Welcome to the Malaga cruise port guide. Malaga is the 6th largest city of Spain with 570.000 inhabitants. This sunny town is by right called the centre of the Costa del Sol and it is one of the most interesting towns in southern Spain. Malaga is like an onion. It you would peel of the layers of the city a new part of history would reveal itself. Malaga was founded about 3000 years ago. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans and the Moorish would all conquer the city at one point or another. Many clues about this are still visible in the city today. Even if you are not interested history Malaga is still the perfect spot to spend the day. It has that perfect combination of beach, sun, shopping, cultural and history. Whatever your interests are you will never find Malaga disappointing. Check out the Malaga cruise port guide underneath for practical information and tips.

This is the large cruise terminal in Malaga. This is where the bigger ships dock when calling into Malaga.

Inside the cruise terminal you will find several shops and free wi-fi.

This is another picture of the inside of the Cruise Terminal building. Find your favourite souvenir in one of the shops here.

Malaga taxi prices for cruise passengers

In front of the cruise terminal you will find this sign with the taxi prices on display.

Where ever you dock in Malaga there is always a car or bike rental close be. You will find this booth at the Malaga cruise terminal / Eastern wharf. Check out the map above for more car and bike rental spots.

About Spain

Inhabitants – 46 million
Official language – Spanish
Capital city – Madrid

Kingdom of Spain
Government – Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Spanish language

Good day – buen dia
How are you? – ¿como estas?
Thank you – gracias
Cruise ship – crucero
Port – puerto

Travel information Spain

Official currency – Euro
Accepts Us dollars – generally not
Creditcards – are often accepted

Drives on the – right
Timezone – UTC +1

Cruise Port Guide Malaga – Spain: docked

Cruise ships will have several docking options in Malaga. Depending on the day and the size of the ship you could either be 300 yards or 3 km away from the city centre. Next paragraph will explain how to figure out where your ship is going to dock:

Where your ship will dock

You can check ahead of time where your ship is scheduled to come in. Go to the following link: http://puertomalaga.com/web/guest/atraques and put in your day of arrival. Check in the map above where the berth is that your ship is scheduled to be at. Keep in mind they only schedule a couple of weeks in advance.

Eastern Wharf; also known as Muelle Levante Atraque Sur and Muelle Levante Atraque Norte.

This is where the larger cruise ships have to dock. The dock has a terminal building with all kind of facilities like tourist information, wi-fi, souvenir shops, taxi stand, car and bicycle rental. From here it is about 2,5 km walk to get to the city centre. Some cruise lines will provide their own shuttle service to the city centre and some cruise lines will use a port shuttle service in this case. Check with the front office on board what option they will provide. Most of the times both shuttle busses will drop you off at Plaza de la Marina. This square is right in town. See map above for its exact location.

Wharf 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9

These wharfs are suitable to accommodate smaller cruise ships. From here you are only a 5 minute walk from the city centre. Plaza de la Marina is the closest square to the dock. Here you will find Tourist information, horse carriage rides, Hop on hop off bus, bicycles for rent and public transportation. Cruise liners generally do not provide a shuttle service into town if you are docked at this berth.

Taxi prices in Malaga

Taxis will be waiting for you at or close to the dock. Their taxi prices are on display. Here is an example of several taxi prices:

From Malaga dock to Marbella – Puerto Banus (4 hours total) = 140 euro
From Malaga dock to Ronda (4 hours total) = 200 euro
From Malaga dock to Mijas (3 hours total) = 110 euro
From Malaga dock to Cordoba (6 hours total) = 265 euro
From Malaga dock to Granada / Alhambra (6 hours total) = 224 euro

These prices are per taxi, up to 4 people and round trip.

Public Transportation

Just outside the city centre of Malaga you will find the train station. It is called Malaga Maria Zambrano. This is where you can pick up the train to go to the airport, Cordoba or Sevilla. As trains can be infrequent please plan your journey at home through the official train operations: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html

There are many busses that connect you to different areas of the city. These busses are operated by EMT. Plan your route on: http://www.emtmalaga.es/emt-classic/home.html?lang=en

There are also many regional busses that can take a little further afield to places out of town like Ronda, Mijas and Marbella. The main bus station is located on Paseo de los Tilos (see location in map above) next to the main train station. Plan your bus journey online through: http://www.avanzabus.com/web/destinations/stations/malaga-bus-station.html

Car en Bycicles rental

At the Eastern Wharf you will find a car rental office where you can also rent bicycles for a day. If you are docked at Wharf 1 to 9 you will find this at Plaza de la Marina. See the map above for some locations for bicycle and car rentals.

Hop on hop off bus

There is a hop on hop off bus service in Malaga, but they generally do not come to the dock. Find them in town.

Also visit our cruise port guides for:

Barcelona – Cadiz – Gibraltar – Almeria

At the foothill of the Alcazaba lies the roman theater. It was discovered in 1951 after being covered for centuries. The theater is from the 1st century BC. During the Roman era Malaga was part of the Roman province. This theater was built during the reign of Augustus. It was essentially used until the 3rd century. Visit the Roman theater and all of the historical landmarks surrounding it. It is a gem to explore.

