Hotels
Where to stay in Málaga: the best areas and hotels
Málaga is small enough to walk almost everywhere, but the area you pick decides whether you wake to church bells in the old town or waves on La Malagueta. Here is how to choose, and the hotels we would book in each part of the city.
In short
On a first visit, stay in the old town between the cathedral and Calle Larios. The Picasso Museum and the tapas bars are a short stroll away, and La Malagueta beach about 15 minutes on foot. Pick La Malagueta for sea air from your room, or Torremolinos for long beach days and more pools.
Our first choice: Palacio Solecio, an 18th-century palace a few minutes from the Picasso Museum, built around an arcaded courtyard. You sleep in one of the houses the old town is proudest of.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Palacio Solecio
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The cathedral with one tower
Málaga’s cathedral has only one finished tower. Work stopped in the 18th century before the second was built, and locals have called her La Manquita, the one-armed lady, ever since. She makes a handy compass. From her doors it is five minutes to the Picasso Museum and a quarter of an hour to the sand, roughly the walk from Trafalgar Square to Westminster Bridge.
You will rarely need a bus or taxi in the centre. The real question is what you want to hear in the morning: delivery vans in the lanes, or the sea. The old town stays lively late at weekends. Light sleepers should ask for a room facing the courtyard.
Palacio Solecio
The courtyard is the meeting point of the palace, a few minutes from the Picasso Museum.
Our top picks
Best for a first visit: Catalonia Molina Lario, beside the cathedral, with a rooftop pool.
Best for couples: Palacio Solecio, a courtyard palace with its own restaurant.
Best for design: Only YOU Hotel Málaga, playful interiors and three bars.
Best for the city beach: Gran Hotel Miramar on La Malagueta.
Best for families: Meliá Costa del Sol, right on the beach in Torremolinos.
The areas at a glance
Centro Histórico: the cathedral and the Picasso Museum, with tapas bars round every corner.
Calle Larios and the Alameda: the shopping street and the main boulevard, between the old town and the port.
Soho: street art and contemporary art by the river.
La Malagueta: the city’s own beach, an easy stroll from the cathedral.
Pedregalejo and El Palo: the old fishing quarters east of the centre.
Torremolinos: long beaches and big hotels, a short train ride west.
Centro Histórico: the old town
Málaga’s old town runs from the cathedral to Plaza de la Merced, where Picasso was born in 1881, with the Moorish Alcazaba fortress on the hill above. The lanes are narrow and the paving is polished smooth by centuries of feet. In the evening they fill with people drifting from one tapas bar to the next, and almost everything you came to see is within a ten-minute walk.
Palacio Solecio
Palacio Solecio occupies an 18th-century noble palace a few minutes from the Picasso Museum. Behind the doors is a courtyard ringed with columns and arches, the heart of the hotel. Guests rate the breakfast highly, and there is a restaurant on site. Ideal for couples who want the old town on the doorstep and a calm place to come back to.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Palacio Solecio
Catalonia Molina Lario
Molina Lario sits beside the cathedral, and from the rooftop pool you see her tower on one side and the harbour on the other. It is larger and more practical than the palace hotels in the lanes, and Muelle Uno, the harbourside promenade, is a couple of minutes away. A safe choice for a first trip.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Catalonia Molina Lario
AC Hotel Málaga Palacio
AC Hotel Málaga Palacio stands between the cathedral and the port, five minutes on foot from both, with the Paseo del Parque and Muelle Uno close by. There is an outdoor pool and a terrace, and guests single out the staff and the location. A good pick if you want the harbourside promenade as your morning walk.
Book your stay: See available rooms at AC Hotel Málaga Palacio
Catalonia Molina Lario
From the roof of Molina Lario you see both the cathedral tower and the harbour.
Calle Larios, the Alameda and Soho
Calle Larios is Málaga’s best-known shopping street, closed to traffic and strung with lights in December. It ends at the Alameda Principal, the broad, tree-lined boulevard, and across it lies Soho. Artists have painted whole façades here, and the CAC Málaga contemporary art centre fills a former wholesale market by the river.
