Wet weather activities in Malaga

The weather in Malaga is usually sunny and warm, but not always. Every so often, the rain clouds flow in from the Mediterranean or Atlantic and pour on the city. Adiós to all those outdoor activities! But not to worry – there are plenty of things to do in Malaga when the sun isn’t shining and you need your umbrella. 

Malaga also has a certain charm in the rain – the cobbled streets glisten and the city’s historic façades take on darker shades, giving them a new look. You’ll find the city slightly quieter too because the locals don’t ‘do’ rain and tend to stay inside while they wait for the wet weather to pass.

If your visit to Malaga coincides with the rain, read on to discover lots of things to do and see.

Rainy days in Malaga – the facts

Statistically, Malaga enjoys 320 days of sunshine a year, leaving not many days of rain. The chart below shows the wettest months on average. As you can see, the autumn and winter are the rainiest seasons, although even in the wettest month (December), it rains on just 6 days.

Of course, the table above is based on average statistics, and the weather doesn’t seem to follow its usual rules nowadays. So, you might just find yourself getting your umbrella out more or less!

If you are on holiday in Malaga and it’s wet, here’s our guide to how to make the most of the city in the rain.

Need a brolly?

If you’re on holiday and find yourself in the rain, here’s where to buy an umbrella in Malaga:

Calle Larios – Mango and Oysho.

Calle Nueva – Marks & Spencer, Natura and Flying Tiger.

El Corte Inglés – perhaps the biggest selection of umbrellas at this department store in Malaga, ranging from cheap to designer. Find them on the ground floor near the cosmetics.

Unusual umbrellas

And if you’d like a special brolly, head for the Carmen Thyssen Museum shop.

Rainy day activities at a glance

Which rainy day activity is best for you?
☑️ Travelling with kids? → Museum of Imagination + Galaxy Park bowling or escape room
☑️ Culture lover? → Museum marathon (Picasso → Pompidou → Carmen Thyssen)
☑️ Shopaholic? → El Corte Inglés → Centro Larios → Vialia circuit
☑️ Foodie? → Atarazanas Market → cooking class → churros comfort
☑️ Romantic couple? → Art museum → hammam → cinema
☑️ Budget conscious? → Free museums + market browsing + window shopping in malls

Make it a museum day

Malaga supposedly has the most museums per square kilometre of any city in Europe. So, when it’s too wet to be outside, take advantage of the over 30 museums in Malaga. Take your pick from:

Art Museums

All showcase world-class art in their permanent displays and most have interesting temporary exhibitions going on too.

Picasso Museum

Housed in a stunning palace, this museum takes you on a guided tour of Picasso’s works throughout his long life. Don’t miss the palace architecture and be sure to pop into the basement to see the Phoenician, Roman and medieval ruins.

Top tip – this museum is the most-visited in town and gets even more crowded when it’s raining! To avoid queuing under your umbrella, buy a ticket in advance.

Pompidou Centre

Cutting-edge modern and contemporary art, with works on loan from the Musée Pompidou in Paris. The main exhibition changes bi-annually and there are always good temporary exhibitions. Excellent museum shop. Read our guide.

Buy a ticket in advance.

Carmen Thyssen Museum

Spanish art takes centre stage in this museum, also housed in a stunning palace. Two floors exhibit 19th and 20th-century Spanish paintings, while the third floor always has an excellent temporary exhibition. Great shop and good indoor café.

Top tip
Find out which exhibitions are on where in our what’s on this month post. Or subscribe to our free newsletter for fortnightly updates.

Historical Museums

Discover Malaga’s past at the Municipal Museum (Plaza de General Torrijos), marvel at the glass exhibits at the Glass Museum and check out some vintage models in both cars and clothes at Malaga Car Museum.

Malaga Culture Museums

Take a tour of the local wine industry at the Malaga Wine Museum or enjoy a look at customs and traditions from bygone Malaga at the Museum of Arts and Customs.

Suitable for Children

The Music Museum makes a perfect museum for children in Malaga, with lots to touch and explore. They’ll also love the Museum of the Imagination, where nothing is quite as it seems. And gaming kids will enjoy the Museum of Videogames in the city centre.

If your children are arty, check out the activities for kids at the Pompidou Centre and Picasso Museum.

Read more about things to do with children in Malaga.

But it’s a Monday…

Museums and monuments in Spain have the habit of closing on Mondays and Malaga is no exception. However, the Pompidou Centre and Picasso Museum both open on Mondays.

So there’s no excuse not to get your dose of amazing art on a rainy Monday!

Go bowling

Galaxy Park on Muelle Uno offers an indoor world of entertainment and a perfect spot to get out of the rain in Malaga. There are six bowling alleys, adapted to help younger kids play (€6 per person Monday to Thursday, and €8 Friday to Sunday). You’ll also find arcade games, VR games and air-hockey, basketball and racing.

Open 11am to 1am daily.

Escape from rainy Malaga

By visiting one of the city’s excellent escape rooms where you can spend 60 to 90 minutes solving a mystery or escaping. Venues with games available in English include:

EscaPark

A great option for older children, with themes involving Harry Potter, detectives or witches.

📍 Avenida Agustin Heredia 20 (near Plaza de la Marina)
💰 From €25 for 2 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Suitable for anyone over 12 (Harry Potter over 14)
⏰ Open daily 1pm to 10pm
✅ Booking recommended via this link

La Cuenta Atrás

Ancient Egypt, NASA and a mysterious Chicago hotel are the elements in the three games available at this venue whose name means countdown in Spanish.

📍 Calle San Juan de Letrán 6 (near Plaza de la Merced)
💰 From €30 for 2 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Suitable for anyone over 12
⏰ Open daily 10am to 10pm
✅ Booking recommended via this link

Parapark

Based on the flow theory, this escape room in Malaga has four themes including the Bermuda Triangle and a crime solving mystery.

