Tuk tuk in Malaga: where it really goes and what you won't see
The tuk tuk is a good way to see Málaga without walking to Gibralfaro, but there is something you should know before booking: you cannot enter the pedestrian area of the historic center. You'll see the Cathedral and the Alcazaba from outside and through. Here's the real tour, where the 1-hour and 2-hour tours are different, and why some prices are per vehicle and others per person.
The tuk tuk does not enter the historical center
It is the most repeated disappointment in the reviews of those who have already done so, and it is worth saying before you reserve: the historic town of Málaga is a pedestrian area and the tuk tuk cannot travel through it.
That means in practice that the Cathedral and the Alcazaba are seen from the outside and in passingHe doesn't stand in front or go in. Calle Larios, the Plaza de la Constitución and the streets of the center are out of the way.
It's not a defect of the operator you choose: it happens to everyone. And don't invalidate the tour, because what the tuk tuk does right is just what it costs on foot: up to Gibralfaro and to the sea front.
If you're looking to see the Cathedral inside or walk the monumental center, your thing is a free walk or a guided tour, not a tuk tuk. If what you're looking for is a comfortable view of the city with views from above, then yes.
Where it really goes: the 1 hour tour
The routes vary somewhat between operators, but the short course is quite standard:
Mogalfaro Castlewith a stop at the lookout. It is the strong time of the tour and where the photos of the bay are taken
Alcazaba and the surroundings of the Roman Theatre, from the outside
Centre Pompidou and the Cube, on the One Pier
The Farola and beach of the Malagueta
La Malagueta bullring, 19th century neomudéjar
Plaza de la Marina, Banco de España, City Council and the University building
An hour gives to see the city, not to meet her. Several reviews agree that it is short.
What the 2-hour tour adds
The long version is the one that comes out of the monumental circuit and goes to the neighborhoods, and that's where most say it's worth it:
Paseo del Limonar, the area of the master houses
Pedrendejo and Baños del Carmen, the Málaga marinera of the mirrors
English Cemetery, the first Protestant camposanto in Spain
Plaza de la Mercedwith Picasso's home
Málaga Park and Alcazaba tunnel
The port
If you're only gonna do it once, the two-hour one leaves the best memory. The one-hour one works as the first contact point the day you arrive.
Care when comparing prices: some charge per vehicle and others per person
This is the point where people are most wrong, because the two systems live together in Malaga.
Most operators announce the price by tuk tuk: is a private tour, the vehicle goes only for your group and fit up to 4 people. So, a rate that looks expensive is divided by four and comes out in the middle of what appears.
But there are operators that charge per personAnd in that case everyone pays the same thing up two or four. For a couple it usually goes better; for a family of four, quite worse.
Before comparing two offers, look which of the two systems each applies. He's not always in the same place on the tab.
Durations offered
30 minutes. Little more than going up to Gibralfaro, taking pictures and going down
1 hour. The monumental tour and the maritime facade
One and a half hours. Not everyone has it, but it's a good average.
2 hours. The complete circuit with Pedgiejo and the neighborhoods
What you can't get on the tuk tuk
A practical detail that surprises you when you arrive: The tuk tuk have no trunk. That rules out bags, large packages and, on several operators, too. Baby sillites and wheelchairs. Pets are often not allowed.
If you get on a trip with luggage and you thought you'd do the tour before you entered the hotel, it's not gonna be possible.
On age, some operators set a minimum of around 3 years. If you go with a baby who needs an approved silite, you should ask before paying.
Where the tours begin
The most common meeting points are in the environment of Pier One and Centre Pompidouand in the stop of the tourist bus of Guillén Sotelo Street, in front of the gardens of Pedro Luis Alonso.
Almost none of them have a physical office: the driver is waiting on the street with an ID. It is worth locating the exact point on the map the day before, because they are unobvious directions.
And it comes on time. Operators do not extend the tour: if you are late, the time lost is cut and you can change the route planned.
What if it's been a while?
The tuk tuk are open vehicles, but they work all year. In winter, they carry protective covers against rain and wind, and blankets. In summer, the shadow is limited: cap, water and solar cream, especially in the midday passes.
Málaga is regulating the tuk tuk
It is important to know because it can change the service in the short term. The City of Málaga processes a new order of taxi and urban tourist transport which, for the first time, specifically regulates tuk tuk.
The preliminary draft provides for a system of municipal authorisation, the obligation to install geolocation and registration in all authorised vehicles, the capacity of the City Council to fix closed routes and specific points of rise and fall, limit hours and establish a maximum number of vehicles in operation. It also opens the door to veto its presence in pedestrian areas and sensitive property spaces, and prohibits the recruitment of customers on the street.
It is still under processing, so the current routes are still the ones described above. But if you read this after a while, check the specific itinerary with the operator before booking.