Only YOU Hotel Málaga
Only YOU is a few minutes from Calle Larios. The interiors are modern and playful, and there are two restaurants and three bars. The lobby is as busy as the street outside. It suits travellers who like to start the evening at the bar before heading into Soho.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Only YOU Hotel Málaga
Room Mate Collection Valeria
Room Mate Valeria is on Plaza de la Marina, where Calle Larios meets the port and Soho begins. It is a boutique-style hotel with an outdoor pool and a pool bar, five minutes’ walk from the cathedral. Ideal if you want to stay between the shopping street, the harbour and the street art.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Room Mate Valeria
Only YOU Hotel Málaga
The rooms are as playful as the lobby, a few minutes from Calle Larios.
La Malagueta: the city beach
La Malagueta is the beach you walk to from the centre, along the port and past the bullring. Its sand is dark and coarse, and the promenade is lined with chiringuitos, beach restaurants where fish is grilled almost on the sand. You sleep more quietly than in the old town and can still walk to most things.
Gran Hotel Miramar
Gran Hotel Miramar is a 1920s palace by the beach, with a vast glass-roofed courtyard and Andalusian tiles. There are three restaurants and a spa, and the sea is just across the road. It suits those who want both the city and the coast, with a touch of grandeur. Read more in our story on Gran Hotel Miramar.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Gran Hotel Miramar
Gran Hotel Miramar
The glass roof lets in the light from La Malagueta, a stone’s throw from the beach.
Pedregalejo and El Palo: sardines on the beach
East of La Malagueta lie Pedregalejo and El Palo, two former fishing quarters with lower houses and a narrower promenade. Here the restaurants cook espetos, sardines threaded on skewers, over embers in old boats filled with sand. Hotels are scarce and most visitors rent apartments, so stay in the centre or on La Malagueta and take the bus out for dinner.
Torremolinos: the beach beyond the city
If you want long beach days and more pools to choose from, Torremolinos is a good alternative. The local train from central Málaga takes around 20 minutes, and the same line stops at the airport. Further west lie the rest of the Costa del Sol and Estepona.
Meliá Costa del Sol
Meliá Costa del Sol stands right on Bajondillo beach, with three outdoor pools and two restaurants. The rooftop terrace with its pool and Mediterranean views is for guests aged 16 and over. Torremolinos station is under ten minutes’ walk, so you can reach Málaga’s old town by train without a car. A good pick for families who want sand first and the city as a day trip.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Meliá Costa del Sol
Good to know before you book
From the airport: The C1 local train stops at the terminal and runs both into the centre and west to Torremolinos.
Easter: During Semana Santa the processions pass through the old town, and hotels there fill early.
August: The Feria de Málaga turns the centre into a week-long party, with music in the streets late into the night.
Driving: You will not need a car in the old town, and parking in the narrow streets is difficult.
Frequently asked questions about where to stay in Málaga
What is the best area to stay in Málaga for a first visit?
The old town, Centro Histórico, around the cathedral and Calle Larios. The Picasso Museum and the harbour are a few minutes away on foot, and La Malagueta beach about a quarter of an hour. Palacio Solecio and Molina Lario are both here.
Is it better to stay in the centre or by the beach in Málaga?
The centre, if you are there for food, museums and nightlife. La Malagueta puts the sea across the road and is still within walking distance of the old town. If you would rather swim first and see the city on a day trip, Torremolinos suits you better.
Where should families stay in Málaga?
By the beach. La Malagueta keeps both sand and city close, while Torremolinos has longer beaches and hotels with several pools, such as Meliá Costa del Sol. The train takes about 20 minutes into Málaga when you want to see the sights.
How long does it take from Málaga airport to the city centre?
About 15 minutes. The C1 local train runs from the airport to Málaga Centro-Alameda by the river, a short walk from Calle Larios, and a taxi takes roughly as long outside rush hour. The same train continues to Torremolinos.
Is Málaga old town noisy at night?
It can be, especially at weekends and during the August Feria. Bars in the lanes stay open late, so ask for a room facing the courtyard or on a high floor if you sleep lightly. La Malagueta is quieter in the evening.