10 Things to Do in Malaga in October

In October, liturgical celebrations are the order of the day, and that leaves you with plenty of options for fairs to enjoy. Find out what you can do this month in the city.

Andressa García

Andressa García

10 min read

10 Things to Do in Malaga in October

Malaga by Night | ©Conall

From amazingly fun Halloween parties, to cheese festivals and all kinds of fairs in different locations in Malaga, this city is one of the best places where you will want to spend the most fun October.

I will show you a complete guide of the most interesting, entertaining and cultural activities you can do in Malaga. All month long the city and its surroundings have enough activities to keep you entertained, and of course to be included among the best things to see and do in Malaga.

1. Nerja Fair: In honour of St. Michael the Archangel and the Virgin of Angustias

Nerja, Malaga| ©lhourahane
Nerja, Malaga| ©lhourahane

As you have seen, the people of Malaga usually celebrate their patron saints, so another of the traditional patron saint fairs is held in Nerja in mid-October. Basically, the procession of San Miguel Arcángel and the Virgen de las Angustias is offered, as well as masses in their name and the rest of the liturgical activities.

As for the celebration, it is one of the most entertaining fairs for tourists because you will be able to enjoy different musical shows that take place during all the days that the fair is active. It is also common to see parades, which are musical groups that play popular music in the streets.

If you like fireworks then this is a good place to enjoy them, because it is one of the daily activities during the fairs. In case you go with children, you can also do it inside the fairgrounds. You can even take advantage of the occasion to go kayaking along the cliffs of Nerja and Maro.

In addition, during the celebration, concerts are the order of the day, or night. And one of the best things to see in this place are the dance performances of the different local artists who offer their best shows to locals and visitors.

Book an excursion to Nerja and Frigiliana

2. Las Soperas Day in Álora

Perota Soup| ©Saldemikocina
Perota Soup| ©Saldemikocina

Sopa perotas is the typical dish of the town of Álora, a white village in Andalusia and one of the best villages in Malaga, which is in fact very close to the city. The day of the soperas is a festivity that is made in honour of these sopas perotas, to pay tribute to those flavours and those ingredients with which the different typical meals of the region are usually prepared.

In the case of sopas perotas, they are prepared with a combination of onion, tomato, basil, bread, pepper, garlic, mint, ground pepper and saffron. So if you like tasting local Malaga flavours, this is an excellent opportunity to do so. This festival takes place in the first days of October, usually around the 5th of this month.

In addition to the activities I have already described, you will be able to enjoy different food festivals and traditional drinks such as the famous local wine. The venue for this fair, which usually lasts only one day, is the town square of Álora, which is enveloped in the magic of the festivities.

One of the interesting facts about these festivities is that approximately 7,000 sopas perotas are distributed during the day, so you will surely have the chance to eat some of them during your visit to this town in Malaga.

Book your tour through the white villages of Andalusia

3. Yunquera Fair: Spanish traditions to venerate the Virgin of the Rosary and Saint Sebastian

Malaga| ©Tony Makepeace
Malaga| ©Tony Makepeace

Continuing with the traditions to venerate the Virgin of the Rosary, if there is one of the fairs that will catch your attention during the month of October in Malaga, it is the one in Yunquera. In this place there are different shows, both musical and traditional, and even parades are organised.

One of the most beautiful parades that take place in this place is the traditional flamenco parade, where men and women of this region arm themselves with flamenco attire to show all the beautiful and colourful flamenco costumes. So if you want to disconnect from reality and get to know what flamenco traditions are like, this is the place.

In addition to this, Yunquera organises fairs and workshops for children, so that they can learn about Spanish traditions. But if what you want is to enjoy, sing and dance, the fairs of Yunquera become a place to enjoy the best activities to do in Malaga at night.

4. San Pedro de Alcántara Fair

San Pedro de Alcántara Fair| ©maccosta
San Pedro de Alcántara Fair| ©maccosta

This is a great festival held in this urban centre of the town of Marbella in Malaga, offering different activities for the enjoyment of children and adults, locals and tourists alike. If you go to the city in October, I recommend you to look up how to get to Marbella from Malaga to enjoy the different attractions inside the fairground.

Outside of this you can also enjoy different dance shows of flamenco music. You can also see concerts by local artists and artists from all over Spain, which are performed every night during all the days of activity of the fair.

If that's not enough, you can also enjoy a leisurely stroll to see the lighting of the lights at the fair and the different culinary offerings, in the middle of one of the best gastronomic experiences in Malaga and its surroundings. This is one of the fairs that attracts the most tourists every year.

5. Torrox Fair: Virgen de las Nieves and San Roque Procession

In Torrox| ©José vargas.
In Torrox| ©José vargas.

This is a series of activities that take place in Torrox, Malaga; as part of the celebration of the patron saints of this town, the Virgen de las Nieves and San Roque. Although the day of these saints is the 5th of August, the fair does not take place until the end of September and the beginning of October. It usually takes place on the first weekend of October.

The locality prepares a real fair to commemorate its saints, in which they prepare from live music with performances by different artists who come from all over Spain, to grape harvests in which you can taste different typical dishes of Malaga's gastronomy.

These festivities generally last approximately three to five days, during which the town hall usually publishes the musical and artistic performances that will take place each day. In addition, the atmosphere is conducive to bring the children to enjoy sweets and candies, and to enjoy the different activities.

6. Algatocín Fair for San Francisco de Asís and the Virgen del Rosario

Algatocín Fair| ©Vanessa Melgar
Algatocín Fair| ©Vanessa Melgar

This is one of the most colourful patron saint fairs in Malaga, and is dedicated to the patron saints of this town, St. Francis of Assisi and the Virgin of the Rosary. The festivities usually take place during the first days of October. It opens on the first day with the procession of San Francisco de Asís and closes with the appointment of the new mayordomos by the outgoing mayordomos.

