Malaga walking tour – western seafront
The latest in our series of Malaga walking tours takes a stroll along the long western seafront. Join us for the 3-4km walk along side one of the best beaches in Malaga and via an area with a fascinating industrial past.
A map with the route and main highlights can be found below.
Getting there
This Malaga walking tour starts at the western entrance to the Port. Get here by walking 500m south from the mainline train station or 1km west from Plaza de la Marina via Muelle de Heredia.
As you walk along, notice Huelin Park on your left (see below). And then, after about 500m, the pavement branches into the much wider seafront promenade. Stop at the bend by the rocks and look back towards Malaga for a good view of the city and port. Most of the rest of the walk is along the seafront – choose to stroll on the beachside section or slightly higher up on the section that has trees and gardens.
Top tip – a bike lane (marked in red) runs the entire length of the seafront promenade. Take extra care when crossing it and avoid walking along it – some cyclists are practising for the Tour de France on it!
Things to see on this Malaga walking tour
This walking tour brings together a mixture of things to see in Malaga – from industrial chimneys to surrealistic sculptures via some of the best children’s playparks in Malaga – this walk really does have something for everyone.
The seafront of this district is probably one of the areas in Malaga that has seen the biggest change over the last 30 years, a transformation that has taken it from industrial wasteland (including the beach) to a pleasant promenade with a blue-flag beach.
Huelin
This walk starts in Huelin, once home to most of Malaga’s heavy industry – lead smelting, brick making and blast furnaces. Huelin Park – one of our favourite parks in Malaga – used to house to giant fuel containers and La Vers factory where 1,500 employees worked building railway carriages for cargo and passengers. The factory closed in 1975 and the containers were dismantled in the late 1980s.
Today, Huelin park is an oasis of greenery, with a large lake and other water features. It has a good children’s play park and lovely rose gardens. When you stroll through along the paths, it’s hard to believe that this was once home to heavy industry.
Top tip – if you’re doing this walking tour in the morning, take a quick detour into Huelin fresh food market, the best place to buy fish in Malaga and an authentic Malaga experience!
La Tabacalera
Stroll further west for about 500m and then cross from the seafront to the Fábrica de Tabacos aka La Tabacalera (tabacco factory). This magnificent building dates back to the 1920s and is built in a Neo-Mudejar style, with tiles from Seville decorating the facade.
The giant complex (it has three patios and five buildings) was used to dry and ferment tabacco leaves, grown in Granada and Extremadura. Some 400 people worked here until the early 2000s when it closed.
The old tabacco factory, now houses several key buildings in Malaga. In terms of museums, it’s home to the Russian Museum and Car Museum. You can also find the Polo Digital here, part of Malaga’s tech network, and administrative buildings.
Top tip – both museums are worth a visit. Allow around an hour for each. Our Malaga Museum Guide has more information.
Walk of fame
The western seafront in Malaga pays homage to the city’s most famous actor and is called Paseo Maritimo Antonio Banderas. At the east of the promenade you can see a series of small sculptures with the name and hand prints of the annual winners at Malaga Film Festival.
Industrial chimneys
You’ll see three very obvious signs of Malaga’s industrial past as you do this walking tour: a trio of chimneys. They form part of the 14 still standing in the city and represent the heavy industry that once sustained the local economy.
Chimenea Cros
The first chimney lies tucked between two apartment blocks, just after you pass Burger King. It was completely restored in late 2024 and now stands as a proud homage to La Trinidad factory, which once occupied over 12,500 square metres.
The Chimenea Cros dates back to 1884 when the factory began production of sulfuric acid to make kerosene for oil lamps. It later manufactured artificial fertiliser before closing in the early 1990s.
Chimenea Los Guindos
The second chimney has a privileged beachfront position and ranks as the finest industrial monument in Malaga. When its 104m were built in 1923, this chimney was the tallest building in Spain. Nowadays it’s the only thing that remains of the lead foundaries, once an essential part of the city’s industry.
Chimenea La Térmica
The third chimney sits at the far western end of the seafront and is less attractive. Its modern exterior is grey cement and it was once part of a coal-fired electricity plant. Many locals remember bathing in the 1990s in the hot lagoon that formed from waste water next to the chimney.
The part of the western seafront is currently under major redevelopment – we’ll keep you posted!
Top tip – want more information about the industrial past in this part of Malaga? Read this article. Note that it’s in Spanish but your browser should translate it for you. The photographs are super interesting!
La Térmica Cultural Centre
Towards the end of the promenade is one of Malaga’s best cultural centres and something of an architectural gem: La Térmica. This large building, built in 1862, used to be an orphanage and hospice. Today, it houses exhibitions, cultural events, conferences and a coworking space.
Take a stroll through its interior and notice the original hydraulic tile floors and stained windows.
Top tip – while you’re there, take in an exhibition or two. See our latest what’s on this month in Malaga for more details. Free entry.
Sculptures
Keep your eyes open for several interesting sculptures as you walk along. These include the statue of the espetero, the man who grills sardines.
For sculptures galore, walk into Parque del Oeste where you’ll find dozens of surreal sculptures throughout the park.
Back on the seafront, notice the mosaics with fishing motifs and an image of the Virgen del Carmen, the patron saint of fishermen – there’s one at the start of the seafront promenade and several beach bars have them.
Beach
This long stretch of sand is known as La Misericordia and it ranks as one of the best beaches in Malaga. It has excellent facilities and disabled access at the west end. The palm tree oases are great for a bit of shade in the summer.
Top tip – much of the beach shelves steeply into the sea. For the safest and shallowest bathing, head for the west end of the beach.
Children’s playparks
This must be one of the best places in Malaga for children’s playparks. There are several on the promenade – we like the pirate’s ship near the start of the promenade – plus a great zipline on the beach itself. Both parks en route (Parque Huelin and Parque de Oeste) also have fun playparks. These are all marked on the map.
At the far west end, you’ll find a mini water park, open early June to late September from 2 to 8pm.
Extras to see on this Malaga walking tour
When you’re on this Malaga walking tour, why not add on a visit to the Guadalhorce Nature Reserve?
Carry on at the end of the walk along the promenade and follow the first river tributary right, cross a white bridge and turn right. Continue walking along the river dyke until you see a wooden bridge crossing the next river tributary. Cross and turn left at the end. There are several bird watching hides here and you can expect to see a number of interesting species including herons, ospreys and flamingos.
You can read about birdwatching in Malaga here.
Bites to eat
There are lots of beach bars along the way and most of them offer good food. We like Chiringuito MarÃa and Litoral PacÃfico, but you’ll get quality food and value for money at the majority.
For coffees and snacks try Moby Dick and Bare Nostrum along the top of the promenade. Marcello does good ice creams, but the best are at De Luque, a short walk away.
(All these venues are marked on the map for this Malaga walking tour – see below.)
Getting back
The healthy option is to walk back, but if you’re feeling tired and can’t face it you have 3 options:
- Get the No 40 bus – the service runs every hour and on weekdays only so you may have a wait.
- Get the No 7 bus – walk north from the promenade to the next main road and find the nearest stop. This service runs every 10 to 15 minutes.
- Get a taxi back. There’s a taxi rank outside the Catalonia Hotel next to Parque del Oeste or call for one (tel: 952 320 000).
If you’ve walked as far as the Nature Reserve, cross the river into the Guadalmar development and catch the No 5 bus back into the city centre. Services run frequently and it takes about 40 minutes (bus stop marked on map).
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Western seafront walking tour map
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