Malaga it is the fifth largest city in Spain, and one of the most important tourist destinations in the world thanks to its ability to combine relaxation and culture, beach life and museums. The city has a special charm that every visitor is able to capture during walks in the city: culture, traditions, gastronomy, enviable climate and the hospitality of its citizens serve to consolidate the image of "Paradise City", the name used by the famous Spanish poet Vicente Aleixandre.
Capital of the Costa del Sol, Malaga has quickly become a modern city over the past twenty years, but has managed to retain its character. It has maintained its main feature, the welcome, despite the enormous influence of foreign tourism.
In the meantime, the Costa del Sol has become known all over the world for its sea. Enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year and extends along 161 kilometers of the coast, almost all contained within the province of Malaga. Near the city there are approx 15 beaches, and in this article we will indicate the most famous and the ones that are worth seeing.
The large beach of the Malagueta it is the real must for anyone visiting Malaga: it is located just 10 minutes walk from the beautiful promenade at the eastern end of the port. The beach is 1,2km long and about 45m wide and overlooked by bars, restaurants, children's playgrounds, shops: every convenience is close at hand. The beach is very popular with local Spanish families and gets crowded with tourists during the summer months.
There are large bars and restaurants to choose from, including the exclusive restaurant The Moraga, while for a more reasonable and traditional solution, you can opt for the Tropicana Beach Bar.
The Orange Point
La Malagueta beach is the first beach in the world to offer a new life-saving device: the 'Orange Point, 'literally translated as' Orange Point.' The three devices have been in operation since the beginning of April 2014.
The 'orange dot' is a concrete structure that houses an electric motor and 400 meters of rope: one end is connected to a harness and the other to the base, so lifeguards can quickly rescue a person who is in danger of drowning. The machines are also equipped with a GPS system.
One of the most famous beaches in Malaga is Beach of the Cove. It is located between the Malagueta and Baños del Carmen, along the Paseo Pablo Picasso. A large beach, about 1 km long and 25 meters wide, a popular place and very frequented by the citizens of Malaga.
On the beach you can practice beach volleyball, cycling, running and gym. Playa de la Caleta is cleaned daily and is renowned for being the cleanest beach in the area. It offers many services, including access for the disabled.
Baths of Carmen, in full Balneario Nuestra Señora del Carmen, hosted the first spa in Malaga. It opened to the public on July 16, 1918, a day that marks its place in Spanish history as the first public spa to allow mixed bathing - an almost revolutionary concept in those days.
The beach is small today, but it is very popular with university students and young people from Malaga. The Chiringuito Natural & Mente it offers some fantastic Moroccan dishes, such as vegetable couscous, as well as organizing many summer parties and concerts.
It is not a very suitable beach for families as the water quickly becomes deep, and the sandy bay is quite small: 550 meters long by 15 meters wide.
Pedregalejo it is one of the cleanest, most welcoming and traditional neighborhoods of Malaga. A visit is certainly recommended, also because it is home to numerous bars and restaurants. But the Pedregalejo promenade is also worth a visit, thanks to its beautiful beach 1,2km long and 20 meters wide. The area is also very popular for its nightlife: on Monday evenings there are usually many parties organized in most of the bars and clubs.
The Beach of San Andres is rooted in the history of Malaga as the place of execution of General Torrijos and other revolutionary comrades in 1831. The tragic event was commemorated with the obelisk in the Plaza de la Merced. History aside, it is a very popular beach with locals, with games for children, green areas and all amenities.
The beach is 650 meters long and 50 meters wide, and there are several bars and restaurants there, among which it is worth mentioning the Gutiérrez Playa, probably the best in these parts.
It is always very busy, especially in summer and on weekends. It is the ideal place for those who want to enjoy some sea without traveling too much from the city, as the beach stretches from the port of Malaga to the mouth of the Guadalhorce river.
Once there, it will be possible to indulge in any water sport: from fishing to sailing, from kitesurfing to windsurfing. As well as by car, it is also possible to reach San Andrés beach by bus directly from the center of Malaga.
Beaches around Malaga
As previously mentioned, Malaga is the nerve center of the Costa del Sol, an area with a very high tourist density: there are villages and locations that are really suitable for a holiday based on sea and relaxation, with really beautiful beaches. We have chosen three, which are worth visiting as a day trip from the city.
Nerja is a charming fishing village, and despite its ever-increasing popularity among tourists, the coastal stretch called Burriana Beach it has kept its traditional atmosphere.
Nerja is located at the eastern end of the city of Malaga, and Playa Burriana has absolutely everything you could want for a day at the beach: sun and clean sea of course, but also chiringuitos which serve excellent seafood, beautiful views and the possibility of practicing water sports.
Estepona is one of the most charming towns along the Costa del Sol, although it is often overshadowed as a tourist destination by nearby Marbella. In Estepona, however, there is one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, La Rada, with fine gray sand and a quiet promenade easily accessible from the city's main promenade, Avenida España.
It is a really well-equipped beach, and there are many services available to tourists, including the rental of sunbeds and umbrellas, the possibility of renting pedal boats and practicing water sports.
Puerto Banus it is located less than 70 kilometers from Malaga, heading east along the coast. This area, located in the municipality of Marbella, has built a reputation as the most charming and exclusive destination on the southern coast of Spain.
Puerto Banus beach is one of the best known on the Costa del Sol and offers a much more refined setting than the crowded and noisy beaches in the rest of the area. It winds just behind the pretty marina, and is a clean and spacious beach lined with elegant beauty salons and exclusive bars and restaurants.