On the following days there is a tribute to the elderly and a collective lunch where you can enjoy the flavours of the typical local gastronomy. The fair is full of activities for children and young people. There are also different interesting events and activities for adults and families.

On the third day of the San Francisco fair, the Virgin of the Rosary goes out in procession, where once again you can hear the reveille and the streets fill with people to welcome the patron saint of the town. Once again you will have the opportunity to taste the best of the local gastronomy and enjoy the traditions of Algatocín in a patron saint's festival that lasts around five days, from the departure of San Francisco until the fair closes.

During all the days that the entertainment lasts in this town, there are multiple musical shows organised by the local Town Hall, so one of the best activities in Malaga and its surroundings, at least at night, that you can enjoy during the fairs is to attend these musical performances.

7. Fuengirola Fair: Horses as protagonists in honour of the Virgin of the Rosary

Fuengirola Fair| ©elpipe
Fuengirola Fair| ©elpipe

This is a colourful celebration that takes place in the town of Fuengirola and pays tribute to the Virgen del Rosario, but if there is one thing that stands out about these days of the fair is undoubtedly the large number of horses and carriages that you will see during the processions and throughout the fair.

It takes place during the second week of October, generally starting in the first days of October and ending on the 12th of the same month, a day that coincides with the commemoration of Christopher Columbus' arrival in America, which is celebrated in Spain as Columbus Day.

Although the fairs begin in October, there is always a kind of pre-fair that can begin during the last days of September. On the other hand, as for the equestrian shows, it is common to see not only horses and carriages all over the town, but also different tournaments and competitions are organised to highlight the skills of the jokers and the animals.

8. Feria de Ojén: time to glorify San Dionisio

Ojén Fair| ©Sam Lion
Ojén Fair| ©Sam Lion

This is also a patron saint festival in which the saint to whom tribute is paid is San Dionisio. It all takes place in the town square of Ojén, which becomes the epicentre of all kinds of chanting and fairground activities for everyone from children to adults.

At the venue you can see the women dressed up in traditional costumes to show locals and visitors some of the best flamenco shows in Malaga. You can also attend the coronation of the queens and ladies of the celebration, one of the best moments of the festivities.

If you want to listen to good music, you can also do so because in the square thereare different bands and local music shows. Local gastronomy also finds its place in these fairs, so this is a good place to enjoy Malaga dishes par excellence.

9. Chestnut Festival in Pujerra

Chestnuts| ©Jose Antonio Martin
Chestnuts| ©Jose Antonio Martin

This is one of the most traditional and unique popular festivals in Malaga, and in fact the locality is resuming the celebration of this festival. What you will love about this fair is the amount of activities that are done in honour of the chestnut and the amount of trees that produce this fruit in the surroundings of this town.

One of the most popular activities that you are sure to love if you attend these festivities is the traditional chestnut roasting. A large bonfire is organised among all the inhabitants of Pujerra where, amidst dances and songs, the chestnuts are roasted.

In addition to the natural surroundings, another of the attractions of this place during the fair season is, without a doubt, the festive atmosphere and above all the great gastronomic offer that you can find here. So if your thing is to enjoy good food, this is the ideal place to do it and get to know the different local gastronomic proposals that Pujerra has to show you.

10. Artisan cheese festival in Taba

Cheese| ©Fredrik Rubensson
Cheese| ©Fredrik Rubensson

Continuing with the festivities dedicated to the gastronomy of Malaga, this traditional artisan cheese festival in Taba is one of the celebrations that you cannot miss on your visit to Malaga, especially if you are a lover of cheese and all the dishes that can be prepared from this delicacy.

This festival, which takes place in Taba the first two days of October every year, is one of the most important in the cheese sector every year, because not only does it bring together the master cheesemakers of Andalusia, but this festival also has the participation of cheese producers from all over Spain. One of the things I like most about this gastronomic festival is that you can taste the cheese varieties of at least 40 cheese makers.

Another of the attractions of this festival is the competition held in the region for the best cheese of the year; and to reward the quality of this product, they give out the long-awaited Guadalteba award. There is also a cheese sweets competition, where the locals organise themselves to present their best sweet creations made from all kinds of cheeses.

So one of the best places to be in October if you want to find out a little more about Malaga's gastronomy is definitely the festival in Álora, where you can not only enjoy cheese as a product, but also the different popular by-products that can come out of a piece of cheese.

11. Halloween in Malaga

Halloween| ©seungju lee
Halloween| ©seungju lee

While it is true that Halloween is not a Spanish celebration, let alone a Malaga one, it is true that the celebration of this traditional festival has proliferated throughout Spain, and Malaga is no exception.

Every tourist spot in Malaga prepares a fun and terrifying Halloween agenda to scare and entertain all visitors, tourists and locals alike. Among the places that take Halloween most seriously and decorate the different spaces to offer a truly terrifying experience are the Botanical Gardens and the English Cemetery.

Also, if you visit the city in October and want to look for 10 things to do in Malaga with children, you can find multiple activities without causing childish traumas, to enjoy the fun and terrifying Halloween activities. If you want to go out of the city you also have multiple options to enjoy in other municipalities.

Rincón de la Victoria, Torremolinos, Álora, Nerja and Estepona are some of the places where they take Halloween very seriously, so they decorate everything they can, both in streets and in shopping and entertainment centres, to offer tourists and locals, all the entertainment of the holiday possible.