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Find your perfect hire car at Málaga Airport
Servicing the Costa del Sol, Málaga Airport is the gateway to the rolling landscapes, white-washed towns and sparkling seas of Andalucía. The busiest in the region, it handles almost 20 million passengers a year with flights from Europe and beyond.Our Málaga Airport car hire service can be found on the ground floor of both Terminals 2 and 3, and our team offer a fast and efficient check-in and return drop-off.
For those wishing to return their hire car outside of opening hours, please let us know in advance and we’ll tell you what you will need to do.
For visitors staying nearby in central Málaga, you can arrange to pick up a car at Málaga train station.
Opening Times
| Tuesday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
| Wednesday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
| Thursday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
| Friday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
| Saturday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
| Sunday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
| Monday | 07:00 - 23:59 |
Where to from Málaga Airport?
Málaga is the eponymous capital city of Málaga Province in the region of Andalucía. Nicknamed the Costa del Sol due to its shimmering Mediterranean waters and year-round sunshine, this slice of southern Spain offers everything from towering mountains to pretty plazas and laid-back tapas bars.Málaga city was founded by the Phoenicians almost 3,000 years ago, and with so much history, the city is full of wonderful architecture, beautiful churches and award-winning museums spanning the millennia right up to modern times—including the Picasso Foundation and the Centre Pompidou Málaga.
But escape the city and the region really comes into its own. There’s something to appeal to all tastes, from the glamour of Marbella to the old-world charm and sophistication of Granada and its magnificent Alhambra Palace. The landscape rises from golden, sun-baked beaches to the rocky outcrops of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, some 1,000m above sea level. In between, there are charming pueblos blancos (white villages), beautiful boutique haciendas, bodegas making delicious ronda wines and some of Spain’s best jamón producers.
Most people, however, come for the beaches. Many stick to the resort-fringed seashores, but when you hire a car at Málaga airport you can discover the secret coves and quiet expanses of sand favoured by in-the-know locals.
For those enticed by the great outdoors, the National Parks dotted around Andalucía offer spectacular scenery and challenging hikes. While those more interested in food can feast at charming chiringuitos (little seafront eateries) on fish and seafood plucked straight from local waters. Refined tastes will also find fulfilment at one of the 16 Michelin-starred restaurants spread across the region.
More than 3,000 fiestas occur within Andalucía every year, ranging from village fairs that celebrate the harvesting of sun-ripened olives and grapes in the autumn, to the blooming beauty of Spain’s best flower show at the beginning of May, the highly-anticipated Patios de Córdoba.
While summer is the busiest season in Malaga, spring and autumn are also wonderful times to visit, as the crowds disappear but the warmth remains. Winter can get surprisingly cold, especially when higher up in more remote, mountainous areas.
In order to get the most out of your visit, make sure you hire a car at Malaga Airport with Avis to explore everything the region has to offer.
Exploring Malaga: 72 Hours in Granada and the Sierra Nevada
Hire a car at Malaga airport and visit a Moorish-built city sprawled at the foot of a dramatic National Park, just an hour-and-a-half’s drive away.
Granada’s storied past rises from its narrow, winding streets. It’s etched in the columns and porticoes of its Moorish palaces and houses, and it’s painted on its patterned tiles and mosaics.As the last Andalusian city conquered by Catholic monarchs (in 1492), the legacy of seven centuries of Arabic rule can still be seen in its eclectic architecture, and tasted in its food.
With Sierra Nevada National Park a short drive away, it all adds up to the perfect weekend break. Here’s how to spend three flawless days in Granada and beyond.
Day One
Get your bearings with a stroll around the city’s atmospheric squares and streets. Albaicín is one of Granada’s oldest neighbourhoods, with narrow medieval streets weaving up the hillside, passing traditional cármenes (homes with gardens) and revealing glimpses of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.The squares of San Nicolás and San Cristóbal offer particularly spectacular views. For lunch, grab bite-sized bocadillos (sandwiches) filled with Spanish tortilla or chorizo at Cien Montaditos. Then, shop for traditional marquetry at Artesanías González; the patterned, veneered wooden boxes and handcrafted chess sets make lovely souvenirs. Browse castanets and flamenco guitars at Gil de Avalle. In Alcaicería, stroll along steep streets filled with bazaars selling Moroccan-style embroidered slippers, textured rugs and scarves.
