With more than 300 days of sunshine every year, you can leave your umbrella behind when you come to Malaga, but make sure you bring your appetite as Spain’s southern port city is brimming with bustling bars and excellent eateries, offering unique twists on Andalusian cuisine. Feast your eyes on the countless art galleries and museums dotted throughout the city, before delving into its bars and restaurants – a salve for sore eyes (and feet).
Brought to you with Aperol
Located on the pristine La Mata beach, Alma Playa restaurant and beach club is the ideal spot to start your Malagan visit with some sand between your toes and an Aperol Spritz in your hand. Take a leisurely dip in the stunning infinity pool, dry off on one of the languorous beachside loungers and then head to the broad terrace from which you can savour some truly spectacular sunsets.
Another place you can practically hear the waves lapping at the shore is at Frida Palho, a restaurant and bar on Paseo Marítimo de Pedregalejo. With more than a passing nod to Frida Kahlo – you can’t miss the giant mural of the Mexican artist painted on the outside of this converted fisherman’s cottage – this is where art and cuisine collide. Choose from a menu which includes creative takes on Mexican classics, such as topopos and tacos, and then get started on the bar’s thoughtfully curated cocktail and drinks list.
Despite its name, even non-surfers are in for a treat at La Playa Surf House. Located on the kilometre-long Los Alamos beach, this relaxed bar and restaurant’s prime location offers uninterrupted views of the glorious Alboran Sea. Grab a lounger and stretch out to watch the kite surfers performing jumps and tricks over the glinting waves. And there is truly no better place to watch as the Malagan sky turns to shades of apricot, salmon and tangerine. Aperol Spritz in hand, you can just lay back and drink in the orange vibes.
As golden hour begins to set in and the sun blinks below the skyline, set a course for Terraza de Alcazaba where even the most casual of Instagram stories is likely to make your friends back home jealous. Set atop the luxurious Hotel Alcazaba Premium, looking directly out to Gibralfaro Castle and one of the best preserved alcazabas (or Moorish fortifications) in Spain, this trendy terrace is the place to chill out with friends and possibly even connect with some new ones. Ideal for an aperitivo, as well as a perfectly made Aperol Spritz. Come to watch the sun go down and stay as the lights of the city start twinkling below.