Best Malaga souvenirs for Christmas
Malaga souvenirs are on everyone’s list when it comes to taking something home from a holiday in Malaga. If you’re visiting the city before Christmas, you’ll probably be doing a spot of shopping for presents. Here are our top suggestions for a Christmas gift from Malaga with a difference.
Eat, drink and be merry with Malaga souvenirs
Turrón
Turrón is a traditional sweetmeat eaten in Spain at Christmas and made of almonds, sugar and honey. It comes in lots of different types, although the best-selling (and best-known) are turrón de Jijona (made with ground almonds so it’s soft) and turrón de Alicante (made with whole almonds so it’s hard).
One of the most traditional places to buy this is Casa Mira (they’ve been making it here since 1842 so they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the recipe). They also sell a good selection of other Christmas sweetmeats, all delicious.
Where to buy it: Casa Mira, Calle Larios 5 (10.30am-1am daily) & Calle Andrés Pérez 10 (1-9.30pm daily)
Price: you buy turrón in a tablet and the price depends on the weight, but expect to pay from €12 for 1.
Mantecados
Another favourite at Christmas in Spain, this sweetmeat is made of almonds, lard, flour and sugar. And like turrón, comes in all sorts of flavours. Choose from traditional, cinnamon, coconut, lemon, hazelnut…
La Antequerana is one of the best brands of mantecados in Andalusia and these are made in nearby Antequera. Conscious that lard isn’t the healthiest option, they’ve introduced mantecados made with olive oil or Iberian pig lard, both easier on the blood pressure.
Where to buy them: Atarazanas Market (9am-3pm Monday to Saturday) and at traditional grocery stores in the city centre.
Price: you buy mantecados by weight and prices start at around €6 a kilo.
Botani sparkling wine
Malaga wine is up-and-coming on the international wine circuits and although Malaga is best known for its sweet wine, there are also some great white and reds. These include Botani produced by Grupo Jorge Ordóñez, a white wine bottled still, frizzante or sparkling – a great Malaga souvenir to toast in 2021 on New Year’s Eve.
Where to buy it: La Mallorquina, Plaza de Feliz Saenz 7 (9am-2pm & 5.30-8pm Mon-Fri; 9.30am-2pm weekends); El Corte Inglés Gourmet Experience (9am to 9pm Monday, 10am-10pm Tuesday to Saturday).
Price: around €14
Malaga beer
A bottle of local beer makes another unusual souvenir from Malaga. Several breweries make their own including La Cabra Azul (2 types), based in Comares in the Axarquía mountains just outside Malaga, and Malaqa (4 types) with a brewery in the north of the city.
Where to buy it: online from the above breweries or at El Corte Inglés Gourmet Experience (9am to 9pm Monday, 10am-10pm Tuesday to Saturday).
Price: from €3
Typically Malaga souvenirs
Forget those flamenco aprons and the ‘I went to Malaga and all I got…’ t-shirts and consider these:
Biznaga brooch or pendant
Practically identical to the real thing but without the powerful scent, these brooches imitate the delicate flower made of jasmine stamens to perfection. And it’s one of the symbols of Malaga so a perfect reminder of the city.
Where to buy it: Hago jewelers where all biznagas are handmade. Calle Santa Lucía 8 (Monday and Tuesday 10am to 9pm; Wednesday to Friday 10.30am-2pm & 5.30-8.30pm, Saturday 10.30am-2pm).
Price: €15-60
Keep your finger on the Malaga buzzer at Christmas and all year-round by signing up to our free fortnightly newsletter. All you need to know about what’s on and what’s new in the city in your inbox every other Friday.
Lusterware and ceramics
Malaga was one of the first places in the world to produce lusterware back in the time of the Moors. Your Christmas present budget probably doesn’t stretch to an original, but you can buy lovely ceramics at Alfajar. These handmade pieces definitely make an unusual souvenir from Malaga.
Where to buy: Alfajar, Calle Císter 1, opposite the Cathedral.
Price: from €42
Picasso souvenir
It’s difficult to leave Malaga without something in your suitcase to remind you of Picasso. And there’s certainly plenty to choose from – Picassian motifs seem to appear on everything from ashtrays to clocks.
For the best quality (and more unusual) Picasso souvenirs, look in the shops at the Picasso Museum and the Pompidou Centre where you’ll find (tasteful) t-shirts, notebooks and memorabilia plus the best collections of books about Picasso around.
Price: from €3
Malaga souvenirs for children
A kid’s guide to Malaga
Introduce your children to Malaga with this illustrated book about the city. Written in Spanish and English (so there’s a language learning opportunity here too), its fun pictures are a great take-home souvenir of Malaga as well as a treasure trove of information about the city. If your children want to go beyond Malaga city, buy them Atlas of Malaga that takes a look at the province as a whole.
Read about some great activities for children in Malaga.
Where to buy: stocked in most bookshops and Malaga museum shops.
Price: €14.95
The perfect Malaga souvenir
Guide to Malaga 😉
You’ll definitely be recommending Malaga as a holiday destination when you get home so please recommend us as the perfect (and free!) gift for anyone planning to come. And if you want a handy guide to making the best of Malaga on a short break, why not buy our ebook? Full guided itineraries to discover the city whether you’re visiting for 2,3, 4 or 5 days. All the information you need.
Where to buy: in our online shop.
Price: just €4.95! (get 25% off with the discount code WEB)
Find out more about Malaga at Christmas
If you’ve chosen to come on holiday to Malaga at Christmas, you’ll need all the information. Our website includes several useful sources including:
Why celebrate Christmas in Malaga
Our favourite pictures of Malaga at Christmas
Planning to visit Malaga?
All you need for a short break in Malaga!
Get Malaga at your fingertips quickly and easily with our handy ebook. Full and guided itineraries for a short break in the city whether you’re visiting for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. All you need to make the absolute most of your stay.