10 Things to do in Malaga with Kids

From cycling tours, to finding and discovering the interior of the most beautiful palaces and monuments of Malaga Al Andalus, this city offers an endless number of plans that children will love.

Here are some ideas for you to choose from and you will realise that going with children is definitely one of the best things you can see and do in Malaga, especially if you want to provide them with fun and family moments.

The Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro are interesting monuments to visit in the city of Malaga, and especially if you are visiting with children, they are incredible places that they will love. Something you can take advantage of on your visit to these Al Andalus monuments is the staged tour for children.

You can enter and tour the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle on your own, or you can take a guided tour that will take you through each of the monuments, learning about the history and culture that is kept inside.

To visit this magical place with the children, I recommend you to do so on days when the lift to the Alcazaba is working, otherwise you will have to walk up to the Gibralfaro Castle.

Interesting details

• Price: Tickets can cost between 3 and 8 euros per person, depending on the type of ticket you want to buy. I recommend you to check beforehand the details of the prices to enter the place.
• How to get there: To get there you can use public transport or your own or rented car. Then you can take the lift or a bus route that takes you very close to the Alcazaba. You can also walk up to the top of Mount Gibralfaro.
• Opening hours: From 9:00 to 18:00 or 20:00, depending on the time of the year. For more information, I recommend you to read more about the opening hours of the Alcazaba.

About 15 kilometres from the city of Malaga is a picturesque village called El Rincon de la Victoria. Within this place you can find one of the three sea caves known all over the world. The other two caves are located in Asia and Central America.

This one in El Rincón de la Victoria is definitely a must for anyone visiting Malaga. One of the things I like to mention most about this place is its interesting contrast between history, culture and popular legends, since it is said that a hidden treasure is kept inside.

It is undoubtedly one of the best activities in Malaga to do with children, not only because they will have the opportunity to see an interesting archaeological site but also because they will live an incredible adventure walking through the narrowness of the cave and seeing the shapes that water has made over the millennia.

Inside the cave there are different paths, lakes and corridors that will take you from the largest to the smallest spaces in the cavern. Definitely an experience for the whole family.

Details of interest

• Price: Up to 3 years old, children enter for free. From 4 to 14 years old pay approximately 2,75 euros, as well as pensioners and people over 65 years old. Adults from 15 to 64 years pay around 4.65 euros for admission.
• How to get there: Located on Avenida Picasso in Rincon de la Victoria.
• Opening times: In winter it is open in the mornings from 10:00 to 13:00 and in the afternoons from 15:00 to 17:00. In summer, the opening hours are from 10:30 to 13:00 and then in the afternoon from 16:30 to 19:00.

The Malaga tourist bus is one of those activities that you can't miss if you go with children. It is a very fun and very economical way to enjoy the different interesting places to visit in Malaga. In this tour you will have the opportunity to know each place for a really low price.

You have to take into account that the tour does not include tickets to any of the attractions, but what is advantageous is that it gives you the possibility to get on and off the route as many times as you want, but paying only one ticket. Kids love this ride because they can see all the sights from the top of the bus.

Interesting details

• Price: It can cost between 25 and 49 euros, depending on the type of ticket you want to buy, with rides, without rides, or how long the ticket lasts, either 24 or 48 hours.
• How to get there: You can get on the bus at any of the stations to do the whole route.
• Timetable: Generally there is a route that runs from 11:00 to 18:00, although it depends largely on the line. Frequency may also change.

The town of Nerja is ideal if you go with children, in fact, it is one of the best towns in Malaga to go to with your family. Nerja is a coastal town that is full of beaches and interesting places to visit such as the Balcon de Europa or the caves of Nerja.

Another thing you can do on this trip to Nerja is to go up to the Chillar river, although I recommend you to do this activity if you go with children over 6 years old to enjoy the walk and the panoramic views. Nerja is located about 55 kilometres east of Malaga, so by hire car it can take around 30 minutes to get there via the motorway.

If you don't want to or can't make the journey to the Chillar river, you can do many other activities in this nearby Malaga town, from visiting beaches to kayaking from Malaga to Nerja, in one of the best kayaking trips you can do from the city.

Interesting details

• Price: The price to visit this area depends on whether you do it on your own or if you travel on a guided tour. In the latter case, it may cost between 40 and 50 euros per person.
• How to get there: You can travel by bus, train or rental car.
• Timetable: If you go on your own, I recommend leaving for Nerja early in the morning. If you go on a guided tour, the timetable depends on the agreed schedule.

I like to include this place among the activities to do with children, but it is also one of the best excursions from Malaga because it is a tour where you are going to see a village that was abandoned for about 50 years. Nowadays it has been restored and is functioning as an incredible tourist place.

It is a kind of ghost town ideal to visit with children because although it is a secluded place with few houses, most of them are for rent during the holiday seasons. But no matter when you go, it is always an interesting place to visit.

Children love to learn about the legends that surround the village and especially love to see how the different houses are so close to each other, just like in other white-washed villages in Europe.

