If you have bought your coronary heart set on Spain, and also you’re within the midst of planning your Transatlantic getaway this very minute, you would possibly need to maintain your horses earlier than you guide that flight to Barcelona.
Yes, it is completely beautiful, and certain, it is everybody’s going, and perhaps the place everybody expects you to go for an inaugural go to to Spain, however do you know there’s an equally lovely coastal metropolis with a much more laid-back vibe and decrease costs?
One you possibly can fly to nonstop from the States, at that.
Stay till the tip of the article for flight particulars.
Is Malaga The New Barcelona?
Located on the southwestern coast of Spain, Malaga is a tried-and-true European summer season haven. Brits, Germans, and Frenchies have been flocking right here yearly for his or her sunny holidays, but surprisingly, it is probably not tremendous well-known amongst Americans.
The capital of Costa del Sol, a coastal stretch alongside the Mediterranean recognized for its honey-colored sands, year-round warmer temps, and azure waters, it’s certainly one of Spain’s trendiest spots to go to for these ditching the Barcelona crowds.
Whether you are right here for the seashores or the fascinating tradition, you are completely in for a deal with:
Littered with landmarks, the Historic Center is understood for its many palm-ringed plazas, charming cafés with terraces that spill onto the road, and Old World aptitude.
The major attraction right here is, with out query, the Alcazaba. Built by Arabs within the Middle Ages, it is that imposing hilltop fortress full with gardens, rampart walks, and panoramic terraces overlooking the city sprawl and seashores beneath.
On the slopes of the fort, you will discover the stays of a Roman Theater. It’s no Colosseum, however the seats are tremendous well-preserved, and it appears like a time capsule in the midst of the buzzing fashionable metropolis.
In the center of downtown, Malaga Cathedral is distinguished for having just one completed tower—they even affectionately name it La Manquita, or ‘one-armed girl’—and a lavish inside, with gold-accented altars and ornate chapels.
Europe is changing its travel rules in a serious means this yr. Check Entry Requirements for Spain earlier than flying.
Picasso’s Birthplace
For that laid-back espresso break, hit up Plaza de la Merced, flanked by a variety of streetside cafés, and… look ahead to it… Picasso’s birthplace!
Yep, Pablo Picasso hailed initially from Malaga, and you may go to the historic 18th-century home he was born in without spending a dime on Sundays.
Craving just a little tapas bar enjoyable? Any of the facet streets round Calle Granada are packed-full of cozy, no-frills foods and drinks spots, and the entire scene will get quite energetic at nighttime, with that buzzing mingle of locals and vacationers.
El Pimpi is the enduring go-to spot proper on Calle Granada itself, with the wine barrels, busy environment, and fixed hum of chatter and clinking glasses, although in the event you’re in search of one thing just a little extra intimate, Casa Lola is a little more laid-back however nonetheless at all times buzzing.
Great for Andalusian tapas, and you may’t actually go incorrect: from their patatas bravas to the Andalusian soup, every little thing on the menu slaps.
Barcelona has La Barceloneta, Malaga has La Malagueta, and to be fairly frank, we want the latter’s.
The seashore right here is broad, sandy, and laid-back, and it doesn’t really feel almost as hectic or crowded as Barcelona’s major seashore. There’s none of that low-key runway vitality, the place everybody’s flexing abs or outdoing one another with probably the most over-the-top posing.
Wondering how protected Spain is to go to proper now? Here’s what vacationers have been reporting:
How Much Cheaper Is Malaga?
Cheap tapas bar meal (1 individual)
- Barcelona: $12–$18
- Malaga: $10–$16
Malaga is barely cheaper, particularly in native bars outdoors vacationer zones.
3-course mid-range restaurant (1 individual)
- Barcelona: $25–$35
- Malaga: $20–$33
Similar total, with Malaga being normally a bit cheaper or equal.
3-star resort (per evening)
- Barcelona: $130–$220
- Malaga: $90–$150
Malaga is less expensive for comparable resort high quality.
Luxury Hotel (4–5 Star)
- Barcelona: $250–$600+
- Malaga: $200–$450+
Barcelona is considerably dearer on the excessive finish.
Average Museum Entry
- Barcelona: $12–$30
- Malaga: $3–$15
Malaga is cheaper for tradition and museums.
Public Transport (Single Ticket)
- Barcelona: $2.40–$3.00
- Malaga: $1.50–$1.80
Malaga is markedly cheaper.
Taxi Rate (Per Mile)
- Barcelona: $2.00–$2.50 per mile
- Malaga: $1.80–2.20 per mile
Malaga is barely cheaper.
Explore Andalusia Beyond Malaga
Don’t simply keep in Malaga!
You can mix a go to to Spain’s hottest coastal metropolis proper now with a number of different unbelievable locations close by, both on Costa del Sol, or the broader Andalusia:
- Marbella: the ‘St Tropez’ of Spain, dwelling to a glitzy marina, fashionable waterfront condos, and a lovely municipal seashore (1h)
- Nerja: recognized for its coastal caves, clear-water seashores (clearer than Malaga’s), and Balcón de Europa, a lookout over the coast (1h)
- Ronda: a dramatic inland city with a bridge spanning a gorge. Full of Ancient Roman ruins, and the proud host of Andalusia’s most conventional bullring (1h30)
- Caminito del Rey: Anadalusia’s iconic cliffside walkway via a gorge. It was beforehand one of many world’s most harmful hikes, now it is completely tourist-friendly (1h30)
- Cordoba: a Moorish-era city dominated by a towering mosque-turned-cathedral. Visiting it looks like crossing an invisible portal into North Africa (2h15)
- Granada: Arab palaces, cute cobblestone alleys flanked by whitewashed homes, unbelievable tapas scene, and… drum roll… the Alhambra! A literal fortified metropolis inside a metropolis, and probably the most monumental Islamic fortress ever constructed (1h45)
In case you are confused why there’s so many Arab-built stuff round right here, it is best to know Andalusia, the a part of Spain that encompasses Malaga, was as soon as underneath Arab rule for over eight centuries, from the 700s all the way in which as much as the early fifteenth century.
We know, loopy. Bet your History textbooks glossed over that again in secondary faculty.
Oh, after all, how might we overlook it?
Seville, the stunning Andalusian capital, is a brief 2h30 prepare journey away from Málaga, however given the sheer measurement of town, and the plethora of issues to do and see, from the enduring Plaza de España, to the hovering cathedral, you would possibly need to keep for two–3 days as an alternative of trying a brief day journey.
Everything You Need To Know About The Nonstop Flight
The solely airline providing nonstop flights from the United States to Malaga (AGP):
Route Basics
- Airline: United Airlines
- Flight quantity: UA350
- Flight time: 7h45
This is considerably quicker than any connecting flight by way of Madrid (normally 10–14h whole).
Schedule
- Usually 1 flight per day in peak season
- Departure: 5:50 PM from Newark (EWR)
- Arrival: 7:30 AM subsequent day in Malaga (AGP)
Aircraft & Cabin
- Aircraft: Boeing 757-200
- Cabins: Economy, Business (Polaris-style lie-flat seats)
Prices (roundtrip)
- Typical: $1,200–$1,400
- Cheapest seen just lately: $1,000–$1,100
- Business class: $3,00–$5,000+
You’re paying round $300–$600 extra for nonstop comfort.
