Whether in tapas bars, restaurants, beach bars or terraces, the capital of Malaga offers an endless number of plans where you can enjoy the outdoors while feeling a pleasant sea breeze that is all so welcome on the hot summer nights.

Beach bars and drinks

Those who wish to experience the authentic taste of the Mediterranean should make a stop at two of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, which, besides their fishing tradition, offer cosmopolitan spaces with a lively and youthful atmosphere, where no one feels like a stranger. Whilst El Palo is one of the reference points for Malaga’s local cuisine, where there is never a shortage of fried fish and the typical sardine skewers, the seafront promenade of Pedregalejo has a lively atmosphere thanks to its numerous fashionable bars where the nights last until the early hours of the morning.

In the same area are the Baños del Carmen, one of those types of places that are capable of transporting visitors to another time and place. Its decadent, melancholic air with the remains of neoclassical columns next to the Mediterranean are part of its special charm. This is an old spa built in 1918 for the bourgeoisie of Malaga that has become a sensory experience with the smell of the sea and spectacular views of the bay while listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the old rocks and tasting the best flavours of the local cuisine.

But beachfront restaurants are not exclusive to the eastern part of the city. The food options the most established establishments on the coast of Malaga extends along the La Caleta beach and the emblematic La Malagueta neighbourhood and continues in Huelin, one of the most popular seafaring areas of the city. These beach bars are the perfect place to round off a day in the sun, enjoying the sunset with friends, or to have dinner with your partner under the moonlight. Many of them offer live music.

Another way to enjoy the summer nights in Malaga is at Muelle Uno, which houses the Spanish headquarters of the French Pompidou Centre and has a wide variety of restaurants and entertainment venues, along with street markets, random concerts and open-air exhibitions. It is well worth enjoying a long walk with views of the Alcazaba, whose illumination highlights the beauty of the famous monument, and which should be continued through the Palmeral de las Sorpresas (Palm Grove of Surprises). What a luxury!

Summer cinema

A very popular evening plan is to go to the various summer cinema sessions organised in the city as part of the open-air cinema season. Enjoying a good film under the stars is a good way to kick off a long evening, and there are many urban spaces that become improvised open-air cinemas for more than a month, such as the beaches of El Dedo, Las Acacias, La Malagueta and La Misericordia, to mention a few.

Concerts

During the summer season’s most popular festivities, such as the night of San Juan, the Virgen del Carmen celebration or the Malaga Fair, the beaches are transformed into special stages for concerts from top artists. In addition to these events, a new festival will take place at the beginning of September on Sacaba beach, bringing together more than 50 national and international artists in its first edition.