If you’re searching for things to do in Malaga with kids, you may also be wondering… Is Malaga kid friendly?
Malaga is one of the best cities in Spain to visit with kids. Its smaller size, walkable streets, plethora of parks and playgrounds make it an easy city to navigate with kids. Plus, there are a number of kid-friendly activities like flamenco shows, beach visits, and family-friendly museums to check out. And don’t forget the gelato!
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What makes Malaga a great city for kids?
Overall, I really appreciate that Malaga is a smaller city with all the amenities and feel of a bigger city. We never once had to hop in a taxi or take public transportation, but we still had access to activities like museums, parks, cultural experiences, and delicious vegan cafes and restaurants.
Our family stayed in Soho (just south of the historic district), and the furthest we had to walk to a destination was about 25 minutes.
One reason I love Malaga for kids is that streets are incredibly walkable. Within the city center, at least half of the streets are pedestrian streets and blocked off to cars. And within crosswalks (outside of intersections with lights), pedestrians always have the right of way… and cars actually stop! Locals on foot don’t even pause to make sure the cars are going to stop. With kids in tow, I never fully trusted the system. Especially knowing there may be tourists driving around. But still, the drivers were pretty reliable and cognizant of all pedestrians.
Also because of the pedestrian streets, there was always plenty of space for the crowds and it never felt overwhelming. My daughter often preferred to skip down the streets ahead of me. Usually, she could do so without getting out of sight or being in danger crashing into someone’s rear end. The only exception to her skipping freedom was in the historic district where all the tourists, cathedrals, and museums are.
So, what is there to actually do with kids in Malaga?
- Playgrounds
- El Museo de Imaginación
- Alcazaba
- Museo Casa Natal de Picasso
- Go to the Beach
- Flamenco Show
- Eat Gelato
- Mercado Central de Atarazanas
- Sample Empanadas and Paella
- Interactive Music Museum
- Museo Unicaja de Artes y Costumbres Populares
Quick Note: If you're still looking for a place to stay in Malaga, my new favorite tool is Booking.com. Yes - I think it has finally surpassed Airbnb on my travel planning top ten list! 😲Why? Booking.com offers a mix of hotels and rental properties. Many of them have free cancellation policies. Cleaning fees are included in the price you see! And you'll see reviews from across multiple platforms and sites.Pro tips for using Booking.com:
Playgrounds
When in doubt, find a playground. And despite what it may seem when you first type “playground” into Google Maps, there are numerous options when it comes to playgrounds in Malaga. You’ll usually find local playgrounds amidst green spaces on Google maps, but sometimes you’ll find playgrounds in unexpected places around the city.
What I love about playgrounds in Malaga.is that they’re gathering spaces for the whole family to come together and socialize. In the city center, you’ll find a mix of locals, expats, and tourists all coming together over the commonality of kids that want to be free to play!
Especially in the evenings, playgrounds in the city are hopping. The kids are playing, the parents are chatting, and everyone’s enjoying the final bits of daylight. The other thing that I appreciate about playgrounds in Malaga is that there are just as many fathers bringing their children along as mothers. It’s refreshing to see fathers socializing, gathering, and watching after their children at the playgrounds as well.
Some of the playgrounds in Malaga that we frequented the most include Zona De Recreo De Niños y Columpios and this one that are right across from each other in the park near the pier. But we also loved one called Playground at the Harbor that is closer to the pier and the action of the city. If you have older kids, you may appreciate Parque Infantil Plaza Enrique Garcia-Herrera, where you could sip on a coffee or a wine while watching over the playground.
El Museo de la Imaginación
If you’re looking for something to do in Malaga that’s fun for all ages and takes only an hour or so of your day, you may enjoy El Museo de la Imaginación. My toddler enjoyed the museum just as much as my six year old, and honestly, just as much as I did! It’s basically a museum of optical illusions.
One room has numerous tools and games to create illusions, like glasses that flip the room upside down and an area that imprints your shadow on a wall for a few seconds. It also has historical optical illusions like a zoetrope. Don’t worry, I didn’t know the name of it, either. Here’s a Wikipedia link so you know what I’m talking about.
The other room in the museum is set up for taking photos that create optical illusions. Signs tell you where to stand and how to make the backdrops look realistic for your photos. Imagine images that look like you’re hanging from a skyscraper, or about to get squashed by a giant shoe. So bring along your camera and your acting skills, and have a bit of fun!
Alcazaba
To be honest, my daughter (who was 6 at the time) didn’t have too much interest in the historical significance of this ancient Moorish fortress. And the concept that Alcazaba is 1000 years old was a bit too vast for her to grasp. I mean, old is old, right?
