Nightlife in Malaga and Costa del Sol
Nightlife in Spain is quite unique in the world. Apart from Spanish cities like Granada, Seville, Ibiza, Madrid or Barcelona, Malaga and the Costa del Sol are famous for their animated night life.
The nightlife itself is actually for a great number of locals a kind of life style and as a matter of fact, they tend to sleep less than their European neighbors. As well, in comparison, Spanish night life starts quite late and before going out, for the locals around Malaga it is a common practice to eat tapas in the many bars and terraces.
Thus, typically the night starts with eating out "Tapas". From around midnight onwards, people start moving from Bar to Bar. The Spaniards never stay in the same bar during the whole night. The majority of the bars gets lively from 23:00 onwards and continue until the wee hours of the morning.
You will find as well all kinds of British, Irish or German bars. The Spanish bars are generally much cheaper in the city centre and by the way you can pick up some of the local lingo.
Overview of nightlife
If you are staying in one of the main holiday hotspots such as Malaga city, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola or Marbella, you will always find a great number of local and foreign revelers, particularly in summer season, take in consideration also than prices use to be more expensive along the coast than in the city trentre.
There are bars, clubs and discotheques for all ages and likings. Another fancy night scene which has gained a lot of popularity in recent years are the beach clubs, very exclusive and fashionable bars on the beach, as for instance the renowned Nikki beach in the area of Elviria, east from Marbella.
The Costa del Sol offers a varied and diverse nightlife, from the quiet wine Taverns to trendy cafes, bars and vibrant nightclubs. Remember that you should not start the night too early. The idea is having dinner late, as party starts even later. The majority of the bars will keep you occupied until 12 pm, so make sure to keep the pace and keep your energy well into the night.
There are several areas in Malaga where you can go for party and don´t get bored: "Puerto Marina" (Benalmadena) is one of those places, many pubs and fish restaurants along the promenade and a nice start for your exploration of Malaga by night. Another nice option is "Puerto Banus" (Marbella), luxury cars around, yatches, fashionable locals; without any doubt nightlife in Malaga has much to offer.
What to do
When you think about holidays in Malaga, some might think about relax, others about cultural visits. Nevertheless there are as well a great number of foreign visitors for whom the night is one of the most important aspects of a trip. In the case of Malaga we can affirm that it is impossible to get bored in any of the many bars, pubs and discotheques. There is such variety that there is always something to do from sunset onwards.
The people of Malaga always had an animated Malaga nightlife, so this is not something which sprang up with Tourism. One of the most popular customs is going out for tapas at night and eating in bars and Tabernas in company with family and friends. Here you can find even children up until late, as everybody stays up late.
Normally, the real whoopee does not start before 11 or 12 o'clock at night.
After sunset, you can still enjoy what Malaga has to offer. You can be in a quiet tapas bar or dancing the night away in one of the many clubs available in the city, we are sure that you take many unforgettable moments of your stay.
Where to go at night in Malaga
The areas where you can find most the night life in Malaga are the historic centre, El Palo, La Malagueta and Pedregalejo, La Malagueta is a modern part of the town with many fashionable pubs.
The old Fishermen quarter of El Palo is nowadays a large sea promenade with many seaside terraces and some of the best restaurants in town where to enjoy mild summer nights next to the seashore.
In Pedregalejo you can taste both the best andalusian dishes and wines and discover the most famous discotheques of Malaga.
Some of the best discotheques in town are Anden at Plaza Uncibay and Liceo, Dolce Vita, Sound, all in the historic centre; Kiu or Passion, one of the most recommendable gay discos along the Costa del Sol. Palladium has 2.500 square meters, three dance floors and an indoor pool.
You can find as well live music and concerts in the Sala Vivero and in the docks of the Malaga cruise Port there are organized from time to time concerts or Music festivals.
Close to Malaga, next to the Malaga airport on the A-7 is situated the Plaza Mayor, the largest leisure centre along the Costa del Sol, with cinemas, bowling, pubs and discotheques in Malaga.
Whatever you choose is up to you, to your likings and the kind of ambience you want to discover.
Spanish nightlife starts very late. It is often common to go out around midnight, especially at weekends. Many bars and clubs will not open before 23:00, and any time before this will be relatively quiet. Night life is lively and continues until the early hours of the morning, often 6 or 7 AM, at which time you can stop for coffee and breakfast on your way home! Dress code for clubs is normally quite relaxed.
Often you will see Malaga women or groups with women admitted free whilst men will often have to pay, we recommend to avoid those places as it is a signal of a place not being so popular.
Please note it is not mandatory to tip Spanish bar staff every time you order drinks (although we are sure they don't mind, salaries in Spain are low but those working in the nightlife use to earn well).
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