Malaga cruise port, Spain
Picasso was born here in 1881, in a flat on the Plaza de la Merced, and there is a museum of his work a few streets away. The Alcazaba fortress above the port is Moorish, and a Roman theatre from the first century sits at its foot, dug out by accident in 1951.
Worth knowing. His father was a painter too, and taught him. The story in Malaga is that he handed over his brushes for good once he saw what the boy could already do.
What to do in Malaga for free
The old town is about half an hour along the harbour promenade, which is flat and has no steps in it. The Roman theatre at the foot of the fortress is open to walk into for nothing, and you can look down into it from the street above. The cathedral square and the market hall are on the same walk.
What costs money
The ship's own excursions usually cost more than booking the same trip yourself. Two things come with the price. The ship waits for its own excursions and does not wait for you. And if the port is missed, P&O refunds its own without you asking. A trip you booked yourself is a claim on your travel insurance, so check what your policy covers. The ship sells its own trips to all of these, and the desk is open on board if you would rather do it that way. That advice points at links I am paid for, so weigh it accordingly.
I get a small commission if you book through these links. It costs you nothing extra.
The Alcazaba. The Moorish fortress on the hill straight above the Roman theatre, with the gardens and the water channels still running through it. There is a lift up from the far side, which is how most people take it.
Caminito del Rey. A walkway bolted to the wall of a gorge an hour inland, with a footbridge a hundred metres above the river. It runs nearly eight kilometres and it goes one way, so there is no turning back once you are on it.
Which ship calls at Malaga, and when
Every call here between 15 August and 28 November 2026, with the hours ashore P&O published. These times are a guide, not a promise: the captain gives the real ones the day before.
| Ship | Sails | Day | Ashore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvia | 16 August 2026, 14 nights | Day 6 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 27 September 2026, 13 nights | Day 6 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 10 October 2026, 13 nights | Day 6 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 9 May 2027, 14 nights | Day 5 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 6 June 2027, 14 nights | Day 5 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 20 June 2027, 14 nights | Day 6 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 18 July 2027, 14 nights | Day 6 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 15 August 2027, 14 nights | Day 5 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
How long you get ashore in Malaga
The published times give you about 10 hours alongside, depending on the sailing. Take off the time it takes a few thousand people to get off, and the time you need to be back on board before the ship leaves, and that is your day. P&O give the real hours the day before, and the all-aboard time is earlier than the departure time.
The other stops on these cruises
Every one of these is on at least one of the sailings that calls at Malaga.
- AlicanteSanta Barbara castle stands on the bare rock of Benacantil straight above the town, held in turn by Carthaginians, Romans and Moors because whoever had the rock had the harbour.
- BarcelonaThe Gothic Quarter is built on the Roman town of Barcino, and the Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882: Gaudi knew he would not see it finished and said his client was in no hurry.
- Cadiz (tours to Seville)Probably the oldest continuously lived-in city in western Europe: the Phoenicians founded Gadir here around 1100 BC.
- Civitavecchia (for Rome)Rome's port since Trajan built it in 106, and his harbour walls are still under the modern quays.
- La CorunaThe Spanish Armada sailed from this harbour in 1588, and it is still guarded by the Tower of Hercules, a Roman lighthouse from about the year 100 which has never stopped working: the oldest one on earth still doing its job.
- La Seyne-sur-Mer (for Toulon)A shipbuilding town across the water from Toulon, France's main Mediterranean naval base.
- La Spezia (tours to Florence /Pisa)A naval city at the head of a gulf, and the reason ships call is what sits either side of it: the Cinque Terre villages up the coast, Pisa and Florence inland.
- MarseillesThe oldest city in France, founded by Greek sailors from Phocaea around 600 BC as Massalia, and it has faced the sea rather than Paris ever since.
- VigoEurope's biggest fishing port by weight landed, and it smells honestly of it near the market.
Money and language in Spain
Euro (EUR, €). Cards are normal, though a small market stall or a taxi may want coins. The Canary Islands are Spain and use the euro too. Onboard is always charged in sterling, so this only matters ashore.
English is common in the ports and thinner a street back.
| English | Spanish | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | OH-la |
| Goodbye | Adiós | ah-DYOSS |
| How much? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? | KWAN-toh KWESS-ta |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRA-syass, and GRA-thyass on the mainland if you want to blend in |
| Please | Por favor | por fa-VOR |
Free, and it works with no internet. Give it the dates you sail and it works out your own stops and saves the street map for each one. It shows you round the ship too.
All the ports written up so far, the things to do before you sail, or the ship pages for Iona and Arvia.