Malaga Walking Tours – Pedregalejo and El Palo
For a completely different side of Malaga, head east of the city centre to Pedregalejo and El Palo, two of the city’s traditional fishing neighbourhoods.
This easy seafront walk takes you from Los Baños del Carmen through Pedregalejo and on to El Palo, passing beaches, colourful fishing boats and some of the best places in Malaga for fresh fish and espetos.
Allow around 3 to 4 hours, especially if you stop for lunch, a swim or an ice cream along the way.
Promenade works: Pedregalejo seafront is currently being refurbished. Some sections may have restricted access, noise or diversions while the work continues.
A map of this Malaga walking tour is at the bottom of the page.
About this walk
- Distance: Approximately 4–5km one way from Baños del Carmen to El Candado port
- Terrain: Flat and fully paved throughout — seafront promenade the whole way
- Time to allow: 3–4 hours including a stop for food. Longer if you spend time on the beach.
- Accessibility: The seafront promenade is fully accessible. Bear in mind that it’s busy at weekends, so making your way along in a wheelchair takes more time than usual.
- Getting there by bus: Buses 3 and 11 run from Alameda Principal to El Palo. Get off at the Baños del Carmen stop (stop number 1111). Journey time approximately 20 minutes. Alternatively, it’s a 25-minute walk east along the seafront from the city centre.
- Getting back: Buses 3 and 11 run back to the city centre from El Palo. Or walk back along the same promenade — the views west towards the city are even better on the return.
Malaga walking tour in Pedregalejo
Just east of los Baños del Carmen is the district of Pedregalejo. The origins of its name are unclear – they could come from the San Telmo stone quarry (pedregal in Spanish means ‘stony area’). However, the name Pedregalejo appears on maps well before the quarry opened.
Whatever the origin of its name, this is one of the oldest traditional fishing districts in Malaga. The low-rise buildings that back the seafront and line the narrow streets behind it are a refreshing change from the taller buildings in Malaga city centre.
Work on promenade
Major refurbishment of the entire Pedregalejo seafront started in 2025 and has yet to finish. In August 2026, the paving was down, but there was still significant work to complete. Expect slight disruption – limited access to some parts of the promenade, dust and noise from machinery – until late 2026.
Note too that refurbishment on the promenade in El Palo is scheduled to start in early 2027.
The first stage of this Malaga walking tour starts at los Baños del Carmen and continues along the seafront to the blue suspension bridge crossing the Arroyo de Jaboneros stream.
Highlights on the way include:
Los Baños del Carmen
Built in the 1920s as a bathing station and sports complex for people on holiday in Malaga, this used to be one of the spots to see (and be seen) in Malaga. Today it’s mostly in a ruined state while officials argue over who’s going to restore it and how. Meanwhile, the restaurant and bar make a great place for a drink and/or meal plus there’s regular live entertainment.
Top tip: see some of the loveliest sunsets in town on this Malaga walking tour. Time your walk back and enjoy a cocktail at los Baños del Carmen while you watch the sky.
Astilleros Nereo
One of the oldest working shipyards in Spain where you can see modern boats being repaired and traditional boats being reconstructed. They’re also building a replica of a Phoenician jábega boat using only the methods used 3,000 years ago. A must for anyone with a marine interest.
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm; Thursday 10am to 2pm and 9pm to midnight, and Saturday from 10am to 1pm. It also opens on the first Sunday of the month, 10am to 2pm.
Where to eat on this Malaga walking tour
There are several great places to eat in Pedregalejo. If you’re after fried fish (pescaíto) you can’t go wrong at most of the seafront bars. For a more upmarket meal, we like Misuto in Calle Varadero, just opposite the shipyards.
Top tip: these beaches in Malaga offer safe bathing because the water shelves gently. But watch out for underwater rocks near the breakwaters.
Malaga walking tour in El Palo
The next stage of this walking tour takes us to El Palo. Once you cross the suspension bridge over Arroyo de Jaboneros stream (often dry), you cross into El Palo. Like Pedregalejo, this is one of Malaga’s fishing districts and although the fleet is much smaller nowadays, fishing is still important.
El Palo is also one of Malaga’s up-and-coming areas. New restaurants and tapas bars open often and the area has a great local vibe. You’ll come across fewer tourists too. This makes a change from the busy city centre, but expect plenty of people on Saturdays and Sundays when locals flock to El Palo for Sunday lunch.
Make your way along the seafront promenade towards El Candado Port at the eastern end.
