Málaga's signature dish is cooked outdoors, over a fire, in an old fishing boat half-buried in the sand. The espeto — fresh sardines threaded onto a bamboo skewer and grilled beside the embers — is everywhere along this coast in summer, and watching the espetero work the fire is half the experience. Add a plate of fried fish and a cold glass of local wine and you have the most Malagueño lunch there is.
What to order
Espeto de sardinas first, always — six fat sardines, charred outside, juicy within, eaten with your fingers. Then pescaíto frito, the mixed fried fish that Andalusia does better than anywhere: boquerones (fresh anchovies), small squid, red mullet, all in a light, crisp coat. Wash it down with a glass of the sweet local Málaga wine, or a cold beer if the sun is doing its job.
Book your transfer
Where to eat it
Skip the busy central beach and head east to Pedregalejo and El Palo, the old fishermen's neighbourhoods where the chiringuitos line the promenade and the boats still come in. These are the places locals drive out to on a Sunday. Tables fill fast on warm afternoons, so go early or be ready to wait for one with a sea view.
Getting there
Málaga-Costa del Sol airport (AGP) is one of the busiest in Spain and barely fifteen minutes from the city and its eastern beaches. If you are heading on to the wider Costa del Sol — Marbella, Nerja, Torremolinos — the chiringuitos are an easy detour. A private transfer means you go straight from arrivals to a table in the sand. Book your Málaga transfer or see our private transfers in Málaga.