Place of interest

Roman theater

Calle Alcazabilla 4, Malaga

If you dock at the Eastern wharfs and you decide to walk to the city centre you will walk over the Muelle Uno. This area is full of shops, restaurants and other facilities. It is great to catch a refreshment in between while on your way or back from the city centre.

Shop

Muelle Uno

Paseo del Muelle Uno, s/n, 29016 Málaga, Spain

The famous “one armed” cathedral in Malaga is a must see in Malaga. The first stone was laid in 1528. The cathedral would be build on the sight of the formed mosque. Eventually the city would run out of money, leaving the cathedral with only 1 tower. This is why it has gotten its nickname: “One armed”. Throughout the centuries the 2nd tower had never been built because of budget challenges. Today Malaga would have the budget to do it, but unfortunately adding on the 2nd tower would mean the cathedral would collapse and therefore it will always remain the “One armed”.

Place of interest

Malaga cathedral

Calle Molina Lario, 9, 29015 Málaga, Spain

Pablo Picasso is one of the greatest and most influential artists or the 20th century. The Picasso Museum in Malaga has 233 works of art in 11 galleries. Find many prominent pieces of art like Jacqueline seated, Women with Raised Arms and Acrobat here. Keep in mind there can be long queues at the museum. Find its exact location in the map above.

Museum

Picasso Museum

Palacio de Buenavista, Calle San Agustín, 8, 29015 Málaga, Spain

This is one of the most popular beaches in Malaga and it is within walking distance of the ship. It is a town beach, populair among the locals and about 1,5 km long. Find all kinds of nice bars and restaurants here.

Place of interest

Playa de la Malagueta

Playa de la Malagueta, Malaga

There is no spot in Malaga where history becomes so tangible as here. The Alcazaba castle still proudly dominates the skyline of Malaga. It was a castle build by the Moorish in the 8th century. It would eventually fall to King Ferdinand in 1487 when they would reclaim Spain, unite it into 1 country where the Roman Catholic faith would once thrive again. Climb the stairs to get to the top of the castle or take the elevator. Finding the location of the elevator is quite hard, but the location is marked for you in the map above.

Attraction

The Alcazaba castle

Calle Alcazabilla, 2, 29012 Málaga, Spain

The Alhambra is a location that should be on everyones bucket list. It is one of the most stunning structures in the world. Roam the premises, courtyards and gardens to get a feel for this Moorish castle. You will find the Alhambra in Granada which is about 135 km from port (just over 1,5 hours drive). If you want to go independently make sure to pre book your tickets online well in advance through the official Alhambra website.

Attraction

Alhambra

Calle Real de la Alhambra, s/n, 18009 Granada, Spain

Plaza de la Merced is located in the historical quarter of Malaga. It a beautiful squares displaying the beautiful architecture of Malaga. On the square you will also find the house (number 15) where Pablo Picasso was born. Pablo Picasso House Malaga is the city where Pablo Picasso was born in 1881. He was born on Plaza de la Merced on number 15. The Picasso family lived here on the 2nd floor. The original furnishings are nog longer here, but you will find a permanent exhibition of ceramics and sculptures by Picasso.

Museum

Plaza de la Merced & House of Picasso

Plaza de la Merced, Malaga

About 37 km from Malaga you will find Mijas. Southern Spain is famous for its white villages and Mijas would a great example of where you can find the typical Andalusian white houses. The villages is a web of small streets, complete with terraces, red rooftops and tiny squares. Take a donkey taxi or horse carriage to tour around the city or simply walk through the city to visit its bullring, viewpoints and church.

Place of interest

Mijas

Mijas, Spain

This cafe would be perfect for a refreshment in between all the sightseeing. Find this cafe opposite the Roman Theater in the city centre. Sit down and enjoy some nice Malaga wine or tapas. Don’t forget to have a look inside. You will find barrels signed by well known visitors or regulars like Antonio Banderas.

Restaurant

Cafe El Pimpi

Calle Granada, 62, 29015 Málaga, Spain

On the Calle Guile Sotelo you will find the entrance to the elevator going up to the Alcazaba. Keep in mind the entrance is a bit hidden away and therefore it is quite handy to keep the street name at hand. Catch the elevator for just a couple of euro.

Funicular

Alcazaba elevator

Calle Guile Sotelo, Malaga

Just outside of the city centre you will find an old tobacco factory. Inside you will find one of the most important vintage car collection in the world worth over 25 million euro. 80 cars from all kind of decennia are showcased here in this private collection. You will also find clothing and hats from the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s here.

Museum

Automobile museum

Av de Sor Teresa Prat, 15, 29003 Málaga, Spain

Málaga – Spain

About Spain

Spanish language

Travel information Spain

Cruise Port Guide Malaga – Spain: docked

Also visit our cruise port guides for:

Find your port of call:

Roman theater

Muelle Uno

Malaga cathedral

Picasso Museum

Playa de la Malagueta

The Alcazaba castle

Alhambra

Plaza de la Merced & House of Picasso

Mijas

Cafe El Pimpi

Alcazaba elevator

Automobile museum

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