Like most major tourist destinations Malaga offers lots of tours. Recently we were invited to join a new and very different kind of walking tour in Malaga. Not only did we discover some new corners of the city we also had some real fun.
My younger daughter and I turned up at the meeting point at 10am on a scorching Monday in July. We’d read the info on the Malaga City Adventures website so had a reasonable idea of what to expect, but we certainly didn’t expect to have such a fun morning.
Tour coordinators Elizabeth and Matthias arm you with a tote bag stuffed with goodies and explain how this walking tour in Malaga works. There’s a cool GPS – ‘the Golden Compass’ – to learn to use (fortunately it’s super easy and even non-techy me got the hang of it straight away). Then there’s the vintage mobile – you know, the ones that are just phones. You can contact the organisers on this at any time. And finally there’s the treasure book.
This spiral-bound tome includes your route, lots of information and tips about Malaga, and the all-important clues. Before we went off on our search for treasure, Elizabeth and Matthias made sure we had got the hang of the GPS and knew what we were doing. We had and we did so off we went.
Unusual discoveries on this walking tour of Malaga
Each new page of the treasure book sends you to a new destination with a new clue. For each one, you set the GPS and follow the compass round the city. The GPS is accurate to within about 5m and we found that it was spot on for all the destinations. I thought that using this and guiding your parents round Malaga would be great fun for children and teens.
One of the main aims of this walking tour of Malaga is to show you the city. And see it you do, but not just the typical monuments. This tour also reveals the detail and take you off the beaten track in Malaga (something we’re big fans of at Guide to Malaga).
So as well as the Cathedral and Alcazaba Fortress, you also see some street art, an unusual instrument, lots of food and greet Picasso himself. And one surprise – there was even a corner of Malaga that I didn’t know existed and I loved the tiles there.
Clued-up on Malaga
The clues were very varied, some were easy and others were a challenge. Despite a combined age of 73, 2 university degrees and a good knowledge of Malaga we were really stumped by one, but as the treasure book says “you need to look carefully”. (And you get something very unusual to do the looking with!)
We thought the variety of clues would appeal to a wide range of ages and tastes. Matthias and Elizabeth recommend 7 as the minimum age since you have to be able to read to get the most out of the tour. And the last clue was the best because you didn’t know where you were going and just had to rely on the Golden Compass to lead you to the treasure. Definitely a very different kind of walking tour in Malaga.
We were successful in our hunt and were able to open the wooden casket at the end. We won’t give away what it contained, but we both came away with some very original treasure and a great reminder of Malaga.
DISCOVER MORE THINGS TO DO IN MALAGA
Highlights on this walking tour of Malaga
- The explanations – easy to follow and Elizabeth and Matthias both speak excellent English (and German and Spanish).
- The not knowing where you’re going – despite knowing Malaga well we didn’t always know where the Golden Compass was leading us.
- The variety of clues – you need to be eagle-eyed, accurate when you count and patient.
- The variety of destinations – you go on and off the beaten tourist trail.
- The ice-cold water – included in the jute bag, this was so welcome!
- The fun element – as a child, I did lots of treasure hunts but I haven’t been on one for years. This was a welcome reminder of just how much fun they are.
- And the lolly sunglasses!
Walking tour in Malaga – Practical information
Tour times – this walking tour in Malaga leaves at 10am from Plaza de la Constitución every day except Tuesday and Wednesday.
Private tour – if you want a different time, get in touch with Elizabeth and Matthias.
Tour duration – typically 3 to 4 hours, but you do this at your own pace so it can take as long or as short as you like.
Tour price – €25 per adult, €20 for students. Family ticket (2 adults and any number of children) €50.
Included in the tour – all you need to find the treasure, the treasure itself, the jute bag and water.
Booking – best to book in advance via the website.
SEE MORE PRACTICAL INFO ABOUT MALAGA
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Guide to Malaga would like to thank Malaga City Adventures for a great morning out and for reminding me of what fun treasure hunts are! We wish them every success in their venture.
