Hotels and places to stay in Málaga

Málaga capital and its province offer such a wide range of accommodation that choosing can be overwhelming. If you search on HotelsCasa, you'll find more than five thousand three hundred options, from apartments to villas, with an average price of 216 euros per night and a minimum of 43. The first thing you should be clear about is that staying in the historic center is not the same as staying in the Malagueta area, in Pedregalejo or in the coastal towns. The center puts you within walking distance of the cathedral, the Roman theater and calle Larios, but noise and parking can play a bad trick on you. La Malagueta and Soho are ideal if you want to combine walks around the port with a more alternative cultural offering. Pedregalejo and El Palo, on the other hand, are lifelong neighborhoods, with beach bars by the sea and a more local atmosphere, although you'll have to take the bus or the metro to go to the center.

If what you're looking for is tranquility and nature, the Axarquía area, with towns such as Rincón de la Victoria or Torre del Mar, gives you beach and access to the mountains, but you need a car to get around easily. At the other end, the western Costa del Sol, with Marbella, Estepona or Mijas, offers higher-category hotels and villas, but prices rise quite a bit in high season. The best time to find reasonable prices is from November to March, except for Christmas and Easter, when demand skyrockets. In summer and during the Feria de Málaga, in August, accommodations fill up and rates rise, so if your budget is limited, consider traveling in May or September, when the weather is still good and prices are more reasonable.

To get there, the Málaga airport is well connected to the center by the commuter train, which takes about twelve minutes and costs just over two euros. Once there, the urban bus network and the metro cover the city well, although to get around the province the most practical thing is to rent a car. Before booking, always check the cancellation policy, because many apartments require advance payment and do not refund the money if you cancel at short notice. It is also advisable to check whether the price includes final cleaning, bed linen or wifi, because some accommodations charge for it separately. Finally, check the exact location on the map: sometimes a listing says “center” and it is actually a twenty-minute walk away. Examples such as Casa Salamanca, Pensión Barlovento, El Refugio de Raquel “My Happy Place” or Ílios Apartamentos give you an idea of the variety, but each one has its own particular conditions.