Living in central Málaga: the pedestrian old town
Living in the centre of Málaga: Calle Larios, the cathedral, the Picasso Museum and the port. Holiday lets, noise and three scored addresses.
Contents 10 sections
What the district is like
The historic centre of Málaga is a pedestrian old town around Calle Marqués de Larios. Here are the cathedral, the Picasso Museum, the Roman theatre at the foot of the Alcazaba and dozens of bars and restaurants; across the park the port begins.
Over fifteen years the whole centre has been restored and has become one of the most visited places in Andalusia. For the people who live in it, that is both better and worse.
On foot
Everything the city has is a few streets away: the Atarazanas market, shops, theatres, museums, the port and La Malagueta beach. Cars barely get in, and the streets are paved with marble.
What a residential neighbourhood needs is scarcer. Supermarkets are small, there are few schools and hardly any playgrounds. The green space is on the edges: the park by the port and the gardens of the Alcazaba.
What we measured
The addresses are on Calle Larios, on Calle Granada by the Picasso Museum, and on Calle Carretería at the northern edge of the old town.
| Address | Score | Groceries | Station or stop | School | Park | Noise and air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marqués de Larios Street, 4, Málaga | 94.4 | 3 min | 5 minAtarazanas | 3 min | 4 min | −2.0 |
| Calle Granada, 50 | 93.7 | 4 min | 10 minAtarazanas | 5 min | 5 min | −1.0 |
| Calle Carretería, 60 | 90.9 | 1 min | 10 minAtarazanas | 5 min | 10 min | −2.5 |
Map numbers match the table rows. Use the plus button to zoom in.
The centre scores high on what is close by. The tourists and the noise of the bars are not counted, and How the score works says so.
Who it suits
- Remote workers who want the city right under the window.
- People coming for a few months.
- Anyone who needs neither a school nor a car.
What it costs you
Most of the housing is let to tourists, so a long-term flat is hard to find. Nights are loud, especially at weekends and during fiestas. There is no parking. Residents keep saying there are no neighbours left.
The housing
Houses from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, three to five storeys high, many of them restored. High-ceilinged flats with a balcony over the street. Some buildings are new behind an old facade.
What to check
Ask how many holiday lets there are in the building, and come back on a Saturday night. Check for double glazing and air conditioning, and see what is on the ground floor.
Winter and summer
The Málaga winter is mild and sunny, and it is the best season in the centre. In August the heat bites, and during the Feria the city does not sleep for a week.
Without a car
Here there is no other way to live.
Neighbours
To the east, past the bullring, is La Malagueta with its beach. To the west, across the river and the station, lies Huelin, a working-class district by the sea.