10 Best Towns in Malaga

Malaga is more than a vibrant and tireless city. Here are some of the most interesting towns to visit on your next trip to the Andalusian city.
10 Best Towns in Malaga

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From wine villages and select regions that offer you a beach view and pleasant walks in a great climate, to white villages and other picturesque, inviting you to stroll through their narrow streets. Visiting the towns of the city is one of the best things you can see and do in Malaga.

Among some of the names that stand out as the best towns around this city are Ronda, Mijas, Nerja, Estepona, Fuengirola and Frigiliana, just to name a few. To reach them you can move by car, tourist bus from Malaga or even by boat, but let me tell you more.

1. Nerja

Nerja, Malaga| ©lhourahane
Nerja, Malaga| ©lhourahane

This is one of the towns near Malaga with different entertainment places to visit. It is a good place to visit with the family and is an excellent option to include among the best things to see and do in Malaga with kids. Among the most incredible places to visit in this town is the famous Balcon de Europa.

The Balcon de Europa is a tourist place that you will love. In ancient times it was part of a watchtower of an ancient castle. Nowadays it is one of the best places to see the whole ocean at the same time that you enjoy the different establishments and cafeterias that are located in the surroundings.

But also, in Nerja you can enjoy the beach scenery on the different coasts of the town. You can even take a kayak tour to the cliffs of Nerja and Maro, as part of the activities that await you in this place.

This town is located about 55 kilometers from the city of Malaga and to get there you need at least 30 minutes by car and by the highway. You can go on your own by rental car or by public transportation. You can also participate in one of the best tours from Malaga to this area.

Book your experience to Nerja and Frigiliana

2. Casabermeja

Casabermeja, Malaga| ©Por los caminos de Málaga
Casabermeja, Malaga| ©Por los caminos de Málaga

This town is located about 24 kilometers from Malaga in the mountains of Malaga. It is one of those towns that you can not miss in the province, in fact, it is often considered as the gateway to Malaga, the one that opens the roads to tourists to the city. This is a town that you can easily visit during the weekend thanks to its peaceful atmosphere.

You can find different places of interest to walk around the town and get to know it better. Among the most interesting places to see is the Church of Nuestra Señora del Socorro, a religious temple built around the 16th century and that has had some modifications until today.

You can also visit the Municipal Cemetery which, believe it or not, is a cultural and historical place par excellence. Although it is a cemetery, the organization inside the cemetery, the crypts and the cobblestone paths attract the tourist's attention. It is a place that reminds us of the white villages very common in Europe.

3. Fuengirola

Fuengirola, Malaga| ©Peep Squeak
Fuengirola, Malaga| ©Peep Squeak

Located on the Costa del Sol itself in the province of Malaga, this is a town that you can not leave out among the best excursions from Malaga, because not only will you have the opportunity to enjoy an entertaining day at the beach, but you can also do a lot of fun activities.

It is a town that you can visit with the whole family, with the kids or with your friends, in case you go with friends. More than a town, Fuengirola offers an active daily city life, characteristics that are noticeable in some of the busiest places of the town, such as the Paseo Marítimo.

But beyond that, you can spend some time enjoying the beach atmosphere that is common at San Francisco Beach. Although this is not one of the beaches that usually offer more water activities, it is a good place to enjoy the sun. If you want more beach action, I recommend Los Boliches or Torreblanca, which usually have sun loungers and beach bars.

4. Ronda

The Tajo de Ronda| ©Pepe Serrano
The Tajo de Ronda| ©Pepe Serrano

A wine town par excellence, if there is something you are going to like about Ronda is its large number of vineyards where you can enjoy many of the best wine products of Malaga. But this city northwest of Malaga is not only known for the quality of its wines, but also because it is considered the birthplace of bullfighting, being this the place where this practice and Spanish tradition began.

With 100 meters deep, the New Bridge that joins the two sides of the Tajo Canyon, is one of the places that you must see if you visit Ronda during your trip to Malaga. On the other hand, other must-sees on this trip are: the Plaza de Toros, the Mirador de Ronda and the Mondragon Palace.

If you intend to make a trip to Malaga of at least 3 days, I recommend you to use one of your days to visit Ronda, and not only to make a wine tour, but also to know some of the most beautiful places of this town as the Almocabar Gate and the Arab walls, the house of the Moorish King and other interesting sites. It is also very close to Malaga, at least an hour and a half by car.