It’s a short walk from there to Granada Cathedral, a grand example of Baroque and Gothic architecture in centuries-old Jewish quarter, Realejo. The area’s lively square, Campo del Príncipe, is crammed with tapas bars—the perfect place to begin a bite-by-bite dinner crawl.
From there, head out in search of Andalusian sausage and octopus salad at Restaurante Bar León in Albaicín, before perching at the counter of Bar Avila to sip a small beer or wine with your patatas bravas and jamón serrano.
This compact became an unlikely live music hub in the 1950s, and today it attracts rock ‘n’ roll pilgrims, jazz cats and flamenco fans. Experience the eclectic scene at Sala El Tren music hall, or watch local musicians at the intimate Boogaclub.
Day Two
Escape the city with a half-hour drive into Sierra Nevada National Park, dominated by the craggy mountain range visible from many points of the city. Pack a thick winter coat and you’ll be ready to get out on the slopes for some skiing or snowboarding.In summer, it’s a picturesque playground of meadows, rivers, glacial lakes and mountain peaks. Stroll around native plants in Hoya de Pedraza Botanical Garden, and cross the hanging bridges of Los Cahorros gorge to reach waterfalls and swimming holes. Alternatively, hike the Camino Real de las Hoyas, a nature trail shaded by centuries-old oak trees, looking out for ibex and wild boar.
Stay for sunset at Mirador Ahi De Cara, lingering at the viewpoint to watch the sky deepen with shades of orange and pink.
Back in Granada, get a taste of the city’s Arab heritage at Tajine Elvira. This no-frills local hangout serves classic Moroccan dishes like couscous with sticky, honeyed lamb followed by sweet, flaky pastries.
Sticking with the theme, Calle Caldereria Nueva has been dubbed “The Street of the Tea Rooms”. It’s lined with Moroccan teahouses serving refreshing mint tea amid flickering candlelight and a sea of scatter cushions.
Day Three
One of Spain’s most visited monuments, the Alhambra can get pretty crowded. In this case, do believe the hype. The hilltop complex is dominated by 13th-century Moorish palaces. Further grand structures were added after Christians conquered the Arabic dynasty, while remnants of Roman structures have also been discovered here. It adds up to an intricate, layered map of the area’s history, and every inch is breath-taking.Arrive when the doors open at 8.30am to improve your chances of enjoying a solitary moment among the soft apricot walls of the Alcazaba citadel, or pausing by the lion fountain in a marble courtyard edged by intricate cloisters. Climb to the terrace of the Watchtower, or “Tower of the Candle”, for sweeping views that give a better sense of the grandeur of the place.
Spend the afternoon strolling around the Generalife Gardens, included in your Alhambra ticket price. The sprawling green space was designed for relaxation, and the landscaped gardens, trails and cypress woods still draw people looking to rest and regroup.
Round off your trip in true Andalusian style—with a flamenco show in a cave. Zambra María la Canastera has nightly performances. Dine on classic dishes like gazpacho and platters of jamón before the main event. In a narrow, dome-ceilinged room, dancers strut and spin—their ruffled skirts slicing through the air—as they have done for centuries.
Then, with a car packed full of Andalusian produce, take the winding road back to Malaga airport and return your hire car.
The Most Romantic Haciendas in Andalusia
Tucked away in the southern Spanish countryside, these charming country estates make for dreamy weekends away, and are easily accessible with our Malaga airport car hire services.
In Spanish-speaking regions, a “hacienda” is a large estate or plantation with living quarters. Spend a little time in one and you’ll soon discover that these traditional houses are some of the most romantic places to stay on the Costa del Sol. Perched on hilltops studded with olive groves, many have huge villas in hues of bright white or sun-bleached peach, roofed with rusty coloured terracotta tiles.This embarrassment of charm has been noticed, and many haciendas and rustic cortijo farmhouses in Andalusia have been lovingly restored and renovated into elegant hotels, guesthouses and private retreats.
Nowhere more so than Andalusia, home of flamenco and Moorish palaces. Hugging the southern coast, the region is already home to some of Spain’s most beguiling cities. What could be lovelier than strolling through fragrant orange groves in Seville, wandering around art galleries in Málaga, or exploring remote rolling countryside and hilltops hung with pueblos blancos (whitewashed villages)? Emanating the timeless, serene beauty of these Andalusian enclaves, our pick of properties offers the whisper of cosy weekends for two.
