Stellar Estates — Svensk mäklare på Costa del Sol

Málaga

Not a resort but a city. University, port, museums and everything open in January — and the only part of the coast with a train.

Photo: a property for sale in Málaga
Who it suits

Málaga suits you if you want to live in a city rather than a holiday town. It had 597,173 residents on 1 January 2025 according to the statistics institute INE — the second largest city in Andalusia after Seville. Hospitals, a university, a port, some thirty museums and restaurants that do not close in November.

It suits you less if you came for the beach and the quiet. Málaga means traffic, crowds and parking problems. If you want those, they are everywhere. If you do not, the coast is half an hour away.

Getting around

Málaga is the only part of this area with real public transport. The C-1 commuter train runs from Málaga-Centro Alameda via the airport to Fuengirola, every twenty minutes, between 05:20 and 23:30. The full run takes 46 minutes, and the airport is five stops from the centre.

The city also has two metro lines and a large bus network. You can manage without a car here, which you cannot in Mijas or Marbella.

The districts differ more than on the coast

Centro Histórico and Soho are old buildings and narrow streets with no need for a car. Málaga Este, with El Limonar and Pedregalejo, is villas and sea to the east. Teatinos is new, planned and built around the university. Churriana and Campanillas lie further out, cheaper and more Spanish.

An average price for "Málaga" therefore tells you almost nothing. Ask us for figures on the district you are looking at.

What to check here in particular
  1. Noise and short-term letting in the building. Holiday lets are common in the centre. Read the statutes and ask the neighbours before you buy.
  2. Lifts and condition in older buildings. Much of the centre dates from the last century. Ask for the building inspection, the ITE.
  3. Parking. A private space is expensive and rare in the central districts. Budget for the garage.
  4. Registered floor area. Older flats have often been reconfigured, and the layout does not always match the registry.
The Nordic side

There is none here. The Swedish School, the Swedish church and Club Nórdico are in Fuengirola. Choosing Málaga means choosing a Spanish daily life — which many people do deliberately, and enjoy.

Tell us what you are looking for in a search brief and we will start there.

Properties for sale in Málaga

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Is Málaga a place to buy, or just the airport?

It is a city of 597,173 people, with a university, a port and some thirty museums. Anyone who wants to live in a real Spanish city all year, with everything open in January, buys here rather than on the coast.

How do I get from Málaga to Fuengirola?

The C-1 commuter train runs every twenty minutes from Málaga-Centro Alameda to Fuengirola and takes 46 minutes. It is the only part of the coast with a train.

Is there a Nordic community in Málaga?

Not in the way Fuengirola has one. The Swedish School, the Swedish church and the Nordic club are all in Fuengirola. In Málaga you live in a Spanish city, on Spanish terms.

Which parts of Málaga are worth looking at?

Centro Histórico and Soho if you want to walk everywhere. Málaga Este, El Limonar and Pedregalejo for houses and sea. Teatinos for new build and value. The differences in price and character are large.

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