📍 Calle Méndez Núnez 1 (in the heart of the old quarter)
💰 €50 for 2-3 people, €55 for 4
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Suitable for anyone over 8
⏰ Open daily 10am to 10pm
✅ Booking essential via this link

Shop till you drop

If you don’t fancy popping in and out of the rain at the shops in the city centre, shop in the dry at these shopping centres in Malaga:

• El Corte Inglés – Spain’s flagship department store on the west side of the river has 7 floors in the main building. Treat yourself to some gourmet produce in the Gourmet Experience on the top floor.
• Centro Larios – between El Corte Inglés and the mainline train station, the 2 floors here are home to all main fashion brands, the Irish Dunnes Stores and Primark (be prepared for the crowds here).
• Vialia – within the mainline train station, this shopping centre offers lots of fashion stores and shoe shops, and a good choice of restaurants and bars. There’s also a supervised children’s play area.

Need a hotel in Malaga?

But have no idea which area of Malaga to stay in or which are the best hotels? Then check out our two great resources:

Definitive guide to where to stay in Malaga – we’ve put every district in the city under the microscope and given you information on its pros and cons, nearest attractions, public transport connections and best hotels.

List of recommended accommodation in Malaga – our list of places to stay are all tried and tested, either by ourselves or Guide to Malaga users.

Our favourite rainy day pick

If it’s just drizzling, we love walking around the Port and admiring the city skyline in a completely different light. The rain makes everything look very different. If it’s pouring – and it sometimes tips it down – we always head for a museum in the morning (we currently love the Pompidou main exhibition), have lunch at one of our favourite restaurants and then catch a film at the Albeniz Cinema.

Visit Atarazanas Market

Atarazanas Market, located just north of the Alameda Principal is huge and under cover. So, when it’s raining in Malaga make a beeline for the fresh food market. Take your time browsing the main sections, try before you buy and stock up on some goodies for lunch or to take home as a souvenir.

Atarazanas Market opens Monday to Saturday 9am to 3pm.

Indoor entertainment

If the weather’s wet in Malaga, you can also enjoy some entertainment at one of the venues below:

Take in a movie

The Albeniz Cinema on Calle Alcazabilla shows films in their original version and there’s usually a good choice of classics and latest releases. All films are shown in their original language with Spanish subtitles so this is a good chance to see a film in English. Afternoon showings start around 4pm. Tickets cost (just) €6 and can be bought on the door. See what’s on here.

Catch a flamenco show

Several venues in Malaga offer good flamenco shows, with local singers, dancers and guitar players.

Alegría Flamenco – located near Malaga Port and with several shows daily. The earliest starts at 4pm and tickets cost from €25 per person. Buy your ticket here.

Teatro Flamenco – situated in the city centre and with daily shows. The earliest starts at 5pm and tickets cost from €29 per person. Buy your ticket here.

Take a class

You could also learn something while it’s raining on your holiday in Malaga. How about:

A paella class – learn to make the classic Spanish rice dish and a couple of local foodie treats with the lovely Laura in her big show kitchen in Soho. And you get to eat it all at the end. Daily classes, starting at 11am and lasting for 3 hours. From €66 per person. Book your cooking class.

Dance flamenco – discover if you have the duende (flamenco spirit) while you learn about flamenco and practise some basic dance moves. Daily sessions at noon and 8pm, 45 minutes. From €50 per person, with discounts for two or three people. Book your olé class.

Paint your own Picasso – discover the artist’s styles and then paint your own masterpiece (well, almost) in a bespoke studio near Plaza de la Merced. The 2-hour sessions are at 10am and noon, and cost from €39 per person. Book your painting class now.

Pamper yourself

Use the rain in Malaga as an excuse to treat yourselves to a wellness day. Malaga has several options including an atmospheric hammam and hotel spa circuits.

Visit a ‘Moorish’ hammam

Take a step back into the Arabian Nights at Hammam Al-Andalus in the heart of the old quarter. Soak in the bath circuit (cold, warm and hot pools, heated slabs and sauna) or add a massage to the relaxation. Book your wellness treat here

📍 Plaza de los Mártires (behind the Carmen Thyssen Museum)
💰 From €60
⏰ Open daily 10am to late
✅ Booking essential

A hotel spa

The Gran Hotel Miramar has a spa circuit, open to non-guests (subject to availability), including hydrotherapy, a sauna and Turkish bath. Massages and other treatments are also available. More details here.

Work out

Or simply move those muscles while it’s raining in Malaga. Maybe you fancy doing some lengths in the pool or working out in the gym as you wait for the rain to stop.

The following gyms have pools and/or fitness rooms, with daily membership available.

Basic Fit – several gyms in Malaga, with a couple near the old quarter. A daily pass costs around €12.

Inacua – in the west side of the city (get there on the No 7 bus or Line 2 of the metro from the Alameda Principal) has two indoor pools and a gym. Daily pass available from €8. More information.

Synergym – several locations in Malaga, including one on Paseo de Reding in La Malagueta area. A daily pass for the gym and/or classes costs around €10.

Enjoy some chocolate and churros

Perhaps the ultimate comfort food, chocolate and churros are also perfect for a rainy day. Our guide lists our favourite spots to try this delicious combo – check them out and pick yours!

Sunny weather on the horizon

The good news is that wet weather in Malaga isn’t the end of the world and the great choice of rainy day activities means you can still make the most of your holiday in the city.

And the even better news is that it never rains for long and it’s very likely that the next day (or even the next hour) the sun will be shining again!

Guide to Malaga lists all the best things to do in the city whether it’s wet or dry – check out our long, long list!