Public Transport in Malaga: bus, metro and commuter trains

The public transport in Malaga is made up mainly of buses, although the Metro Malaga has reached the city center (Atarazanas station) and offers some alternative stops. In addition, the Malaga suburban trains with their two lines (C1 and C2) connect Malaga with Fuengirola and Álora.

If you stay in the center and you are in the city for 1-2 days, you will not need to use any transport, except to go to the airport or train station if this is your case.

• 1-day itinerary for Malaga
• What to see in Malaga in 2 days.

The main forms of public transport in Malaga are the following:

Urban buses in Malaga.

The bus is the best public transport to move around the different areas of Malaga.

Timetables and prices of urban buses in Malaga.

Single ticket price: €1.40.

The ticket is bought when you get on the bus in cash, card (NFC) or QR code. It is important to know that they do not usually give change for more than €5.

• The schedules vary according to the line, but they go from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• You can check all the information about the lines and timetables on the EMT Málaga website.
• You can buy a recharge card, very interesting if you are going to be in the city for more than 2-3 days and it does allow transfers.

You can now pay on most EMT buses with a card/NFC directly when you get on the bus and with QR codes generated in the application.

Ticket price to the airport: €4.

Click here if you are looking how get to Malaga from the airport.

Currently, there are 45 urban bus lines in Malaga. You can consult all the details about the lines and stops on the official website of the EMT Málaga.

Map of urban buses in Malaga.

Here you have the map of urban buses in Malaga. (You can download it by clicking on the image).

Detail of Malaga downtown area with all the stops you have here:

Urban buses in Malaga at night.

Additionally, there are 4 night lines (N1, N2, N3, N4) that operate from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Sunday-Wednesday) and 5:30 a.m. (Thursday-Saturday).

• N1: Puerta Blanca – Alameda Principal – El Palo.
• N2: Plaza de la Marina – Circular.

Check the updated schedules of the night buses on the EMT Málaga website to avoid surprises.

• N3: Paseo del Parque – Ortega y Gasset – Campanillas.
• N4: Paseo del Parque – Teatinos – Pto. de la Torre.

Malaga bus station.

It is located a few meters from the María Zambrano train station, from where the commuter trains and the AVE depart.

• Malaga bus station address: P.º de los Tilos, s/n, 29006
• Malaga Bus Station website.

All long-distance buses leave from this station (for example, Madrid, Algeciras or Barcelona), but also the buses that arrive at the different towns of Malaga province.

Here you can check all the bus schedules and destinations that leave or arrive at the Malaga bus station.

Malaga Metro.

Inaugurated in the summer of 2014, the metro is made up of 2 lines that join at the “Guadalmedina” and “El Perchel” stops, which correspond to the María Zambrano train station.

• Line 1 of the Málaga Metro was completed in March 2023, leaving the Andalucía Tech – Atarazanas route complete.
• Atarazanas is the closest metro station to the historic center of the city.

Lines of the Malaga Metro.

How many metro lines are there in Malaga?

The Malaga metro is made up of two lines:

• Line 1: Andalucía Tech – Atarazanas (complete).
• Line 2: Palacio de los Deportes – Hospital Civil (no completion date).
  • Currently the line is Palacio de los Deportes – El Perchel.

The Málaga metro does not reach the airport. If you want to go by public transport to Malaga airport, check this article.

How to transfer in the Malaga Metro?

To transfer between the 2 Malaga Metro lines, users will only have to move to the opposite side of the platform to combine the trains of both lines, without having to change levels.

Transfer on line 1 of Metro Málaga.

• If you are traveling on Line 1 (between Andalucía Tech and La Unión stations) and your destination is a Line 2 station: you must transfer and change trains at El Perchel station.
• If you travel on Line 1 from Atarazanas and your destination is Line 2, you must change at Guadalmedina.

University or Teatinos (City of Justice) to the center.

If you travel on Line 1 and your destination is the center, continue your journey without changing trains to Atarazanas station.

Transfer on line 2 of Metro Málaga.

• If you travel on Line 2 and your destination is a Line 1 station (between Andalucía Tech and La Unión stations): you must transfer and change trains at El Perchel station.
• If you travel on Line 2 and your destination is the center: you must transfer and change trains at the Guadalmedina station to continue your trip to the Atarazanas station.

Malaga metro timetable.

• From Monday to Thursday from 06.30 to 23.00.
• Friday and the eve of holidays from 06:30 to 01:30.
• Saturdays from 07:00 to 01:30.
• Sundays and holidays from 07:00 to 23:00.

Types of tickets and prices for Malaga metro.

Single Ticket: €1.35

• Support charging from 1 to 9 trips. It is rechargeable and can be used by several users as long as they travel together.

Malaga Metro Wallet Card (Rechargeable)

• Price €0.82 (Support price: €0.30).
• The top-up limit for this title is €25 and the minimum top-up is €5.
• It is not nominative, it is rechargeable and allows multi-validation.

For more information, you can consult the Malaga metro website.

Commuter trains / Cercanias in Malaga.

They allow us to move between different locations on the Malaga coast, as well as move between areas of the capital such as Carretera de Cádiz, Plaza Mayor or Alameda.

Malaga Cercanías Fare – Price

Single ticket (valid for 2 hours from issue).

• Zones 1-2: €1.80.
• Area 3: €2.05.
• Zone 4: €2.70.
• Area 5: €3.60.

Line C-1: Fuengirola – Malaga Center-Alameda

Fuengirola, Torreblanca, Carvajal, Torremuelle, Benalmadena-Arroyo de la Miel, El Pinillo, Montemar-Alto, Torremolinos, La Colina, Los Alamos, Plaza Mayor, Airport, Guadalhorce, Victoria Kent (Correspondence Line C-2), Málaga María Zambrano (Correspondence with High-Speed ​​and Medium-Distance trains and Line C-2), Málaga Centro-Alameda (Correspondence with Line C-2).

Line C-2: Malaga Center-Alameda – Álora

Málaga Centro-Alameda, Málaga María Zambrano (Connection with High Speed ​​and Medium Distance trains and Line C-1), Victoria Kent (Connection with Line C-1), Los Prados, Campanillas, Cártama, Aljaima, Pizarra, Álora.

Here you have the Malaga trains map:

Taxi in Malaga.

Although they can always get you out of trouble, in Malaga it is not usual to use a taxi, either because of the distances or because public transport reaches almost all areas. However, unless some of the night buses follow our route and adjust to the schedule, they become the only option.

Cabify, Bolt and Uber are available in the city, so they can be a good alternative, although we must know that the minimum fare is €6 and for short journeys