Costa del Sol Tourism Guide - Malaga Tourism

Malaga Tourism & Malaga Tourist Office

Heading into Malaga city centre in your car hire from the Costa Del Sol resorts is relatively easy and quick now via the motorway link. Follow signs for Malaga Centro Ciudad, then once in the centre take your pick from a choice of car parks around the Plaza De La Marina, east around Plaza De Toros or to the west around Avenida De Andalucia and the big El Corte Ingles department store.

Malaga's main Tourist Information Centre sits opposite the port at Plaza de la Marina, 11 29001, Malaga, Spain. Tel. 952 12 20 23 (see official Malaga Tourism website right which is now available in English). You'll no doubt have a guide book map, but it's still well worth calling in here first for one of their better Malaga street maps, plus the latest leaflets on the Picasso Museum, current contemporary art gallery exhibitions and other events. They also have useful lists on Spanish language schools in Malaga (see also the Malaga Tourist guide website right for listings). More Malaga Tourist Information is available at Oficina en Av. Cervantes, 1 29016, Malaga alongside smaller tourist info kiosks at various locations including Avda. de Andalucia, Plaza de la Aduana and at Estacio de Autobuses.

Malaga's restoration is ongoing, but well on the way to completion. Malaga's maze of central narrow streets around the cathedral and Picasso Museum are a joy to wander around, whilst the Paseo Del Parque running parallel to the port and waterfront is pleasant indeed, lined with trees, often second hand book stalls and a selection of water features and statuettes. Work is also afoot on the Malaga port/marina area. For listings on Malaga Restaurants, shops and banks checkout the Malaga Tourist guide website right. Malaga Sightseeing Bus Tours (see weblink right) operate regularly around the city, taking in the main sites. They're a superb way to get to grips with the city early on.

Useful Malaga Contacts include - British Consulate Office in Malaga, Consulado General Britanico, c/ Mauricio Moro Pareto, 2, Edificio Eurocom, 29006 Malaga. Tel. (00 34) 952352300. Opening hours to the public are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 1.30pm. Local Police Emergencies tel. 092, Local Police Switchboard Tel. 952 12 65 00, Hospital Carlos Haya tel. 951 03 01 00. See the Malaga Official Tourist guide website right for further useful contacts including reporting credit/debit card loss, transport network contacts and local taxi services.

Malaga Weather

With a far southern Spain location, and the protection barrier of the adjacent peaks of the Montes de Malaga and Parque Natural De Los Montes (declared a national park in 1989), Malaga's climate is mild all year round and hottest in July and August. Average temperatures range between 22.8 degrees centigrade to a minimum of 13C, but in the peak summer months temperatures frequently push up into the 30s. Rainfall is practically unheard of in Malaga during the peak summer months from June to September, most falls during Autumn and Winter.

The River Guadalhorce (47km in length) pushes up north through the city, whilst on the coast river sediment has created the protected 60 hectares of mudflats.

Mild temperatures make Malaga a perfect location all year round, with late spring (May) and late summer (end September into October) particularly good times to visit for touring historic sites and art galleries in temperatures around the late teens and early 20sC. Whilst seeing some rain in Autumn and Winter (between November and March), rainfall is low - around 469.2mm a year. Sunshine hours annually are superb - around 2901 hours of sunlight a year, with peak sunshine month July. Even in the peak Summer months however, Malaga's coastal location and sea breezes take the edge off high temperatures.

Malaga Airport, Cheap Flights Malaga & Car Rental from Malaga Airport

Situated just 8km to the south west of Malaga city centre, Malaga Airport serves not just the city of Malaga but the numerous resorts of the Costa Del Sol. A busy Spanish Airport for sure, Malaga Airport is actually one of Spain's oldest airports dating from 1919 when it saw its first airline traffic. Most airline traffic coming through Malaga Airport today is from elsewhere in the European Union, with a choice of British Airports offering direct cheap flights to Malaga. The highest number of flights come from London Gatwick, with Manchester, Dublin, and London-Luton hot on its tail. Figures from Aena, Malaga Airport's owner, put passenger numbers coming through Malaga in 2006 at 13,076,252, with 127,776 flight operations. Scheduled flights to elsewhere in Spain also operate from Malaga Airport to Barcelona, Madrid and Palma de Mallorca (Balearics). For cheap flights to Malaga Airport contact Iknow Holidays or book online via the weblink right. A small tourist information office is situated in Malaga Airport, Terminal 2 arrivals hall.

Bus services run regularly from Malaga Airport into Malaga City Centre and to Marbella (see Malaga Airport weblink & Portillo buses right). You can hook into train services too via the Malaga Fuengirola train line, with a stop at the airport opposite Terminal 2 (see Renfe train weblink right). Alternatively, hop in a taxi which is cheap and easy into Malaga centre or on to one of the nearby Costa Del Sol resorts. Taxi rangs are at Terminal 1 arrivals and Terminal 2 departures.

Car rental from Malaga Airport couldn't be easier these days, with a choice of car hire firms operating here. (book online with Holiday Autos via the Car Rental Malaga Airport weblink right). Pre-Booking car hire from Malaga Airport is recommended, particularly if you're holidaying here in busy peak summer season. Expect some queuing in peak summer season to pick up your car hire from Malaga Airport. Have a good idea what route you are taking to your hotel prior to arrival. Some refurbishment (as at 2007) is currently underway at Malaga Airport, making getting out of car parks and the airport itself both congested and a little tricky. Just take your time, follow clearly market signs to main roads AP7 and N340, and check your car carefully for damage or marks before heading off. If you find minor damage, return to the car hire desk and report it, make sure it's recorded. Check you also have the reflective jacket and two hazard red triangles usually in the boot, both of which are needed by law in Spain in the event of breakdown. (see Driving Abroad advice on the Foreign Office Advice weblink right). It's well worth doing a little research on driving in Spain prior to your visit, as car hire companies are poor at passing on relevant information.

The Foreign Office (see weblink right) are warning of some incidents of 'highway pirates' operating around the exit road from Malaga Airport and nearby highways. They tend to target car rentals and essentially how they operate is by trying to indicate you have a problem with your tyres. When you stop, they'll offer assistance whilst snatching your baggage. See the Foreign Office Travel Advice weblink right for details. Driving in Spain is on the right and wearing seatbelts is obligatory, with minimum age for car hire by the big car hire firms 21 years, with driving licence. On exit from Malaga Airport if you're pushing on to Costa Del Sol resorts west or east, expect tolls on the AP7 west.