Book your visit to Ronda and Setenil

5. Frigiliana

Frigiliana, Malaga| ©Keith Roper
Frigiliana, Malaga| ©Keith Roper

Considered one of the most beautiful and best preserved white villages in Malaga, Frigiliana has a lot to offer to tourists and visitors to the village, from different types of accommodation to restaurants serving local food.

One of its main attractions is undoubtedly the view of the Mediterranean Sea, since it is a coastal village. In addition, the delicacies offered in each of the restaurants in the area do not only belong to the local food, but also to the international menu.

For this reason, Frigiliana is one of the villages that I like to recommend in the outskirts of the city, especially if you want to enjoy one of the 10 best gastronomic tours of Malaga and its surroundings.

If you ask me about the things you can do in this village, I can tell you that among the most interesting places to visit, know and photograph, is the Torreon, definitely one of the most picturesque places in the city. You can also see and enjoy the cobblestone and steep streets where the white houses and multiple plants of all colors that decorate the entrances of each one stand out.

6. Júzcar

Júzcar, Málaga.| ©Ramón Ojeda
Júzcar, Málaga.| ©Ramón Ojeda

This picturesque blue village on the outskirts of Malaga is one of the most entertaining to visit, especially if you go with children. It is known as the Smurf village. Since 2011 Júzcar began to acquire this fame because of the movie that was released that year about the little blue dwarfs. Since then it was considered the Smurf village par excellence.

You can see some figures of Papa Smurf, Smurfette and PItufo Student scattered around the village. You will love to walk through each of the streets, walk between its steep stairs and its blue walls that blend with the colorful plants and flowers that can be seen in each of the houses.

It is an excellent place to take pictures of the spaces and especially of the structures alluding to the Smurfs, which are scattered throughout the place. I think it is a good adventure to enjoy for half a day, because in the end, it is a place that is located very close to Malaga and also to other tourist towns.

7. Torrox

Torrox, Malaga| ©Ernesto Perez
Torrox, Malaga| ©Ernesto Perez

The village with the best climate in Europe is in Malaga and it is Torrox. It is located very close to the city of Malaga and it is an excellent place to know very closely the Andalusian culture, it also has different tourist attractions to visit in the company of friends and family.

This is one of the towns that I love to visit especially for the festive atmosphere, besides being considered a place where you can enjoy both the mountain climate and the climate of the coast, and this happens because the area is divided into two parts, the Torrox Pueblo which is the oldest part and functions as the central part of the area.

On the other hand, you can find Torrox Costa, a place where you can enjoy the beaches, seven in total that are counted on the coast of Torrox. There are nine kilometers of coastline that this town offers you, not only to enjoy the white sand or the beaches, but you can also enjoy many water sports.

8. Algarrobo

Algarrobo, Malaga| ©Atilio Leandro
Algarrobo, Malaga| ©Atilio Leandro

This is one of the towns near the city of Malaga and located in the province of the same name. The fact is that this picturesque village is open to all tourists during every season of the year. It is one of those places in Malaga where the presence of Al-Andalus in the country is still noticeable.

During this time of Islam in Hispania, the village took the name of Garrobo, while the prefix Al was adopted after the conquest of the Catholic Monarchs. If you go for a walk to this place, you can visit some places of tourist interest within this town, among them La Mayora, which is a place of study of tropical fruits.

On the other hand, you can visit its oil mill, a popular place that you can visit every Saturday. Walking through the streets of this town and especially tasting its local gastronomy, are also some of the best activities to do in Malaga and its surroundings. And if you go at fair time, you will be able to see the staging of the historical episode known as La Quema de Algarrobo (The Burning of Algarrobo).

9. Rincon de la Victoria

Rincón de la Victoria Beach| ©Cayetano
Rincón de la Victoria Beach| ©Cayetano

This is one of the coastal towns of Malaga with the largest number of visitors and that is because of its rich tourist offer. It has a large number of monuments and natural strongholds to know both with friends, as a family and especially with children. One of these powerfully interesting places located in Rincón de la Victoria is the Cueva del Tesoro (Treasure Cave).

This natural spectacle is a set of caves that are part of one of the three natural sea caves in the world, the other two being located in Asia and Central America. It also stands out of this municipality, the fort of Casa-Fuerte de Bezmiliana, which is the most representative place of the municipality.