But she did have a lot of fun exploring the different rooms and courtyards, appreciating the views, trying to get to the highest point of the fortress, and imagining what each space and room would have been used for by the ancient inhabitants. And my toddler had so much fun just wandering around, climbing steps, and trying to pick rocks out of the flooring, ha!
Alcazaba is surprisingly a very kid-friendly activity in Malaga. Most of the artifacts are behind glass. The only thing you really need to look out for are some steep wall drop offs (careful with climbing toddlers around these) and some fountains that may require some distraction tactics for water loving toddlers.
Not all of Alcazaba is stroller friendly (shocking with an old fortress, I know), so we found a corner to park our stroller in while we allowed the toddler to run free.
Did I mention it’s a really affordable destination? At the time, my entrance fee was 3.50eu and my daughter’s was 1.50eu. Under six years old is free. We had an afternoon of fun for 5eu total… cheaper than a couple coffees.
Additional Tips for a Successful Visit to Alcazaba With Kids
- You can buy a combined ticket to visit both the Alcazaba and the Castillo. You do not need to visit both places in one day! You have 48 hours to tackle the two destinations.
- I would personally skip the Castillo if you have little legs in the family. It is a steep walk up to the top. Most adults were struggling even on a pretty mild weather day. In the end, both the Castillo and Alcazaba are just old places to explore for young kids. You can take a bus or taxi to the top… but this list is all about walkable activities for kids in Malaga.
- To avoid a hike up to Alcazaba, take the elevator! You’ll find the entrance via the “ascensor” here!
Museo Casa Natal de Picasso
There are two Picasso museums in Malaga. Malaga was his birthplace and Picasso lived there until he was nine years old. The Picasso Museo Malaga is the larger of the two and probably has more of his famous works inside. To be honest, we didn’t go. It would have been cool, sure. But I’m not a huge art fanatic and it seemed like a place where my focus would have to be more on kid wrangling than on the art.
We opted instead to visit the Museo Casa Natal de Picasso. In other words, a museum at the house in which Picasso was born. To be honest, it doesn’t resemble much of a house anymore. And it’s quite small. But its small size was perfect for my kids’ ages and short attention spans.
In addition to some Picasso artwork, you also see artifacts like Picasso’s first pair of shoes and his christening gown. My daughter loved imagining what each of the rooms would have been used for, and it was just enough for a bit of art history exposure for her. It was a perfect cultural activity in Malaga for kids.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that after 4pm every day, it’s free to enter? We arrived at 3:40, and the woman at the counter was kind enough to ask if we knew… which we didn’t. She easily could’ve taken advantage of a couple ignorant tourists and taken our money. But she didn’t, and we killed some time taking photos with the Picasso statue in the square directly in front of the museum.
Picasso statue
Go to the Beach
You’re in southern Spain, you kind of have to go to the beach, right? Especially on a hot day, it's the perfect thing to do in Malaga with kids!
The closest beach to the city center is La Malagueta. We had a few different experiences at La Malagueta. We visited the beach once on a Friday afternoon. The beach was packed with mostly young 20s sun bathing, drinking, and playing ball sports. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but my kids were certainly the only ones making sand castles.
Also that day, the waves were huge and the undercurrent pretty strong. It was just me there with a six year old and my toddler. I probably would have felt comfortable going in with the six year old, but not while holding the toddler. It wasn’t the most kid friendly activity we did during our visit to Malaga.
Our second visit to La Malagueta was on a Tuesday in the late morning. The beach scene was much quieter then, with more space to spread out and not worry about sand castles being trampled by passerbys. The waves were also basically nonexistent that day. So all ages could go for a dip safely.
So is La Malagueta a kid-friendly beach?
Yes, if you go on a day that has calm water conditions, if you go earlier in the day before the crowds arrive, and if you go during the week if you go on the weekend.
If you go when waves and crowds are big, you'll still have fun, but La Malagueta won't be as kid-friendly and you won't be able to have as relaxing of an experience.
Further away from downtown, in the summer months, older kids may enjoy WaterFun Malagueta. Imagine those bounce house toys you see at festivals and other events with inflatable slides, obstacle courses, and climbing walls. Now put that in the sea. Older kids (and adults) have a blast climbing, jumping, and completely tiring themselves out.
Flamenco Show
While you’re jetlagged and everyone is staying up late anyway, why not check out a Flamenco show? It’s a perfect family friendly cultural activity in Malaga. Even though the internet told me that some Flamenco shows in Malaga have lunchtime shows, they all seemed to be discontinued during our visit. But an 8pm show wasn’t really a big deal since we were all staying up late anyway.
