Malaga, Spain is a popular starting point to discover the highlight cities of Spain, including Granada, Cordoba, Seville, and Ronda. But I recently found lesser known towns on the east side of Malaga. I would like to share what I think are the most beautiful towns on the Malaga coast!

But wait, if you are looking for other areas in Spain to explore, check out my below blog posts!

• 3 Days in Valencia Spain
• What to do near La Zenia Spain
• Alicante Spain in One Week

So, where is Malaga? This city is the capital of the Malaga province in Andalusia, southern Spain. The city lies along the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Guadalmedina River in the center of the Costa del Sol.

Malaga is easy to reach due to its international airport. The Malaga–Costa del Sol Airport is the fourth busiest airport in Spain and is significant for Spanish tourism as the main international airport serving the Costa del Sol. It is 8 km southwest of Malaga and you can catch a bus or taxi to arrive at the center. 

From the airport, we took the public bus to the central bus station in Malaga where we then took another bus for 50 kilometers to arrive to our first destination, Nerja.

Nerja

We chose the small town of Nerja for the first three nights because we heard it was a beautiful and quaint place. Our Airbnb apartment was a few steps away from the center of town and the perfect place to base ourselves.

Balcony of Europe Square

Once we got settled into our apartment, we headed directly to the town square where the Balcony of Europe is located. The “Balcon de Europa” is an iconic viewpoint with panoramic views of the Mediterranean and the town.

The Balcony of Europe is one of the most symbolic viewpoints on the Costa del Sol. The name came from King Alfonso XII, who was impressed with its views and described it as a balcony from which to reach Africa.

The balcony is located between the beaches of Calahonda and “El Salón”. It’s a vibrant place filled with people. The view was especially amazing at sunset.

Nerja Old Town

We spent some time strolling through the charming center of Nerja, with its narrow streets, whitewashed houses, and picturesque squares. You will find many restaurants in town and lots of cute shops.

El Salvador Church

Located in the Balcony of Europe Square is the “Iglesia del Salvador” (El Salvador Church). The church was built between 1505 and 1697 and is distinguished by its elegant Baroque-Academic architecture.

Chanquete’s Boat (La Dorada)

I read about this famous boat in the Verano Azul Park, so we made a point to pass it on the way to the beach. The boat represents the nostalgic 80’s Spanish TV series “Verano Azul”. I had never seen this series but took a few pictures of the colorful boat.

Beaches in Nerja

Nerja is one of the most beautiful villages on the Costa del Sol. We discovered the nice promenades and paths for walking along the sea.

Playa Torrecilla

One day we walked along the Torrecilla Beach which is on the western end of Nerja. The beach is approximately 300 meters long and 40 meters wide with dark sand and pebbles. I loved seeing all the palm trees growing on the beach.

We found a nice beach bar for a light lunch and drink. I tried the ‘Tinto de Verano’, a local specialty drink with red wine and lemon juice. The taste is very similar to sangria.

On the way to Torrecilla Beach are colorful painted steps I wanted to see. This staircase is called the Rainbow Steps and is located between the Hotel Perla Marina and the Hotel Riu Monica.

Burriana Beach

Another impressive area on the eastern side of Nerja is Burriana Beach. It was very quiet in January but must be a bustling place of activity during the summer months.

We walked to this area for dinner one night but took a taxi home to avoid walking back in the dark.

Frigiliana

A must-see village to visit in the Nerja area is Frigiliana. We took a 15-minute bus ride from Nerja to the white hilltop village of Frigiliana where we wandered through the picturesque narrow cobbled streets.

This charming village has a maze of steep alleyways lined with colorful flowers against the whitewashed houses. I fell in love with the place!

In Frigiliana, you will come across impressive viewpoints offering spectacular panoramic views of the sea.

After walking through many alleys, we finally found a perfect spot for lunch on a sunny terrace overlooking the valley and sea. The restaurant is called ‘Restaurante El Comendaó’ and there is another one just next to it called ‘Pura Cepa Frigiliana’. I highly recommend this spot to enjoy the views.

Almeria

After our three nights in Nerja, our next destination was Almeria where we spent four nights. Almeria is 150 kilometers east of Nerja. Instead of a long public bus ride, we were able to find a BlaBla car for the 2 hour journey. We passed beautiful mountainous landscapes and sea views along the ride.

We learned about the many greenhouses in this area that produce up to 3.5 million tons of fruit and vegetables per year. Almeria’s greenhouses cover more than 40,000 hectares (150 square miles).

Almeria is a bigger town than Nerja but it felt more like a local Spanish town with very few tourists. Our apartment was located directly on the seaside promenade with gorgeous views of the water and coastline.

The Carmen de Burgos promenade was built in the early 1980s and follows the coast of Almeria for just over two kilometers. In 2011, the promenade was renamed to commemorate one of the city’s former inhabitants. Carmen de Burgos was an intrepid journalist and defender of women’s rights who became the first female war correspondent in Spain.