Cortijo el Guarda
Dutch couple Miranda and Hans fell hard for this 16th-century cortijo, enviably positioned in a valley close to the historic town of Ronda. So hard, in fact, that they spent three years painstakingly restoring and repairing every inch of the property before opening in 2011, employing local artisans to source authentic materials and preserve original features. There are the exposed wooden beams in the bedrooms, for example, and antique, chestnut double doors that lead to the farmhouse kitchen.The five rooms are tucked within the original walls, and the resulting eclectic shapes and sizes only add to the charm. Log-burning stoves, roll-top baths, and terraces with endless views of pastures and sunflower fields make this one of our favourite romantic haciendas on the Costa del Sol.
Breakfast is served in the kitchen or under a wooden pergola, and guests can serve themselves from the honesty bar, so there’s really no need to go out.
Doubles from £90 per night; el-guarda.com/en
Casa la Siesta
Love is most definitely in the air at this painstakingly restored farm estate. It mingles with the scents of lavender, bougainvillea and rosemary, which bloom among olive and orange trees. The perfectly imperfect, rustic grounds are scattered with wrought-iron garden furniture and daybeds, while the two gorgeous pools are surrounded by grassy lawns and sun loungers.It’s all just a hint of the charms that await inside the taupe-hued buildings. Each of the seven stylish rooms has an enormous marshmallow bed, rainwater shower and original details like exposed wooden beams and intricately patterned tiles. Some have deep-soaking bathtubs and private terraces for watching the sunset. The restaurant serves meals prepared with ingredients from the kitchen garden, with breakfast served to the room, should you so wish.
The romance extends offsite, too. Vejer de la Frontera, where whitewashed Moorish buildings clamber up the hillsides, is nearby, while the sandy beaches and chic seafood restaurants of millennia-old port city, Cadiz, are just a short drive away.
Doubles from £300 per night; casalasiesta.com
Finca Cortesin
It would take a very tough audience to suggest improvements to this Moorish-inspired resort, less than an hour from our car hire hub at Málaga airport. Every inch is honed to perfection and with the guests’ comfort in mind, from the symmetrical palm trees shading the poolside loungers to the suites with private patios gazing towards the mountains.That sense of quiet, subtle luxury is everywhere. It’s there when you stroll through the meadows with ancient olive trees, and when you’re greeted with freshly cut flowers in your room. And it’s there when you pause at the edge of the infinity pool, a shimmering emerald shade in the sunshine, to gaze at the Mediterranean Sea.
Suites from £500 per night; fincacortesin.com
Hacienda de San Rafael
The first thing that catches the eye upon arrival at this 18th-century former olive estate is the cerise bougainvillea, popping like vivid crepe paper against the bright white-and-yellow villa. Your attention might then be drawn to the rest of the gardens, planted with giant sunflowers (depending on the season), or to the tree-lined pool. Olive trees are still scattered about the grounds, while the air is scented with fragrant shrubs and blooms.It’s intoxicating, as are the rooms or casitas. Original details like recessed shelves and vaulted ceilings blend with modern design details and luxurious textures; think bathrooms with thick marble, and pillowcases embroidered as intricately as lace.
Equidistant from Seville and Jerez, it makes a great base for sherry tasting in rustic bodegas and exploring Gothic architecture. But, with all this beauty within touching distance, it’s hard to think of this hacienda as anything less than a destination in itself.
Doubles from £230 per night; haciendadesanrafael.com
Driving rules in Spain
Which side of the road?In Spain, please drive on the right side of the road.
Country driving laws
- Mobile phones may not be used at all whilst driving
- Do not use headphones when driving (except hearing aids)
- Dipped headlights must be used in poor daylight visibility
- Always use indicators, you will be fined for not using indicators when needed
- Cyclists have right of way, at all times
Speed limits
All speed signs will be in km/h.
For a standard Avis rental vehicle with no trailers:
- Urban areas: 50 km/h (31 mph)
- Rural areas: 90 km/h (55 mph)
- Motorways: 120km/h (74mph)
Unless indicated by road signs.
Child safety / Seatbelt laws
- It is compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear a seatbelt
- Children aged under 12 and less than 135cm tall must be seated in an appropriate child restraint for their size
- Children aged under 12 are not allowed to sit in the front seat
Please note - It is the child’s parent / guardian or vehicle renter’s responsibility to fit the child seat.
This road rules information is for provided for general guidance only. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and accurate, but any reliance you place on this information is at your own risk.