If you’re like us, you’ll enjoy getting off the beaten tourist path to see the must see Malaga when you’re on your Mediterranean holiday. And the great news is that it’s much easier to get out and around to see those off-radar sights when you rent a bike in Malaga.
In this blog post, we leave the guidebook at the hotel and jump onto our saddles to go and see five unusual must see Malaga things on a bike ride.
See some traditional shipyards
Our first pick of different must-sees when you’re on a bike ride in Malaga has a maritime theme. Astilleros Nereo is one of the oldest traditional shipyards in Spain and still makes wooden boats by hand.
They specialise in historic replicas so check out the jabega boat, based on a Phoenician model found underwater on the coast in Murcia.
Built using local pine from the Montes de Malaga, the boat is an exact model of those used by Malaga’s first inhabitants in the 7th century BC.
Also on display is the work-in-progress replica of the boat captained by Bernardo de Gálvez (from the nearby village of Macharaviaya) when he took Pensacola Bay from the British in 1781.
You can see plenty of nautical artefacts, plans and photos too on a guided tour by staff who are only too pleased to answer questions. Find out more here.
Open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm.
While you’re there
Time your visit with lunch or dinner time and after seeing the shipyards cycle to one of the many seafront restaurants in Pedregalejo and El Palo.
Enjoy a feast of grilled sardines and fried fish, the Malaga speciality, washed down with an ice-cold beer or refreshing tinto de verano (red wine with lemonade).
How to get there
Astilleros Nereo are an easy bike ride in Malaga – just cycle east along the seafront as far as El Balneario restaurant. Then, continue along the pavement for about 100m and take the first street to the seafront in Pedregalejo. Astilleros Nereo is down on the beach to your right.
Marvel at some hydraulic engineering
Tucked away in a (not terribly pretty) residential area lies one of Spain’s 18th century engineering feats.
The St Telmo Aqueduct was built to bring more fresh-water to Malaga after a drought left residents very thirsty. Constructed in brick, the aqueduct carried water from the springs in the Montes de Malaga down to the city centre.
Several lengths of the arches are visible in the city, but the 75m-long section on Calle Héctor Villa-Lobos is the best preserved and worth seeking out if you enjoy seeing unusual things on a bike ride in Malaga.
While you’re there
Visit the aqueduct first thing in the morning and then cycle on to the Jardín de la Concepción, a few kilometres further north.
Admire the botanical gardens, lovely at any time of year and walk to the mirador, one of the city’s most famous viewing points. Then enjoy a bit of lunch at the lovely café, one of the best restaurants to cycle to in Malaga.
How to get there
Follow the cycle lanes north of the city centre almost to their end. Then take a right into Ciudad Jardín. It’s about 5km from our MALAGA BIKE rental shop so allow around 20 minutes to get there. Ask our staff for a map and the exact location.
Make it weird and wonderful
Our next suggestion for unusual things to see on a bike ride in Malaga goes seriously surreal. The Parque del Oeste park offers a green oasis dotted with some of the weirdest sculptures you’ll see anywhere.
Designed by Stefan von Reiswitz, the 45 bronze figures combine mythology with fantasy and animals with humans in a fun collection dotted around the large park.
A giant lake runs the length of the park – don’t miss Handel’s Water Music playing under the bridge – and there are lots of water birds and even a mini-zoo with wallabies and emus.
Open daily from 7 am to dusk.
While you’re there
Cycle slightly further west on your MALAGA BIKE ride to the Térmica Cultural Centre where you can see some great art exhibitions. Time your visit for the first Friday evening in the month (October to June) and catch the retro Red Friday market and cultural event.
How to get there
The Parque del Oeste is an easy bike ride from Malaga city centre. Follow the cycle lane along the seafront going west and the park is just past the very tall chimney.
Go under and overground
Another unusual thing to see on a bike ride in Malaga is the Basilica de La Victoria, located to the north of the centre and the city’s largest church after the Cathedral.
The first place of worship was built here in 1487 when the Catholic Monarchs set up here on the site to conquer Malaga from the Moors. The current church dates from 1700 and houses two real treasures, one above ground and the other below.
Up on the first floor is the Lady Chapel, home to the statue of the Virgen de la Victoria, patron saint of Malaga. Admire her in all her finery including an ornate embroidered cape donated by Anita Delgado, the girl from Malaga who at 18 married an Indian Raja in 1908 and became Princess of Kapurthala.
The Chapel itself is a Baroque feast of blue and silver with lovely stained-glass windows.
Down below in the basement is the extraordinary crypt, built for the Counts of Buenavista (the owners of the palace that now houses the Picasso Museum).
The room is painted entirely in black and white with dozens of skulls and bones lining the walls as decoration. You’ll be glad to get back outside and on your bike!
Open (usually) Monday to Friday 9 am to 1.30pm.
While you’re there
Check out the street art murals in the area known as Lagunillas, just off Calle Victoria. There are also some great bars here. Ask us for some recommendations when you pick up your Malaga rental bike.
How to get there
The Basilica de la Victoria is about 2km from our rental shop so allow about 10 minutes to get there. Ask our staff to pinpoint the church and the street art on a map.
Check out the ceilings
Our final spot to check out on a bike ride in Malaga continues the arty theme. The Sala Maria Cristina just outside the historical centre has several lovely rooms including the concert hall and is well worth a visit. It was originally a church (all that remains is the 15th-century tower) and became a music school in the 19th century.
The walls and ceilings in entrance and concert halls are covered in exquisite paintings. Don’t miss the delicate flowers on the mirrors, painted to hide the cracks caused by an earthquake in 1884.
Open Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm. There’s a small café serving drinks inside and a selection of Casa Mira ice creams.
While you’re there
Take a look at the concert programme and buy tickets for one of them. They take place during most of the year and showcase top international and Spanish artists.
How to get there
The Sala Maria Cristina is just over 1km from our Malaga bike rental shop on an easy-to-follow route that goes due north.
You cross one of the most interesting parts of the old quarter on your way to on Calle Marqués de Valdecañas, off Calle Carretería. Our staff can give you exact directions when you collect your bike.
More unusual things on a MALAGA BIKE ride
Our staff know the best things to see in Malaga, on and off the beaten tourist track. Just ask us when you come to pick up your bike or contact us here.