As my friend and I love to walk, we ventured off to the very end of the promenade to enjoy the seaside views. There were many kite surfers taking advantage of the high winds.

The sunset views and pink-colored clouds one night were simply stunning to see.

Cathedral Encarnación de Almería

We spent a full day seeing all the highlights of downtown Almeria, starting off at the cathedral. The Cathedral Encarnación de Almería is a unique example of a cathedral-fortress from the seventeenth century with Gothic construction and Renaissance facades. It was built both for both worship and as a defense against the attacks carried out on the city by the Barbary pirates.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1524 after an earthquake destroyed the first cathedral in 1522. There is no cost to walk in the courtyard and interior.

Almeria Fortress

If you like castles, you’ll want to visit the local fortress called ‘Alcazaba y Murallas del Cerro de San Cristobal’ and occupying an impressive 43,500 m2.

It was a bit of a hike to reach the fortress from town but the views were worth it. For EU countries, entry is free. For other countries, the price is only 1.50 euros. You will be amazed at the 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains, cityscape, and coastline.

The fortress owes its name to Abd al-Rahman III who commissioned the construction of the fortification in the 10th century to protect his fleet. He named it Al-Mariyyat, which means watchtower in Arabic, establishing the southern-easternmost city of Andalusia.  Here is more history about this fascinating structure.

The Alcazaba is a prime filming location for popular series and films, including Cleopatra (1963), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro

We walked by the outside the Alcazaba fortress and passed the roman theatre called the Teatro Romano de Málaga. The Alcazaba is a moorish-style medieval fortress dating from the 1300s. You can walk from the fortress to the Castillo de Gibralfaro at the top of of Mount Gibralfaro.

Cabo del Gato

A unique place to go near Almeria is the beach area of Cabo del Gato. We took a one-hour bus ride and spent a leisurely sunny afternoon by the beach. The place was empty in January but we found a few open restaurants and bars where we sampled the local tapas and specialties.

As we didn’t have a car, we simply stayed on the beach in town. However, you could also visit the Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Níjar which is a natural park that stretches 65 km along the coast.

Aguadulce

On our last full day in Almeria, we decided to see the town of Aguadulce, a 30-minute bus ride away. Aguadulce was once a small fishing village before became the popular beach tourism scene in the 1960s.

The town is located 10 km from the city of Roquetas de Mar and Almeria. There is a 2km-long promenade with several cute restaurants situated directly on the beach. We found an open restaurant called the Buddha Beach Bar where we had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the sunny day. I actually got the nerve up to take a quick dip in the chilly sea water…. brrrrr.

Malaga

We ended our 9 days in Spain by staying in Malaga for the last two nights. Ending here made it easier for our return flight to Switzerland from the Malaga airport.

Malaga is one of the oldest port cities in the world, founded in the 8th century by the Phoenicians. It has all the charm and history of a southern European city including a Roman amphitheater, a baroque cathedral, and a Moorish castle. The city is also known for its modern art and culture, with over 30 museums including one of Picasso who was born there.

Plaza de la Merced

One of the popular plazas in the old town is the Plaza de la Merced. Beautiful buildings form this square with many outdoor seating restaurants. Here you will find the Picasso Foundation, housed within the childhood home of the Málaga-born painter.

We stopped in this square to have lunch on a sunny terrace and enjoy the ambiance with orange trees all around.

Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica de la Encarnación de Malaga

In the center of town you’ll see the towering basilica. Built on the remains of an Almohad mosque, the cathedral was constructed between 1528 and 1782.

Port of Malaga

Malaga’s port is one of the oldest ports in the world and one of the most important cruise ship terminals in Spain. The port was founded by the Phoenicians in 1000 B.C. and prospered as a trading port, with exports of iron, copper and lead from the mines in nearby Ronda.

The port has 10 quays that are currently in use, for cruise ships, ferries, cargo ships and recreational boats. The main use is for bulk liquid imports, and cruises; approximately 700,000 passengers pass through Málaga port each year, on 220 different cruise liners.

Malaga’s new port (Muelle uno, Quay 1) opened in December 2011. The 80-million-euro 14,000 square meter recreation and commerce center has underground parking for 1,000 and 70 shops, bars and restaurants. We went there at sunset to have a drink and watch the flurry of activity.

Pedregalejo

Our last full day was spent in the coastal Pedregalejo neighborhood where we walked one hour east from Malaga center.

The Pedregalejo Las Acacias Beach is 1200 meters long and has an average width of 20 meters. This area is famous for its many fish and shellfish restaurants that line its sidewalks. 

The restaurants had boat-shaped grills on the sand. I had never seen this technique of a fish-fry. We tried the fried sardines and ordered a nice seafood paella to share. It was wonderful to be sitting outdoors in the warm sun in January!

Summary

I hope you enjoyed learning about the beautiful towns near Malaga. It was a delight to discover this area and the perfect getaway to chase the winter blues of January. I’ve been to different places along the Spain coast four times over the last four years and am always amazed at this beautiful country.

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!