25/10/2026
This is my fifth Christmas in Málaga, and I still haven't quite gotten used to a city this lit up in December.
Calle Larios gets all the attention, but it's only one street. So I mapped my favourite Christmas lights in Málaga as one evening walk, 3.1 km from El Corte Inglés down to Muelle Uno. Save this for your visit.
1. The Christmas market outside El Corte Inglés, with wooden stalls, food trucks and a merry-go-round
2. Alameda Principal, where the ficus trees get wrapped in lights
3. Calle San Juan, which gets its own design every year. Last year it was crystal chandeliers
4. The Neapolitan nativity in the Carmen Thyssen courtyard, free to see
5. Plaza de la Constitución, which has had a giant walk-through Christmas tree in past years
6. Calle Larios and its light and sound show
7. Plaza de la Marina, which had a 7-metre tree last year
8. The video mapping show on the Cathedral tower, five minutes from Larios
9. The giant Three Kings statues, which appear in late December
10. The Christmas market along Paseo del Parque
11. Muelle Uno and its waterfront market
12. Luces de la Concepción in the botanical garden, a bus or car ride out. This year it's a Wizard of Oz Christmas, 27 November to 6 January
Last year the Larios show ran at 6:30pm, 8:30pm and 10pm. Catch the 7pm cathedral show first and you can still make the 8:30 on Larios. The last show of the night gets the smallest crowd, especially on weekdays.
The switch-on is usually the last Friday of November. Málaga hasn't announced this year's date or the Larios theme yet.
My favourite part is still standing right under the Larios lights, packed in with everyone, singing along.
