Shopping in Málaga is a fascinating mix of the old and the new. Years ago shopping for the malagueños was a fairly parochial, low-key affair but economic booms and the increase in tourism, has resulted in more contemporary and chic shopping options, including international chains and shopping malls.
If this all sounds worryingly anonymous, don’t worry. Málaga is still home to plenty of small idiosyncratic shops, many of which have been in the same family for several generations and seem to charmingly thrive on selling just one or two specialties. It is this diversity in era and style that is one of the great aspects of shopping here; the fact that right next to a cutting-edge designer boutique you can still find a stuck-in-a-time warp haberdashery buzzing with elderly ladies scouring racks of buttons, bobbins and bows. In addition there is an increase in enterprising individuals opening interesting and unusual new shops that would be quite at home in New York or London.
Inevitably, however, the Coast is home to the souvenir strips, selling the same kind of imported shells, saucy slogan T-shirts, cheap jewellery and kitsch ornaments that you find in tourist resorts all over the world. If you do plan on shopping on the Costa del Sol, then head for the weekly markets where you can still pick up inexpensive souvenirs and gifts, including ceramics and leatherwear.
Back in the Costa capital, Spain’s famous department store El Corte Ingles (Avenida de Andalucía) is the usual multi-storey confusion of, well just about everything, including shoes, perfume, fashion, homeware, furniture and food. Alternatively, head for the city’s shopping heart: Málaga’s swanky shopping street, Marqués de Larios is traffic-free and luxurious with glossy marble pavements and expensive shops. On either side are alleyways and tiny squares and a number of churches and museums, all within close range. Atarazanas, Malaga Central Market is absolutely not to be missed.
Even if you don’t plan to buy, Larios is a window-shopping wonderland. All the major Spanish retailers are here, including Mango (Marqués de Larios, 1) selling smart streetwise women’s fashion and evening wear.