The Benagalbón Tower and the watchtowers of El Cantal are other places par excellence to visit in the municipality of Rincón de la Victoria. If there is something I like to recommend about this place is its rich history and culture, that is why it is a good place to visit with children. The ecclesiastical monuments can not be left out in your visit to the town.

10. Manilva

Beach of Chullera. Manilva| ©Sherezade Rodriguez Mitter
Beach of Chullera. Manilva| ©Sherezade Rodriguez Mitter

Manilva is a coastal town that is located very close to Gibraltar, about 35 kilometers, approximately. But it is also a town that is located very close to the city of Malaga, making it one of the best towns to visit near the city. One of the things you will love the most as a tourist, is to know its warm waters.

The sun in this town is one of the privileges because it is generally radiant and helps to keep the temperature pleasant during almost any season of the year. It also has a marina that currently has a wide economic activity.

Puerto La Duquesa is called the port of which I speak and also stands out for having multiple local and commercial establishments around in which you can enjoy both the view that leaves the place, as well as the different traditional foods and drinks of the town of Manilva and throughout Malaga.

Besides the port, you can meet other interesting places in the village as the Torres de Chullera, which at the time fulfilled marine surveillance work. You can also visit the church of Santa Ana, which dates from the eighteenth century or even the Sabinillas Fort which is located in a strategic location from which you can see the entire ocean.

11. Torremolinos

Torremolinos| ©Terry Whalebone
Torremolinos| ©Terry Whalebone

Torremolinos is one of the most beautiful towns on the outskirts of Malaga. It is more than a village, it is more like a small town. It is right in front of the Mediterranean Sea, and has different attractions for the enjoyment of the whole family, especially for the entertainment of children.

Among the most fun parks for children to walk, run and play that you can find in Torremolinos are: the Bateria park, the Aqualand, which is a water park for the whole family. And finally the Crocodile Park, a place where you can see large crocodiles all over the place.

Besides the fun parks for the kids, you also have to visit some of the most popular places in town, among them, the Torre de Pimentel, better known as the Torre de Los Molinos, precisely the place that gave its name to the town. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century and was used to guard the city.

12. Marbella

Marbella| ©Konrad Hädener
Marbella| ©Konrad Hädener

More than a village, Marbella has been one of the most lively cities in Andalusia for years. Formerly it was just a village away from Malaga, which is the capital of the Costa del Sol. But since the 50's its tourist interest began to increase when many celebrities wanted to spend their summers in this city.

With more than 300 days of sunshine and mild temperatures, Marbella is a city that offers tourists a lot of entertainment offers, such as dolphin watching. But if what you want is to enjoy a quiet weekend, I recommend you to walk through its streets and alleys that cross and spread throughout the city.

On the other hand, Marbella also offers a wide range of bars and nightclubs where you can spend incredible nights dancing and enjoying drinks and tapas with friends. I recommend you to read how to get from Malaga to Marbella, so you will discover that there is nothing better than visiting some of the most beautiful beaches in the city, such as La Venus, which is considered one of the most popular.

Book your sailing trip to Marbella for dolphin watching

13. Estepona

Estepona| ©José Eloy Begines
Estepona| ©José Eloy Begines

Estepona is one of the most beautiful towns near Malaga and in fact it has interesting places to see and know within this town. One of the places you should not miss when you want to visit Estepona is the Botanical Park Orquideario, where you can see multiple vertical gardens.

You also have to visit the historic center of Estepona, an incredibly picturesque and colorful place, as well as the route of the murals, where art is present and shows some of the best urban works that decorate the city, in buildings and houses from downtown to the coast.

Estepona also gives you the opportunity to dive in the waters of the Mediterranean, and to tour the surroundings of the town through multiple routes and hiking trails that take you to know all the places around the central part of the town.

Reviews from other travelers

4.4
· 2392 Reviews
  • N
    N.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Incredible views!
  • Z
    Z.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    I went with some friends, we had a beautiful day!
  • X
    X.
    4
    (0 Reviews)
    Excellent service, I was surprised by the villages, especially Frigiliana. They are not very big and quite a few tourists go there. The streets almost all tend to be narrow, if there are many people you can not see much. I enjoyed getting to know it.
  • L
    L.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    100% recommended
  • S
    S.
    5
    (0 Reviews)
    Everything was great! We had a great time!