Malaga… 300 sunny days per year, hot summers, warm winters, beautiful beaches, scenic landscapes, delicious food… and so many amazing places to visit nearby. Thanks to its great location Malaga isn’t only a great holiday destination, but it also makes a perfect place to stay for a longer period of time and slowly discover towns, villages, and other places in the area. In this post, we’ll show you the best places to visit near Malaga that are perfect for one-day trips, and we did ourselves.
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12 Places To Visit Near Malaga
To keep things organized we divided this post into two parts: towns and natural places that are located near Malaga.
Best Places Near Malaga To Visit – Towns
Frigiliana
Frigiliana is located about 60km from Malaga. This charming little Pueblo Blanco is located at 320 m a.s.l, squeezed between the Mediterranean Sea and Parque Natural de Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama. Frigiliana is one of the best-preserved villages in the whole province of Málaga and has a typical Mediterranean vibe. Spanish Tourism Board named it the most beautiful village in Andalusia.
Learn more: Frigiliana, The Most Beautiful Village In Andalusia
Mijas Pueblo
Mijas Pueblo is located about 35km from Malaga. Without a doubt it’s one of the most beautiful white villages, Pueblos Blancos, Costa del Sol can offer. Mijas Pueblo is a typical charming Andalusian village located at the altitude of 430 m a.s.l., at the foot of Sierra de Mijas. The village is packed with a maze of narrow cobbled streets, many charming corners, and whitewashed houses decorated with colorful flower pots. From the Mijas Pueblo you can also admire stunning views over the Costa del Sol.
Learn more: 10 Best Things To Do In Mijas Pueblo, Spain
Benalmadena Pueblo
Benalmadena Pueblo is located only about 30km from Malaga. Town retained the authenticity of a typical Andalusian village to this day. It’s full of narrow cobbled streets, and whitewashed houses generously decorated with colorful flowers. However, Benalmádena Pueblo is most famous for Castillo de Colomares. It’s a building which even though looks like a fairy-tale castle, in reality, is a monument dedicated to C. Columbus and his discovery of America. The most fascinating fact is that it was built by only… 3 people!
Learn more: 7 Best Things To See In Benalmádena Pueblo, Spain
Learn more: Castillo De Colomares In Benalmádena, Spain
Ronda
Ronda is located about 100km from Malaga. This town is one of the oldest towns in Spain – it was first inhabited by the Celts in the 6th century BC, and later by the Romans and Moors, and declared a city in the 1st century AD by Julius Caesar. Ronda is located on higher terrain, at 739 m a.s.l., and offers spectacular views of the nearby areas. Currently, it’s one of the most visited towns in Andalusia.
Learn more: What To See In Ronda In One Day? Complete Guide
Estepona
Estepona is located about 90km from Malaga. This charming town is a hidden gem in Andalusia, yet not as popular and crowded as other places on the Costa del Sol. In the 60s, so not that long ago, it was a little fishing village and since then it developed into one of the biggest cities on Costa del Sol. Nonetheless, the old town kept its charm, and strolling along it feels like stepping back several dozens of years back.
Learn more: One Day In Estepona. What To See? Complete Itinerary
Antequera
Antequera is located about 50km from Malaga. The town is situated at an altitude of 575m and is surrounded by a beautiful mountainous landscape. Thanks to its central location among the four big cities (Málaga, Seville, Granada, Córdoba) Antequera is known as El Corazón de Andalucía (The Heart of Andalusia). The town is also known as the City of the Churches, as its home to 33 of them – more per inhabitant than anywhere else in Spain. What makes Antequera even more interesting is that three UNESCO World Heritage sites can be found there. But despite all of this, the town yet isn’t a well-known tourist destination and can be named a hidden gem in Andalusia.
Learn more: Top 10 Things To Do In Antequera, An Undiscovered Gem In Spain
Marbella
Marbella is located about 60km from Malaga. It’s one of the most popular holiday destinations on Costa del Sol. Marbella is most famous for its vivid nightlife scene with many nightclubs and bars, beautiful sandy beaches, an enchanting old town with a typical Andalusian vibe, delicious food, as well as golf courses, and luxury shopping.
Learn more: 10 Best Things To Do And See In Marbella, Spain
Nerja
Nerja is located about 60km from Malaga. Once it was a small fishing village, now it’s a popular holiday resort, which kept its traditional Andalusian charm with an old town full of old whitewashed houses and cobbled streets. Nerja is surrounded by mountains and sandy beaches that invite you to spend a day on them. The town is famous for Cuevas de Nerja (eng. Nerja Caves), where you can admire the world’s largest stalactite.
Learn more: One Day In Nerja, Spain. What To See? Complete Itinerary
Ojen
Ojen is located 70km from Malaga. It’s another beautiful Andalusian Pueblo Blanco, which retained all the traditional charm. Ojen is a town of Moorish origin with a population of only about 3000 people. It’s located between the sea and the Parque Nacional Sierra de las Nieves, less than 10km from Marbella. Its name is derived from an Arabic word, hoxán, meaning “rough place”, which is quite interesting as Ojen is a very tranquil place.
Torrox
Torrox is located about 50km from Malaga. It’s a small town located on Costa del Sol, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and at the foot of the Parque Natural de Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama. Torrox has the best climate in Europe, with an average annual temperature of 18°C. The town is divided into two parts: Torrox Costa and Torrox Pueblo. Torrox Costa is full of beautiful beaches, and Torrox Pueblo is full of narrow streets and whitewashed houses decorated with flowers.
Learn more: 7 Best Things To Do In Torrox, Spain
Natural Places To Visit Near Malaga
Caminito del Rey
Caminito del Rey is located about 60km from Malaga. It’s a 7.7km long, one-way picturesque trail that runs through cliffs, canyons, and a large valley. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most spectacular natural sites in Andalusia. Caminito del Rey offers quite a unique experience of strolling along walkways hanging over 100 meters up on a sheer cliff face. Once it was one of the most dangerous trails in the world due to its poorly maintained footbridges. But don’t worry it’s perfectly safe now.
Learn more: Caminito Del Rey – Everything You Need To Know
El Torcal de Antequera
El Torcal de Antequera is located about 50km from Malaga. Hidden inland in the province of Malaga, El Torcal de Antequera offers one of the most spectacular karst landscapes in Spain, and in the whole of Europe. This is a place where you’ll feel that you moved to another planet, and plenty of surrealistic rock formations will leave you speechless. Noteworthy is also the fact that El Torcal de Antequera is a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.
Learn more: El Torcal De Antequera, Spain – Everything You Need To Know
Would you like to see all those places like we did? Learn more how we do it 🐌
Summary Of 12 Places To Visit Near Malaga
Hopefully, you enjoyed the post and discovered new towns and natural places to visit near Malaga. Certainly, we haven’t seen everything that’s in the area so if you know about something equally beautiful and worth exploring – share it in the comments below. Have a great next trip and enjoy the towns and other places near Malaga!
