Málaga

Málaga is the capital of the province and a proper city: a historic centre, museums, a port, a university and around the bay, city beaches. It is also where the coast’s tech scene has grown fastest.

For work

Several gaming companies have opened technology hubs in the city in the last few years, among them Betsson Group, LeoVegas Group and QTech Games. Others sit in Málaga TechPark in Campanillas, west of the city. See the company directory for sources.

Neighbourhoods

• Centro Histórico. Pedestrian streets, museums and restaurants. Everything is on foot, but it is busy with visitors and can be noisy at night.
• Soho. Between the Alameda and the port, known for street art, cafés and small offices. Central, and close to the last C-1 station.
• La Malagueta. Apartment blocks by the city beach, next to the port and the bullring. A flat walk to the centre.
• El Limonar. A leafy residential area to the east with houses and several schools. Quiet and family-minded; buses, no metro.
• Pedregalejo and El Palo. Former fishing districts further east, with low houses and fish restaurants on the sand. A neighbourhood feel; the bus or a bike takes you to the centre.
• Teatinos. A newer district by the university, with modern flats, on metro line 1. Popular with students and young families, and on the right side of the city for the TechPark.
• Huelin and the western seafront. A traditional local neighbourhood with a long beach promenade to the west of the port. Metro line 2 runs through this side of the city.
• Campanillas. The outlying district where Málaga TechPark is. Practical if you work there. The metro does not reach it, so it is a bus or a car.
• Churriana and Guadalmar. Next to the airport. Churriana is a former village with houses and gardens; Guadalmar is a small residential area by the beach. Handy for flying and for the road west, with aircraft noise in places.

Getting around

• The airport is a few stops from the centre on the C-1 local train, which continues along the coast to Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola.
• The city has a metro, buses and high-speed trains to Madrid, Córdoba and Seville.
• You can live here without a car, which is rare on this coast.

Who it suits

People who want city life in Spanish, restaurants on the doorstep and a short commute to a Málaga office.

Keep in mind

Marbella is about an hour away by car and there is no train. If your office is there, think twice before choosing Málaga. For a smaller town with the city within reach, look at Torremolinos or Rincón de la Victoria.