12 Things to Do in Malaga with Kids

Go on a bike ride, explore the interior of the palaces or visit the most beautiful monuments of Al-Andalus in Malaga. This Andalusian city offers endless activities that children will love.

Here are some ideas for you to choose from, so you can see for yourself that taking the little ones out is definitely an unforgettable experience. Especially if you want to take some photos to remember the trip by.

Booking tickets for the Museum of Imagination is a must if you are going to Malaga with children, as they will be able to test their creativity in a place full of magic.

Don't hesitate, enjoy an unforgettable experience as you explore the different themed rooms. What's more, you'll get unique, magical photographs for your photo album in a unique and different museum that combines art and technology. Immerse yourself in a world of fantasy and let your imagination run wild.

Details of interest

• Price: €10 for children aged 15 and over and adults, and €5 for children under 14.
• How to get there: It is located on Calle Martínez Campos, in the centre of Malaga, so you can get there easily and comfortably.
• Opening hours: open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

This is a great park for the little ones, and in fact, for the whole family. One of the things I like most about this place is that it has different outdoor areas for children of all ages, with the necessary safety measures in place to prevent accidents.

Parque de la Batería also has different areas for picnics, cycling, and even an artificial lake where you can hire boats at the weekend to go sailing. A great place to visit with the family in summer.

But this is not the only option, as you can also book tickets for Crocodile Park, a place that will impress the little ones, as it has more than 300 crocodiles.

Details of interest

• Price: Admission 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 are travelling by car, whether rented or your own, you can park in the designated parking areas.
• Opening hours: Open every day from 8:00 to 15:30.

And without a doubt, the ideal plan for the little ones is to visit the main amusement parks and aquariums in the province of Malaga, such as Bioparc Fuengirola, the Benalmádena Butterfly Park, Selwo Marina also in Benalmádena, or Sea Life Benalmádena.

As you can see, there are options for all tastes: both for those who love marine and terrestrial animals. So, the difficult thing in this case will be agreeing on which one to visit.

The Alcazaba, the Cathedral and the Roman Theatre are three of the most interesting monuments to visit in the city of Malaga, especially if you are visiting with children. They are three incredible places that they will love. You can also time your visit to coincide with a dramatised tour for children.

You can also visit on your own, but I recommend booking a guided tour of the Alcazaba, the Cathedral and the Roman Theatre, which will take you to each of the monuments and allow you to learn about the history and culture they conceal.

To visit these magical places with the little ones, I recommend doing so on days when the lift to the Alcazaba is working and visiting the Gibralfaro Castle.

Details of interest

• Price: the guided tour costs from €34 for adults, €19 for young people aged 10 to 14 and €9 for younger children, but I recommend checking the prices for entry to the Alcazaba if you decide to visit on your own.
• How to get there: by public transport or by car (either your own or a hire car). You can then take the lift or a bus route that takes you very close to the Alcazaba.
• Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 8 p.m., depending on the time of year. For more information, I recommend reading more about the Alcazaba's opening hours.

The Malaga tourist bus is one of those activities that you cannot miss if you are travelling with children. It is a very fun and economical way to get to know the city of Malaga. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to travel comfortably between the city's most interesting sights.

Bear in mind that the tour does not include admission to any of the attractions, but the advantage is that you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you like with a single ticket.

Children love this tour because they can see everything from the top deck of the bus and it includes an audio guide with a narration specially designed for the little ones.

Useful information

• Price: book your 24-hour sightseeing bus tour of Malaga for €13 for children and €26 for adults.
• How to get there: you can board the bus at any of the stations to do the entire tour.
• Timetable: the route usually runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., although this depends on the company and the time of year.

If you were a fan of the legendary series Verano Azul, you cannot miss a visit to the town of Nerja and tell the little ones about the adventures of this group of friends who travelled around by bicycle. In addition, this coastal town is full of beaches and interesting places to visit, such as the Balcón de Europa or the caves of Nerja.

I recommend booking an excursion to Nerja, as it is located about 55 kilometres east of Málaga. Once there, you have the option of going up the Chillar River, although I recommend doing this activity if you are travelling with children over the age of 6 so that they can enjoy the walk and the panoramic views.

You can also do many other activities in this town near Málaga, from visiting its beaches to kayaking.

Details of interest

• Price: the price to visit this area depends on whether you do it on your own or if you travel on a guided tour, which costs around €48 for adults and €36 for children.
• How to get there: you can travel by bus, train or hire car. The excursion is by bus.
• Timetable: if you go on your own, I recommend leaving for Nerja early in the morning. If you go on a guided tour, the starting time is usually 9:40 am.

It used to be considered the most dangerous hiking trail in the world, but today it is one of the most visited by tourists from all over Europe. It has been reinforced with safety measures and you can book an excursion to Caminito del Rey.

Without a doubt, it is one of the best options for having fun with children who love extreme adventures. Although it is a fairly safe route, children enjoy the adrenaline rush of completing the entire trail. I recommend this walk if you are travelling with children over the age of 6.

