75 days in Spain and Portugal. The trip began on 24 June 2026. Written on 5 October 2026.
Stepping out of Málaga Airport, I stopped for a moment in the sunshine. Catching the train and getting into town could wait a little longer. I’d spent the whole winter waiting for this warmth, and now I just wanted to enjoy it.
Estonian winters really wear me out. I look forward to that sunshine and light much as I used to look forward to the summer holidays at school. You know they’re coming, but sometimes the wait still feels very long.
This year, the plan was to spend 75 days of summer abroad. Back in Estonia, I’d mapped out my route: Málaga, Seville, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela, then down to Porto. I wanted to explore as much of the area around Porto as possible. I’ll get to how that plan worked out in later stories. First came Málaga.
Two backpacks and a whole summer
On 24 June, I arrived in Spain from Estonia. My whole life on the road fitted into two backpacks: a 34-litre one and another of about 20 litres. Everything I needed was in those bags. I thought they were “slightly overweight”, but nothing too serious.
Once I’d had my first pause in the sun outside Málaga Airport, I went to buy a train ticket. In Estonia, I’m used to things happening quickly. Press a button, pay and move on. Here, even the ticket machine was reminding me to slow down a little. Buying a ticket felt pretty slow to me.
But it suited the moment. I’d just decided there was no need to rush for the train. Now, standing at the machine, the same thought came back. Take it slow. I had plenty of time.
Getting from Málaga Airport to the city centre by train
Practical information, checked on 5 October 2026.
From the airport’s Aeropuerto station, take the C1 train towards Málaga-Centro Alameda. The journey to the city centre takes about 12 minutes. You’ll find route and timetable links on Aena’s airport train connections page.
A single ticket costs €1.80 according to Renfe’s published fare table. At the machine, select a single ticket (billete sencillo) and Málaga-Centro Alameda as your destination. Tickets are also sold at the station ticket office. Renfe Málaga tickets and fares.
If you need a new non-personalised Renfe&Tú card for your ticket, it costs an extra €1. A new card and one journey therefore cost €2.80 in total. The card is reusable. Renfe card terms and conditions.
Another option is Cronos: tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard bank card, or your phone, at the ticket barrier. Use the same card or device when entering and leaving, so you’re charged for the correct journey. If you don’t tap out, you’ll be charged the maximum zonal fare. Renfe’s guide to using Cronos.
A kilometre in thirty-degree heat
Once the train had brought me into town, it was about a kilometre’s walk to my Airbnb. It had been around 15 degrees in Estonia; Málaga greeted me with around 30. Walking that kilometre with two backpacks, the change in temperature had me sweating quite a bit. I’d wanted warmth, and warmth was what I got.
I’d chosen somewhere right in the city centre. I’ve been doing that for a while now because I like being able to step outside and be straight into the city. I don’t want to start every day by having to take public transport in from somewhere further out. Staying centrally makes it easier to get around and explore at my own pace.
Pistachios and a place in the checkout queue
On the second day, I went to Mercadona. I usually carry pistachios in my backpack when I’m out exploring, so I’d gone to buy some along with a few other things. At the checkout, I had very little shopping in my hands. The woman in front of me had a full basket.
She glanced behind her, noticed my shopping and offered to let me go ahead. I only had a few things; hers would take longer.
I said it was fine. I had time and was happy to wait. But she didn’t leave it there. She offered several more times, encouraging me to go ahead. I stayed where I was, but the fact that she’d noticed at all, and was so sincere about offering, made me feel really good.
That’s never happened to me in Estonia. Perhaps it has to someone else, but I haven’t experienced it. More often, I’ve felt as though there’s some sort of race going on: who can get to the checkout first, who can get out of the door first, who can get ahead of someone else. Everyone seems to be in a terrible hurry.
And then there you are in Málaga, pistachios in hand, and the person in front of you actually wants to make room for you.
It’s hard to describe that feeling. Like a cloud moving away from the sun and the light falling right on you. That yes feeling. I’m somewhere people notice each other and care. That small offer from one woman really meant something to me.
If you arrive third, you get on third
I noticed the same consideration for other people at bus stops. Imagine you’re the third person to arrive. Two people are already waiting, and another five turn up after you. The bus arrives, the first two get on, then they let you board, and only then do the people who arrived later get on.
In my experience there, that was how it worked. Nobody felt the need to arrive last and still be first to the bus door. People took account of who had been waiting before them.
I like that. The bus fare was reasonable too, but it was the unhurried way people boarded that put me in a good mood. You get on at the front and off through the rear doors. It keeps everyone moving.
Málaga bus tickets and the ten-journey card
Practical information, checked on 5 October 2026. The tickets below are for EMT city buses.
You can buy a single ticket on the bus with cash or a bank card. EMT’s published fare table listed the price as €1.40. If paying in cash, bring a small banknote, as notes larger than €5 are not accepted. Tapping your bank card buys a single ticket. EMT fares and payment methods.
A ten-journey package costs €5, or 50 cents per journey. You can use a standard non-personalised EMT card, the Tarjeta Bus No Personalizada. A new card requires an additional €1.90 deposit, so your first card loaded with ten journeys costs €6.90 in total. You don’t need to be a local resident to buy one. EMT’s non-personalised card information.
You can get the card from the EMT customer service centre or an authorised retailer. When topping up, ask for 10, 20 or 30 journeys: at this rate, €10 buys 20 journeys. You can top up at a sales outlet or through the EMT Málaga app’s NFC function on a compatible phone. To find the nearest outlet, see EMT card sales and top-up locations. On the bus, tap your travel card on the reader.
With a multi-journey ticket, you can transfer to another EMT route free of charge within one hour of the first validation. The airport’s A route has a separate €4 fare, and the ten-journey package is not valid on it. EMT fares and transfers.
It felt good to be there
Warm sunshine, the people around you, and Spanish, a language I absolutely love listening to. Those little things started coming together right from the beginning. Outside the airport, I’d just wanted to stand in the warmth for a moment. By the following day, an ordinary trip to the supermarket had already given me another reason to feel good.
I had time. And it felt good to be there.
The next Málaga story will cover mornings by the sea, the large ships I saw in the harbour, and a trip to Marbella.