Top tip: if you’re there on Saturday morning, visit El Palo market with stalls selling clothes, household goods, flowers and plants, and fruit and vegetables. Find it next to the bridge.
The home of surfing in Spain
These beaches in Malaga saw the first surfers on the Mediterranean in Spain. It’s difficult to believe now because the sea is usually calm, but back before the breakwaters were built, Pedregalejo had some amazing waves. The long one that used to form off shore near the Arroyo de Jaboneros stream was legendary.
Pedregalejo locals first started surfing in Malaga in 1970 and their beach soon became a stop-off for Europeans on their way to and from the surfing meccas in Morocco. The Baños del Carmen became a second-hand market for surf equipment and by 1974, the Malaga Surfing Club was formed (the first in Spain).
Highlights on the way include:
Jábega boats
As you walk along these beaches in Malaga look out for the traditional jabega boats, once used for fishing and now rowed in the annual rowing championships. Read more about the jabega boat trail – one of more unusual things to do in Malaga.
Monuments
There are several monuments along the seafront. Look out for:
- Anchor – a fitting monument to the area’s fishing history, this giant anchor takes up most of the square.
- A drop of light – this silver half-sphere pays homage to one of the Spain’s greatest philosophers and authors, Ortega y Gasset. The sentence written around the base reflects into the silver sphere so you can read it.
- Poet and jabega – the profile of local poet Emilio Prados sits next to a jabega boat looking out to sea at the eastern end of El Palo seafront.
Bite to eat
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out in El Palo, particularly if you like fresh fish, seafood and traditional Malaga cuisine. Sardine espetos are a local speciality, grilled over an open fire in the traditional fishing-boat barbecues that line the seafront. Prices vary considerably from one restaurant to another, so check the menu before ordering. Recent reporting puts espetos in Málaga at roughly €2 to €8 depending on the beach and restaurant.
El Tintero – probably El Palo’s most famous restaurant and an experience in its own right. There’s no conventional ordering system: waiters walk around “auctioning” freshly prepared plates of fried fish and seafood, and you simply call out when you see something you fancy. It’s lively, informal and almost always busy. Avenida Salvador Allende 340.
Casa Manuel de La Lonja – a longstanding family-run favourite close to the seafront. Come here for grilled sardines, squid, octopus, fresh fish and excellent rice dishes, as well as traditional homemade stews. Calle Banda del Mar 19.
La Taberna de Chorchi – one of the best-rated restaurants in El Palo and a good choice if you fancy something beyond the usual seafront fish restaurants. Expect creative takes on Spanish classics, homemade dishes, meats and an excellent wine selection. Avenida Salvador Allende 13.
Enkale – a contemporary restaurant with one of the highest current ratings in the neighbourhood. The menu gives traditional Mediterranean flavours a more modern treatment, making it a good option for a slightly more special lunch or dinner. Avenida Salvador Allende 21.
Restaurante Narval – a popular seafront option for seafood, fried fish, rice dishes and traditional sardine espetos. It has thousands of reviews and remains one of El Palo’s busiest traditional seafood restaurants. Calle Banda del Mar 139.
Helados Cremades – finish your walk with an artisan ice cream from this long-established Malaga family business. Expect traditional flavours, milkshakes, granitas and seriously indulgent sundaes, all just steps from the beach. Avenida Salvador Allende 256.
Malaga Walking Tours Practicalities
Time taken
Allow 3-4 hours for this tour (longer if you’re heading for the beach)
Best time of day
This walk is lovely at any time of day in spring, autumn and winter. In the summer, it’s best first or last thing.
Lunchtimes and weekends are the busy, so if you want to avoid the crowds do this walking tour in the morning or evening.
Public transport
It isn’t far to walk to Pedregalejo from Malaga city centre and it takes about 25 minutes. But if you’d rather start this Malaga walking tour in Pedregalejo itself, buses 3 and 11 run between the Alameda Principal and El Palo. Get off at los Baños del Carmen stop (No 1111).
Find out more about taking the bus in Malaga
By bike
It’s an easy ride from Malaga city centre to los Baños del Carmen along the Malagueta seafront. However, bikes aren’t allowed on the seafront promenade, so you must get off and walk or ride along the main street parallel to the beach – you’ll miss the sea views.
This walking tour is of course just one of the great things to do in Malaga. And if you’re interested in discovering other parts of the city, check out our other Malaga walking tours.
And here’s the map for this Malaga walking tour