Are you planning to fly to Malaga in December, for Christmas or for the New Year? Not only excellent weather awaits you. But also the Malaga Christmas lights, among the most beautiful in Europe. We tell you all about it below!
The Malaga Christmas lights
Just recently National Geographic has named Malaga as one of the best Christmas destinations in Spain, both for its lights and its Christmas markets.
More than 500 streets in the city are decorated with Christmas lights. But above all the historic centre becomes a sea of lights where you can stroll and enjoy the lively atmosphere in its charming streets and squares.
The epicentre of activity is concentrated around the popular Calle Larios, which is the main shopping artery, as well as Plaza de la Constitución.
From there countless alleyways branch off and where we can enjoy the beautiful Christmas illuminations.
In addition to the Christmas lights themselves, there are a number of parallel activities. We will tell you about below, among them the most popular, the sound & light show in Calle Larios.
Malaga Christmas lights switch on 2023
This year the inauguration of the Christmas lights in Larios Street will take place on the 24th of November at 7 pm with a great sound & light show.
Be prepared that on this day the centre of Malaga is completely packed. Not only because the switch on is very popular, but this day also coincides with Black Friday when many people take the opportunity to do their first Christmas shopping.
Sound & light Show in Larios Street
There will be 3 sound and light shows in Calle Larios every day except 24th and 31st December.
The sound & light shows take place at 7 pm, 8:30 pm and 10 pm. This year the songs for the shows are ‘Jingle Bells’ by the Johann Strauss Orchestra, ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’, ‘Carol of the bells’ by Pentatonix, ‘Navidad Epica’ and ‘Hacía Belén van una burra’.
The lights will be switched on between 6:30 pm and midnight on weekdays. On weekends and the eve of public holidays they will be on until 2 am. And on the 24th and 31st they will be on until 6 am.
Christmas activities in the centre
On the walls of the Cathedral will be projected a video mapping. This year´s 8-minutes luminous show is called “Angel of Light”.
The projections will be at 6:30 pm, 8 pm and 10 pm, every day from the 27th to the 4th of January. Except on the 24th and 31st of December.
Furthermore, there are also several Christmas markets: At Plaza de la Marina and Paseo del Parque, as well as at Pier One. At this location there are also many family activities such as the arrival of Father Christmas by boat or the Three Wise Men’s Tent.
The Christmas Market at Paseo del Parque will be open every day from 11 am to 10 pm. On 23 and 30 December and 5 January open until midnight.
How to get to the centre?
By public transport
Public transport is especially interesting if you come from those municipalities along the Costa del Sol that have a connection with Malaga through the suburban train Cercanias C1:Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Malaga airport.
From Malaga airport to the city centre
The suburban train station is located just a few metres from Terminal 3. There are trains every 20 minutes to Malaga Centro Alameda.
The journey time is 12 minutes, which makes public transport an ideal option to get to the centre of Malaga as quickly and stress-free as possible, without traffic jams, looking for parking etc.
The suburban train station Malaga Centro Alameda is 600 m from Calle Larios. And you don’t have any stress You only have to bear in mind that the last train to Fuengirola leaves from Malaga Centro Alameda at 11:30 pm.
By car
If you prefer to go by car or come from farther away: An interesting option may also be to park in the car park of the Plaza Mayor shopping centre and take the Cercanias C1 from there.
If you decide to travel to the centre of Malaga by car: It would be best to park in one of the central car parks.
Christmas Lights in the Botanical Garden Málaga
The stunningly beautiful historical botanical garden La Concepción is turning from 1 December until 7 January into a sparkling fairy tale. If you are in Malaga in December or early January, we strongly encourage you to visit it!
A magic stroll in the evening accompanied by sound and lights creating a very special atmosphere. It´s a route of about 2 kilometres through some of the most beautiful corners of the Botanical Garden La Concepción.
- The Christmas Garden will be open from 1 December 2023 to 7 January 2024 from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm, Monday to Sunday with daily shows, starting at 6:30 pm.
- Tickets at the official website
Our tips for visiting the Christmas Garden
This is an outdoor event after sunset, so please wear warm clothing. We also recommend flat shoes that can get dirty.
Along the route there you´ll find several cozy food & drink stalls where to replenish energy.
If you want to enjoy the Christmas Garden without the inevitable crowds, but your ticket for the last or penultimate tour around 9 pm.
