, beer, or that glass of wine. I mean Spain, beaches, can you really go wrong? Up and down the beach are various restaurants and cafes to get a quick bite or a cold drink. We stopped, got some seafood, along with a nice pitcher of sangria. You can’t go wrong with whatever it is you decide to do on the beach. If you just sit on the beach, go for a swim, or walk around the area. You will enjoy and just want to stay and enjoy more.
The El Teatro Romano is a pretty different site. This outdoor theater has the traditional Roman tier seating, not to mention is still used from time to time for special events. What makes this spot pretty interesting as well, is the fact you can just walk down the Calle Alcazabilla, then turn your head and see this amazing landmark. It is located near the Alcazaba, which is another must-see landmark. All in all, this entire area should be on your list while in Malaga.
There is so much more to write and mention, but I think we all have enough to ponder and think about. There will be more, look out for Granada and Nerja, which were so good, they deserve their own separate story.
Thank you for taking the time and watch out for more. So many more trips and stories to tell.
Jacob Thomas 
What a fun, uncommon city to visit! I love finding unique craft beers when I travel abroad. Great post!
Thank you, yes, it was a good trip. Malaga definitely has some good places to see and some good beer places.