Car Hire Málaga

• Malaga train station    
• Malaga airport

• 72 hours in Granada and the Sierra Nevada    
• Most romantic haciendas

Málaga was founded by the Phoenicians almost 3,000 years ago. With so much history, the city is full of wonderful architecture, beautiful churches and award-winning museums spanning the millennia right up to modern times—including the Picasso Foundation and the Centre Pompidou Málaga.

Find the central pulse of the city around the towering spires of its Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga in the old part of town. Venture beyond its Baroque façade to discover magnificent frescos and sculptures dating back to the 16th century. Clustered around the cathedral are some of the city’s most charming streets, lined with lively tapas bars, chic boutiques and bustling bodegas.

While summer is the busiest season in Málaga, spring and autumn are also wonderful times to visit, as the crowds disappear but the warmth remains. Winter can get surprisingly cold, especially when higher up in the region’s more mountainous areas, but a thick hot chocolate and fresh churros in one of Málaga’s many churrerías will soon warm you up.

Nicknamed the Costa del Sol due to its year-round sunshine and shimmering Mediterranean waters, there’s something to appeal to all tastes, from the glamour of Marbella to the old-world charm and sophistication of Granada and its magnificent Alhambra Palace.

The landscape rises from golden, sun-baked beaches to the rocky outcrops of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, some 1,000m above sea level. In between, there are charming pueblos blancos (white villages), beautiful boutique haciendas, bodegas making delicious ronda wines and some of Spain’s best jamón producers.

Most people, however, come for the beaches. Many stick to the resort-fringed seashores, but when you rent a car in Málaga, you can discover the secret coves and quiet expanses of sand favoured by in-the-know locals. Feast at charming chiringuitos (little seafront eateries) on fish and seafood plucked straight from local waters.

More than 3,000 fiestas occur within Andalucía every year, ranging from village fairs that celebrate the harvesting of sun-ripened olives and grapes in the autumn, to the blooming beauty of Spain’s best flower show at the beginning of May, the highly-anticipated Patios de Córdoba.

In order to get the most out of your visit, hire a car in Málaga with Avis to explore everything the region has to offer.

Want a quick guide to the rules of Spanish roads? We’ve unlocked them for you here.