Interesting details

• Price: Entrance to the site is free, but if you want to stay in one of the rented houses, you will have to contact the owners of the property directly to find out the rental price.
• How to get there: This village is located in the town of Cómpeta and it is not really easy to get there. In fact, as it is located between mountains, it can be a bit difficult to find it at first sight. The best way to get there is by rental car.
• Opening hours: The village is open at all hours, but I recommend you to visit this area during the day, and if you can get there in the morning, all the better.

It used to be considered the most dangerous hiking route in the world, but nowadays it is one of the most visited by tourists from all over Europe. It is reinforced with security measures and there are multiple excursions that take you to this place.

It is undoubtedly one of the best options to have fun with children who love extreme adventures. Although it is a fairly safe route, children like to feel the adrenaline of completing the trail to the end. I recommend this walk if you are travelling with children over 6 years old.

Once you start the Caminito del Rey you must finish it, you can't go back. I recommend you to bring some things to eat on the way because completing this trail route can take between 3 and 4 hours, so it is important to bring enough water and things to eat on the way.

Details of interest

• Price: You can enter as a tourist and pay a general entrance fee of approximately 10 euros. You can also choose an official guided tour which can cost around 18 euros per person. If you want to do a complete tour from Malaga to the Caminito del Rey, you can pay approximately 60 euros per person.
• How to get there: One of the best ways to get to the Caminito del Rey is by train from Malaga, which takes you to El Chorro station, very close to the entrance to the Caminito del Rey.
• Opening hours: It usually opens at 9:00 and closes at 15:30 or 17:20, depending on the time of year.

If you are looking for an interactive and participatory activity for the kids to have fun from the moment they arrive until they leave, then the place to visit is the Aeronautical Museum. One of the best features of this museum is that it is located right next to the airport.

In case you don't have time to visit the museum during your holiday time, you can do so before boarding your flight back home. It is ranked as one of the top 10 museums in Malaga and that's because it is an open and interactive space where children can learn a lot about aeroplanes and their history.

Inside the museum you will have the chance to find out what it was like to board the planes of your grandparents' time. They will also be able to board a real plane that is now part of the historic planes. You will be able to move the propellers and many other fun things. It is also a place where you can find different outdoor spaces to share a picnic.

Interesting details

• Price: Admission is free for all the public.
• How to get there: To get there you can go by train and get off at the airport station, where you will have to walk for about 10 minutes until you reach the museum. You can also get there by bus, using line A of the EMT, in which case you will have to get off at the last stop.
• Opening hours: The opening hours are from 10:00 to 20:00 on Tuesdays and from 10:00 to 14:00 from Wednesday to Saturday.

The Music Museum is one of those places that children will love to visit because it is an interactive place where you will have the opportunity to get to know each of the instruments and above all they will be able to get involved with them, as they are given the chance to play each of the instruments in the museum.

Above all, it is an interactive place, where there are spaces for the whole family and where you can let your imagination run wild and find out if you or the children have musical abilities. You can learn about the different musical notes and of course, you can't leave without learning some musical history inside the museum.

Interesting details

• Price: Children can enter for free, while tickets for the rest of the people can cost between 3 and 5 euros per person.
• How to get there: If you are travelling by car, you can park in the vicinity of the Alcazaba. If you are travelling by public transport, you have to get off at Paseo del Parque or Calle Victoria station of the EMT. By train, the nearest stop is Malaga Centro Alameda. And finally, you have the option of the tourist bus which stops a hundred metres from the Museum at the Plaza La Merced stop on the red line.
• Opening hours: Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 18:30.

The Botanical Garden of La Concepcion brings together a large number of species whose natural habitats are located in different parts of the world. This Botanical Garden is open to the public until late at night and offers different activities that you can take advantage of during your visit, as one of the best things to do in Malaga at night.

In case you travel to Malaga in December season, I recommend you to go to the Botanical Garden and don't miss the light show every night. Inside the enclosure, the plants are arranged according to the climate they belong to, so it is a truly nourishing experience for children and adults alike.

Interesting details

• Price: General admission tickets can be priced at 5.20 euros, while reduced tickets can be priced at around 3.40 euros.
• How to get there: You can get there by public transport, using EMT line 2. You can also get there by private car, or on the city's tourist bus, which leaves you very close by if you get on the green line.
• Opening hours: From April to September it is open from 9.30am to 8.30pm. Then from October to March it is open to the public between 9.30am and 5.30pm. On 24th and 31st December it is open from 9.30am to 3pm.

This is a good park for children, and in fact for the whole family. One of the things I like most about this place is that it has different spaces for children of all ages, arranged outdoors and with the necessary safety measures to avoid accidents.

On the other hand, the Battery Park has different places within the park that are enabled for picnics and to enjoy family moments. There are other areas for cycling and there is even an artificial lake, where boats can be rented on weekends for sailing.

It is a good place to visit with the family and take the children, especially in the summer season when the temperature is much warmer and the weather is more pleasant. It is centrally located in Torremolinos, so in case you decide to stay in town for a few days, this is a good option to visit whenever you can.

Interesting details

• Price: Entrance to the park is free.
• How to get there: One of the best ways to get there is by train, as there is a stop right next to the park, called Montemar Alto. If you go by car, either hire or your own, you can park in the places provided for this purpose.
• Opening hours: It is open every day from 8:00 to 15:30.