We chose a show at La Alegria mostly because of the timing of the show, the fact that it was traditional style flamenco dancing, its walkability from our accommodation, and its hour long duration. It was probably the most expensive tourist thing we did in Malaga (25eu per adult), but the kids were free and it was a lot of fun for everyone.
We opted out of the dinner option, but you can still order drinks and an appetizer at your table before the show. We were definitely the only ones there with kids, but once the music started, they were entranced. The whole family had fun, and it even inspired a Flamenco-style dance party back at our apartment that evening.
Gelato
Our entire family loved a good gelato stop. One of our favorite gelato shops with dairy free options was Yummy Heladeria in the historic center. Did I mention it’s also completely gluten free?
A gelato stop saved us on our first day in town when we were all jetlagged, couldn't sleep, and didn’t want to be stuck in our apartment for the entire night. Luckily, gelato places in town are open past midnight! It was the perfect outing to keep us from getting too stir crazy.
And on a hot day, it was the perfect break from little legs that were tired of walking. You won’t find seating at the gelato shops, but sometimes you’ll find a bench nearby. Or even just a nice shady spot to stop moving for a bit.
Mercado Central de Atarazanas
Aisles upon aisles of fresh local produce, dried goods, and wines. And unlike some other main city markets, not a tourist shop to be found! I also appreciate that if you’re after meats and cheeses, these are in a completely different building of the market. No need to smell raw fish while shopping for the perfect mango.
I only came across one vendor that didn’t accept credit cards. The prices are very reasonable and the produce is so vibrant and fresh. You know it’s a great place to shop when you see locals stocking up on daily groceries alongside the tourists.
My kids had fun just watching all the action. It is a busy place, so keep them close and maybe leave the stroller at home. And they also had fun picking out some fun treats and interacting with the vendors.
Sample Local Cuisine
Empanadas
If sitting down at a restaurant or cafe just isn’t a fun time with your kids (cough cough - my 17 month old - cough cough), then maybe a quick takeaway empanada to enjoy at a playground is the perfect solution for you! We really enjoyed the vegan empanadas from Las Muns. The fan favorite was the “cheeseburger”, and of course the ooey gooey chocolate dessert vegan empanada.
Paella
I mean, what kid doesn’t like rice? The only issue with paella is that if you get it fresh from a restaurant, it does take a while to make. Maybe around half an hour. My solution for this was to take my 6 year old on a “mommy daughter” date and get an appetizer to bide our waiting time.
According to the internet, vegetable paella should generally be vegan, but just in case, the paella at No Name Restaurante specifically labels their paella as vegan, as well as a number of other dishes on their menu!
Interactive Music Museum
The Interactive Music Museum has a mix of artifacts and interactive exhibits all about sound, music, and instruments. Most of the artifacts and “untouchables” are behind glass. The interactive exhibits are all in red rooms. Red floors and red ceilings. They make it pretty clear which areas are safe for wandering hands.
Your kids will still need to be relatively gentle with the interactive instruments. For example, in the strings room, there are real violins (with a kid-sized instrument included!) and cellos to play. Strings and necks can be broken if you’re being really reckless. But my kids had a blast exploring the different instruments and learning about sound vibrations with the different exhibits.
My only word of warning would be to know that they try to shepherd you out of there a bit before closing. We arrived an hour before closing, so I knew we didn’t have a ton of time. I had accidentally left my phone in the stroller at the entrance, so I didn’t know the time.
At one point, they came around and told us they were closing in 10 minutes. So I had my daughter pick one last activity and then we wound our way to the exit. Then we spent a few minutes picking out a magnet at the little shop. By the time we made our way to the exit, bought the magnet, got all settled in the stroller, and stepped outside… it was still 12 minutes before actual closing time. To be honest, I felt a little gypped. But we still had fun.
Museo Unicaja de Artes y Costumbres Populares
Although not an interactive museum, the Museo de Costumbres is a historic museum that shows visitors what life was like in the 19th century in Malaga. It includes artifacts like kitchen equipment, furniture, farm tools, and of course - clothes!
It certainly sparks the imagination as you walk through the exhibits. The museum is free on Tuesday afternoons. But kids are always free (under 12) and adults are only 4eu if you don’t happen to be visiting on a Tuesday.
Principia Science Center - Temporarily Closed
The Principia Science Center is another museum that’s supposed to be fun, and I’m sure has plenty of interactive exhibits for the kids. It’s temporarily closed, with no indicators of when it will be open. But it could be another activity to keep your eyes on.
Overall, we absolutely loved Malaga with our kids. The walkability, the beautiful architecture, and all of the kid friendly activities right at your fingertips!
Have you been to Malaga with kids? What activities were your family's favorites?
If you’re looking for more things to do in southern Spain with kids, you may be interested in some of these articles: