Weekend in Malaga, Spain: A Whirlwind Worth Every Minute

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last posted here. October has been packed with trips and social gatherings, but the one that brings me back today is last weekend — when I traveled from Washington, DC, to Málaga, Spain, for a friend’s wedding. The trip was as whirlwind as it was worthwhile, and through this post, I hope to convince you to add this sun-soaked city to your travel list.

So, without further ado, here's the itinerary!

Travel Day:

We flew out of Dulles Airport and arrived early enough to take things slow. We grabbed coffee at Fiolina, where we read and chatted about the trip. I started a new book,The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton, which felt like the perfect companion.

After an overnight flight, we landed in Amsterdam for a layover that turned out to be delightfully productive: brunch with my brother and sister-in-law. We chose The Breakfast Club in Amsterdam-Zuid, where we had top-notch chicken and waffles, before strolling around the neighborhood. A highlight was visiting The Edge, known as the world’s smartest and most sustainable building. Then it was back to the airport for our next flight.

Day 1:

A short hop later, we landed on Spain’s Costa del Sol. We took an Uber to our Airbnb near Calle Larios — the city’s main artery and a perfect location, close to everything. After a quick change, us and our friends hit the town.

We didn’t have to walk far before finding ourselves surrounded by charming tascas. We did a little bar hopping between Pez Lola and Casa Lola, and wrapped up the night at the iconic Bodega El Pimpi — easily one of my highlights of the trip. That night’s feast included patatas bravas, boquerones fritos, croquetas, octopus, gambas, and plenty of vermut, tinto de verano, and sangria. I’ve been to Spain twice before, but I had never enjoyed food quite like this, with abandon and curiosity, certain that anything I tried, no matter how new, would be stellar.

Day 2:

Despite the exhaustion (and the lively street noises that carried through the night), we woke up bright and early. Breakfast was at Lolita Vermut, a bustling tasca a few steps from our AirBnB, where I ordered eggs with serrano ham and a surprisingly good coffee. I fell in love with the city’s energy, vibrant but rooted in the present — a rare enthusiastic ease.

As bridesmaids, my friend and I had hair appointments, so we split to make the best of the single iddle hour we had. During my slot, I wandered through the Historic Center, circling the stunning Alcazaba — the Moorish fortress overlooking a Roman theater and the Gibralfaro Castle — framed by cascades of flowers. I also stopped by the Málaga Cathedral and the lively Plaza del Obispo, home to the beautiful façade of the Fundación Unicaja Cultural Center.

Later, I met up with the group again as they were enjoying tintos de verano at La Canasta Bakery, right on a sunny corner of Calle Larios. Under the clear sky, this quick drink served as the perfect pregame.

The rest of the day was devoted to the wedding — a lovely ceremony in the city, followed by a countryside reception that felt like a perfect blend of Spanish and Colombian traditions. While I’ll keep the details private, I felt honored to witness such a joyful celebration, surrounded by people and a culture that seem to breathe happiness through its cuisine.

Day 3:

By the final day, exhaustion had truly set in, but we powered through to visit a few must-see spots. We started the morning with what turned out to be one of my favorite bites of the entire trip: bocaditos de calamar alioli — small calamari and garlic sandwiches.

Next stop: the Picasso Museum. It’s beautifully curated and offers a fascinating look into the artist’s prolific work. I was also drawn to the temporary exhibition by Farah Atassi, a contemporary artist who reinterprets cubism through a modern, female lens. Another pleasant surprise was discovering Óscar Domínguez, a French-Spanish painter whose dreamlike works are bold and captivating.

After the museum, we squeezed in some souvenir shopping, and I found a beautiful ceramic tile at an antique shop called Le Courtois.

For a late lunch, we headed to La Malagueta, a coastal district overlooking the beach of the same name. The area is lined with chiringuitos (beach bars), and we ended up at one called Picasso. We ordered fried eggplant with honey — a local delicacy — along with fried fish and prawn croquettes al pil pil. The weather was ideal, the sea looked calm and inviting, and we immediately regretted not bringing our swimsuits.

After my friends left, my boyfriend and I stepped out again and stumbled upon a procession for La Virgen del Gran Perdón. We watched in awe as the image was carried with reverence on a silver-adorned throne, surrounded by candles, while the city paused to admire it from balconies, restaurants, and the streets below.

We ended our last evening at Lo Güeno, a cozy tapas bar tucked in a narrow street near Calle Larios. Over our final glasses of sangria and tinto de verano, paired with chistorra and ensaladilla rusa, we realized how much we would miss the freshness, variety, and simplicity of Spanish food.

For all the long flights, short nights, and jet lag, the trip was truly worth every moment. Málaga was a whirlwind — but one I’d relive in a heartbeat.