Malaga port guide: What to see, do & eat in Spanish city

Words by Caroline Hendrie

Malaga has been an important destination since its port was founded by the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago. The port of Malaga burgeoned in the 17th century, its first lighthouse was built in 1810, and a ship passenger terminal 100 years later.

Fast forward, and today Malaga cruise port is Spain’s second busiest after Barcelona, with 130,000 passengers passing through each year, arriving on ships from more than 30 different cruise lines. Malaga port itself is a smart place to shop, stroll and people-watch from its waterside cafes and restaurants.

Once dismissed as somewhere to bypass en route from the airport to the resorts of the Costa del Sol, Malaga has become terrifically visitor-friendly, with the city’s centre very close to Malaga cruise ship port. So there is lots to enjoy within walking distance, including downtown restaurants, shopping, museums and the beach.

Malaga is also an excellent base to visit the Andalusian Moorish marvels of Grenada and Cordoba, reached by ships’ excursions or independently by train.

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Malaga airport to the cruise port in Malaga, Spain is a journey of just ten kilometres (six miles) and a taxi is a good option if several of you are travelling together. Airport taxi firms advertise fares of 45 euros for up to four people and 65 euros for minibuses seating up to seven.

Frequent buses take about half an hour to Malaga centre from Plaza de la Marina near the cruise port entrance – they cost four euros paid to the driver.

If you are arriving in Malaga by train, the port is about 2.5 miles (4km), quickest to reach by taxi in 15 minutes, or about 30 minutes by bus (fare 1.40 euros) and walking.

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A Malaga cruise port to city centre trip is an easy and pleasant walk of about 15 minutes along a tree-lined avenue for most cruise passengers. If your ship’s berth is in a farther docking place in the port, the cruise line will provide shuttle buses.

For an introduction to the city, go to the Malaga hop-on hop-off bus cruise port stop by the Farola lighthouse, and you can enjoy a round-trip open-top tour of one hour and 20 minutes. Jump off and on to visit the Picasso Museum, the cathedral, Gibralfaro castle and much more along the route. 24-hour tickets are from about £21.

You don’t have to board a bus, though. There are many Malaga cruise port things to do on foot. Unmissable at the head of the port is the dazzling multicoloured cube housing the Pompidou Centre, an outpost of the Paris art museum that has a striking collection of contemporary art.

Turn right and you can walk to Malagueta sandy beach to catch some rays and have a swim. Or, turn left for the 15-minute walk into Malaga’s historic centre. There are two places to pay homage to the city’s most famous son, Pablo Picasso. The Picasso museum is packed with the prolific genius’s works. The lower key house where he was born in 1881 on Plaza Merced, a few minutes walk away, is open to the public and has photographs, ceramics and family memorabilia.

From here you can walk to the Roman theatre, then up to the Alcazaba fortress and palace, dating back to medieval times when the Moors ruled southern Spain. It is worth the hike for fabulous views of the city and port.

Hidden delight

A few minutes’ walk north of Picasso’s birthplace in Plaza de la Merced, you’ll find the Lagunillas neighbourhood, once run down, now regenerated and adorned with vibrant street art, murals appearing round corners and quirky shops and cafes.

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Alhambra tours from Malaga cruise port are popular with cruise passengers, to see Granada’s masterpiece of Moorish architecture, a complex of exquisitely decorated palaces, courtyards and gardens. And the simplest and most relaxing way to get there, 80 miles (130km) from Malaga port, is by booking an excursion offered by your ship, or to go with an independent shore excursions company such as Viator. It is essential to have entry tickets to the Alhambra booked in advance.

For independent travellers, Cordoba is doable in a day – if your ship has a late departure time, with trains taking about one hour from Malaga’s main station (fares about 22.20 euros each way). See the extraordinary Mezquita, a historic mosque with hundreds of arches and columns, built on a Roman temple that became a Renaissance cathedral as the city changed hands over the centuries. Booking is essential.

Or, much closer to Malaga cruise port: hire a bike for a fun three-mile (5km) coastal ride along Malagueta beach to Pedregalejo, an old fishing village with pretty houses and inviting seafood restaurants. Malaga Bike Tours and Rentals shop near Plaza de la Marina has bikes for hire from 14 euros a day.

– READ MORE: Top Virgin Voyages cruise excursions in Spain –

Jose Carlos Garcia Restaurante – Michelin-starred restaurant in the port is the place for a gastronomic feast. Splash out on the tasting menu using traditional Malagan ingredients with a twist.

Cambara – one of the many fun places to eat and drink in Muello Uno, the port’s smart shopping centre, is open for lunch, tapas, cocktails and dinner, serving fresh, colourful dishes on the terrace with a sea view.

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