Once you start the Caminito del Rey, you must finish it and you cannot turn back. I recommend taking some snacks with you because completing this trail can take between 3 and 4 hours, so it is important to take enough water and snacks for the little ones.

Details of interest

• Price: you can book an excursion from Malaga that costs from €74 for adults and €54 for children and not worry about how to get there.
• How to get there: one of the best ways to get to Caminito del Rey is by train from Malaga, which takes you to El Chorro station, very close to the entrance to Caminito del Rey.
• Opening hours: it generally opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 3.30 p.m. or 5.20 p.m., depending on the season. The excursion from Malaga starts at around 9 a.m.

The Music Museum is one of those places that children will love to visit because it is an interactive space where they will have the opportunity to learn about each of the instruments and, above all, interact with them, as they can play each of the instruments in the museum.

An interactive space with areas for the whole family where you can let your imagination run wild and find out if you or your children have musical talent. You can learn about the different musical notes and, of course, you cannot leave without learning something about musical history inside the museum.

Details of interest

• Price: children can enter for free, while tickets for adults cost between €3 and €5 per person.
• How to get there: if you are travelling by car, you can park near La Alcazaba. If you are travelling by public transport, get off at the Paseo del Parque or Calle Victoria EMT bus stop. If you are travelling by train, the nearest stop is Málaga Centro Alameda. Finally, you can also take the tourist bus (Plaza La Merced stop).
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

La Concepción Botanical Gardens are one of the best things to see and do in Malaga. They bring together a large number of species whose natural habitats are located in different parts of the world. They also offer different activities in the evening, making them one of the best things to do in Malaga at night.

If you're travelling to Malaga in December, I recommend visiting the Botanical Garden and not missing the nightly light show. Inside the grounds, the plants are organised according to the climate they belong to, making it a truly enriching experience for children and adults alike.

Details of interest

• Price: tickets cost €5.20, while reduced tickets cost approximately €3.40.
• How to get there: you can get there by public transport, using EMT line 2; by private car; or by tourist bus, which will drop you off very close by if you take the green line.
• Opening hours: from April to September it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from October to March between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. On 24 and 31 December it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you are looking for an interactive and participatory activity for children to enjoy from the moment they arrive until they leave, then the place to visit is the Aeronautical Museum, located right next to the airport. One advantage is that if you don't have time to visit the museum during your holiday, you can do so before catching your flight home.

It is ranked as one of the 10 best museums in Malaga because it is an open and interactive space where children can learn many things about aeroplanes and their history.

Inside the museum, you will have the opportunity to learn what boarding was like in your grandparents' day. You can also climb aboard a historic aeroplane. In addition, you can move the propellers and do many other fun things. It is a place where you can find different outdoor spaces to share a picnic.

Details of interest

• Price: admission is free for all visitors.
• How to get there: you can take the train and get off at the airport station, from where it is about a 10-minute walk to the museum. You can also get there by bus using the EMT line A, in which case you will need to get off at the last stop.
• Opening hours: from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday.

About 15 kilometres from the city of Malaga is a picturesque village called El Rincón de la Victoria, home to one of the three most famous sea caves in the world. The other two caves are located in Asia and Central America.

This cave is a must-see for anyone visiting Malaga, especially if you are travelling with children. One of the things I like most about this place is the interesting contrast between history, culture and popular legends, as it is said that a hidden treasure is kept inside. It's the perfect story for the little ones, making it undoubtedly one of the best activities to do with children in Malaga.

On the one hand, they will have the opportunity to visit an interesting archaeological site and also experience an incredible adventure walking through the narrow cave and seeing the shapes that water has created over thousands of years. Inside, there are different paths, lakes and corridors that will take you from the largest to the smallest spaces in the cave. Definitely an experience to enjoy with the whole family.

Details of interest

• Price: children under 3 years old enter free of charge. Children aged 4 to 14 pay approximately £2.75, as do pensioners and people over 65. Adults aged 15 to 64 pay around £4.65 for admission.
• How to get there: it is located on Avenida Picasso in Rincón de la Victoria.
• Opening hours: in winter, it is open in the morning from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and in the afternoon from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. In summer, it is open from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and in the afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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 will discover a village that was abandoned for approximately 50 years. It has now been restored and is an incredible tourist attraction.

It is a kind of ghost town that is ideal to visit with children because, although it is a remote place with few houses, most of them are rented out during the holiday seasons. But regardless of when you go, it is always an interesting place to visit.

Children enjoy learning about the village's legends and, above all, they love seeing how the different houses are so close to each other, just like in other whitewashed villages in Europe.

Interesting details

• Price: admission is free, but if you want to stay in one of the rental houses, you will need to contact the owners directly to find out the rental price.
• How to get there: it is located in the town of Cómpeta and is not very easy to reach. In fact, as it is nestled between mountains, it can be a little difficult to find at first glance. The best way to get there is by hire car.
• Opening hours: the village is open at all hours, but I recommend visiting this area during the day, and if you can go in the morning, even better.