Malaga Neighbourhoods: Complete Guide by Apartamentos Málaga Premium

Malaga neighbourhoods have their own personality. Surely you have heard of the many charming corners that our city hosts or its impressive tourist attractions. But have you experienced the singularities that characterize each of the neighbourhoods of our city? Well, on this occasion, Apartamentos Malaga Premium have prepared a complete guide to the different neighbourhoods of Malaga so that you don’t miss any detail.

1. Old Town
   1. Puerta Oscura Gardens
   2. Picasso Museum
   3. Jewish Quarter around Picasso Museum
   4. Plaza de la Constitución Square
   5. Thyssen Museum
   6. Atarazanas Market
2. Soho or Artistic Neighbourhood
   1. La Fábrica
   2. Centre for Contemporary Art
   3. Graffiti in Soho
   4. Museum of the Imagination
   5. Alliance Française
   6. Soho Urban Market

Discover Malaga Neighbourhoods with Apartamentos Málaga Premium

• Old Town

The first Malaga neighbourhood in which we are going explore in depth is the old town, in which the two buildings of our tourist apartments in Malaga are located, in Granada Street and San Telmo Street. This neighbourhood borders to the north with Carretería and Mundo Nuevo streets, as well as with Plaza de la Merced; to the west, with the Guadalmedina river; to the south, with the Alameda Principal and Avenida de Cervantes; and to the east, with Gibralfaro. Therefore, this area extends over most of the historic centre, declared as a historical-artistic complex of cultural interest, and in it many of the most famous tourist attractions are gathered, such as the Cathedral, the Roman Theatre, Larios Street, the Alameda Principal or Paseo del Parque.

Puerta Oscura Gardens

To begin our visit around this Malaga neighbourhood, we invite you to discover the Puerta Oscura gardens. These picturesque gardens, very elegant and well maintained, are located in a privileged environment at the end of Paseo del Parque and next to the Townhall of Malaga. In addition, from these gardens, you can see how the Alcazaba of Malaga dominates the landscape behind it.

Picasso Museum and Jewish Quarter

However, the historic centre of Malaga is home to other corners with a lot of character. The Picasso Museum is undoubtedly one of the most special places in this Malaga neighbourhood, as it exhibits some of the most outstanding works by the local artist Pablo Picasso. So much so that every day countless locals and visitors arrive to contemplate the incredible collections that are exhibited there. In addition, in the surroundings of the Picasso Museum, you can tour the winding and narrow streets of the old Jewish quarter of Malaga. Stroll through the Plaza de la Judería, which connects the Alcazabilla and Granada streets, and visit the Ben Gabirol centre, as well as the statue of this great Jewish philosopher and poet that you will find in the Manuel Atencia gardens.

Plaza de la Constitución Thyssen Museum

Cross the Plaza de la Judería and stroll down Granada street, where you will find one of the buildings of Apartamentos Málaga Premium, and continue down the same street until you reach Plaza de la Constitución, another important stop on our stroll through this district. From here, if you continue on Compañía street, you will reach the fantastic Museo Carmen Thyssen. Inside, you can see a large number of works focused on Spanish painting, especially by the hand of artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Check their website if you don’t want to miss the incredible temporary collections on display.

Atarazanas Market

Before finishing our tour of this beautiful neighbourhood that runs through the historic centre, you must visit the Atarazanas Market. To get to it, we recommend that you go down the picturesque San Juan street, where you will have the opportunity to visit the Church of San Juan Bautista. Once you have reached the market, do not miss the opportunity to admire the beautiful stained glass window that decorates its façade and buy some typical products from our city.

• The Soho in Malaga

After strolling through the historic centre, we cross the Alameda Principal to discover the most fashionable district of the capital of the Costa del Sol: Soho or Artistic Neighbourhood. In this Malaga neighbourhood, artists and creators from all branches have gathered to revitalize this Malaga enclave artistically and commercially.

La Fábrica

As part of the Premium Group, we must highlight the presence in the neighbourhood of La Fábrica de Cerveza Cruzcampo. In this microbrewery, urban art and brewing mastery merge to create unique craft beers. In addition, it shows its urban character with the menu of its restaurant, its aesthetics, decoration and periodic events that give visibility to emerging artists.

Centre for Contemporary Art

A few steps from La Fábrica de Cerveza, on the western edge of this Malaga neighbourhood we find the Centre for Contemporary Art of Malaga (CAC). This museum in Malaga is another example of the reinvention of the neighbourhood: an old wholesale market converted into a contemporary art exhibition hall that houses a very attractive permanent collection with about 400 pieces. Besides, its rooms will surprise you with temporary high-level exhibitions. For example, the CAC has seen Tracey Emin, Luis Gordillo, Tony Cragg and the group Art & Language, among others.

Graffiti in Soho

But in this Artistic Neighbourhood in Malaga, you can not only admire works in museums. Its streets and graffiti have turned Soho into an open-air museum. Before entering the neighbourhood, you can admire the pieces by Obey and D*Face that cover the north façade of one of the neighbourhood’s tallest buildings. For the enjoyment of all the locals and visitors! But of course, endless works are hidden in their alleys. Enter the neighbourhood of Soho in Malaga and be surprised with the graffiti of Roa, Belin, Flatxl or Dal East among others… Urban art murals will become the ideal backdrop for your photos on social networks.

Museum of the Imagination

So much creativity in such a “small space” has clear effects: it can make your imagination fly like no other neighbourhood in Malaga. Therefore, it will not be surprising that it is in this enclave in the city where the Museum of the imagination is located. A space full of optical illusions that will make both adults and children dream of fantasies from another world.

Alliance Française

As if all this were not enough, a few steps from the neighbourhood is the headquarters of the Alliance Française in Malaga (French Alliance) which, in addition to being a centre dedicated to the teaching of the French language, also offers us cultural events and very attractive exhibitions to locals and visitors. Wine, film and geography tastings, photographic exhibitions or even yoga workshops in French…

Soho Urban Market

But if after all this art you’d like to take a piece home, don’t despair. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the Soho Urban Market takes place. The main street of this Malaga neighbourhood brings together dozens of artists to offer their unique creations. It is a shopping experience rather than an ordinary craft market. It will allow you to know the artist behind the work and discover all the ins and outs of their craftsmanship… If you are lucky enough to be in Malaga that Sunday, you should not miss it.

What did you think of the Malaga neighbourhoods? If you want to know more about these corners of downtown Malaga, keep an eye out for the next updates to this guide. On the other hand, if you prefer to know which places are hidden beyond the capital, don’t hesitate to consult our guide to the most charming villages of Malaga.