January 2022 started my year off right, in beautiful Malaga. It was part of my 3 months of remote work in Spain. A very long workation. Before this, I was in Valencia. From there I took the high-speed train to Malaga. Unfortunately, there is no direct connection and you have to go via Madrid. The tickets are not cheap, so book them as early as possible, it saves considerably. With more than 300 km per hour I raced through the beautiful Spanish landscape, a wonderful way to travel. It was about 17 degrees in Malaga. When I arrived it was raining a little bit. “Oh no way, it can’t be true.” But no worries, those were also the only raindrops I saw in 3 weeks there. Otherwise it was mostly sunny. Sometimes a little cloudy in the morning, but it often cleared up.
Favorite place
The nice thing about Malaga is that it is not huge. Everything is within walking distance of each other. I am a big fan of the beach and get very happy when I can walk there in 15 minutes. I have done that walk to Playa de La Malagueta many times and it was wonderful. Along the promenade, through the park. In the center there are beautiful buildings and the many cafes and stores make it very atmospheric. Very nice here is that there are not only streets full of nice restaurants, but also several squares. There is always something cozy about having a drink there.
What was also great was the bike tour along the coast. There was no need to do a bike tour of the city, you can do that just fine on foot. So I went to do a bike tour along the coast. One of the most fun I’ve ever done! It’s a safe and beautiful tour where you really bike right next to the sea. You follow the coast from the city to Playa del Palo and also pass by Playa Pedregalejo, both incredibly cute fishing towns.
I’m not going to give away how you eat your fish there, but it’s great to have lunch there, trust me!
You can also continue cycling to iconic Playa Peñon del Cuervo or there to Platja Rincón de la Victoria if you feel like a sporty day.
Where I stayed
My first apartment was on Plaza de la Merced, very centrally located. You could easily walk into town, while wandering through the cozy little streets. This time I was together with a friend, who can also work remotely. We had a spacious and hip apartment together. I think there are a lot of trendy apartments in Malaga anyway, which are very tastefully decorated. When she left again, I went to a hostel. I definitely wanted something with a roof terrace, because with many tall buildings, finding a place in the sun is sometimes difficult. It was in the historic center, near the trendy neighborhood of Soho. That hostel was not a success, the lobby was not as big as it looked in the pictures and too restless, so I quickly moved to a private room in the adjacent hotel. That was The Lights City Rooms and it was great. The room was basic but fine. It overlooked Mercado Central de Atarazanas, the big market in Malaga. I had my own desk there so I didn’t have to go to a flex space, but Brunchit España was too nice not to go. Wonderfully quiet, cozy atmosphere and delicious lunch and coffee!
The bucket list
If you’re in Malaga you can’t avoid Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro. Both ligeen literally in the middle of the city. Alcazaba is a medieval hilltop fortress in the Moorish style and Castillo de Gibralfaro is a castle ruin. Both have spectacular views of the city and the sea. Great to walk through and enjoy the view. Not only the city itself, but also the surrounding Andalusia is worth a visit.
It’s best to rent a car and use it to go to places like Ronda and Caminito del Rey. I didn’t go to that last place, because I was afraid it would be too touristy, but regretted it a bit afterwards. Ronda is a real gem though. If you search on Google you already see great images. In real life it is at least as impressive!
We also went to Setenil de las Bodegas, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain they say. It is known for its rock houses. We had a nice stroll through the village and had coffee in a cafe half built into a rock. Very special to see!
Hasta pronto
On a scale of 1 to 10, Malaga gets a big 8.5 from me. Nice weather, good atmosphere, beautiful buildings and streets. It is quite modern and hip and you have nice restaurants everywhere. It’s just that I really like authentic Spain, not so hip but basic Spanish, otherwise it would score higher. Oh well, if you like to party, this is the place to be. Lots of bars and clubs, all right next to each other. I still have to recover. Curious about a workation in the winter? Reading tip: On work station in Barcelona in winter
