Thanks to my Spanish friend Lidia, with whom I also worked in Malta, I had the opportunity to stay with her for one week in Malaga. Exactly the week when the big summer festival “La Feria de Malaga“ took place.
It lasts for about 10 days and exists since the 15th century. You can probably imagine what a big deal this event is. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect until we went two days in a row.
How to get to La Feria de Malaga
Arriving in a new place is not always easy when it comes to such mass events. The best way to get there is by public transport, car, taxi or on foot.
Bus
Public transport is always a good idea. There is bus line F, which runs through 24 hours. However, sometimes you have to wait for several buses before there is room for you to enter.
Car
Arriving by car is not a problem as there are more than 8000 parking spaces. Look at the Pierrot Shopping Center, Los Prados, Huerta del Correo, and Teatinos. The practical thing about the car is that you are flexible.
Feria del Dia, Cartojal and Flamenco
Actually “La Feria de Malaga” is not localized in one place but spreads out through the city. During the day (“Feria del día”) you can walk around the city and drink the famous sweet wine Cartojal, which is available everywhere on the streets for 2-3€.
Alternatively, you can go into a party tent with air conditioning (if it is too hot outside), dance and enjoy some delicious tapas along with it.
Don’t miss out on taking some photos with the women dressed up in their beautiful, traditional Flamenco dresses. Apparently even the dogs and men dress up as well!
Feria de la Noche, Main location, Fireworks, and Tents
In the evening (“Feria de la Noche”) the place to be is Real de la Feria, as this is the main location. For the kickoff, there is a big firework which seems to last forever but is very nice.
Basically, what you do in La Feria de Malaga is walk up and down the streets until you find a tent you like. I don’t know how many kilometers I walked those two nights, but for me that was fine. I ate too much candy anyway and needed to walk off those calories.
There are loads of tents with live music or DJ’s to dance through the night. Most of the times the entrance is free.
If you don’t feel like dancing, you will find other entertainment like rollercoasters, games and many other fun activities.
I hope that gave you a good summary and insight into the event and what La Feria de Malaga is all about.
If you happen to be in the south of Spain in August, you should not miss out on that one, even if you only go for one day. I promise you, it will be worth it and you will certainly have lots of fun.
Also, check out another famous summer festival in Spain called San Fermín, better known as Running of the bulls.
