Huelin is a beach for Málaga locals, not for tourists. It sits in the west of the city, next to the neighbourhood of the same name, and it has become one of the best places in town to spend an afternoon since the Antonio Banderas promenade was rebuilt.
Getting there
From central Málaga, about ten minutes by car or twenty by city bus (EMT routes 7, 15 and 16). You can also walk along the seafront from the port in about 35 minutes. There’s surface parking and a metered zone on the neighbourhood streets, plus underground car parks.
Facilities
- ✓ Lifeguard during the bathing season
- ✓ Beach bars serving espeto
- ✓ Showers and public toilets
- ✓ Sunbed and parasol hire
- ✓ Adapted access and assisted bathing in season
- ✓ Sports area, beach volleyball and outdoor gym
- ✓ Huelin park with children’s playgrounds beside the sand
The Antonio Banderas promenade
The Paseo Marítimo Antonio Banderas — named after the actor, a Málaga native from the El Perchel district — runs the length of this seafront with a cycle lane, green spaces and terraces. It’s one of the city’s best recent pieces of urban design and it has completely transformed western Málaga.
What the beach is like
Around 1,100 metres of dark, coarse sand, wide, with breakwaters and calm water. It’s well maintained and thoroughly equipped. Occupancy is high on summer weekends — it’s the city’s beach — but perfectly comfortable midweek.
Eating here
The beach bars at Huelin do proper espeto de sardinas, grilled in a boat over wood. It’s one of the best areas in the city for eating on the sand without postcard prices. The neighbourhood itself also has a tapas-bar tradition worth exploring.
