“Malaga hits a very rare balance: Mediterranean climate and lifestyle, plus excellent infrastructure”
In recent years, Malaga has emerged as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations not just in Spain, but worldwide. The city’s strategic, accessible location, mild climate, beautiful location, reasonable prices and sustainable living have also combined to make it a famous expat destination, especially for British residents.
Founder of Malaga Guru, Daryl Finch, spoke to Connecto Transfers about what makes the city attractive, the biggest issues it faces and why you should consider moving there.
Tell us a bit more about Malaga Guru and its beginnings. How did you decide to embark on this project?
Malaga Guru started quite organically. I’d been living in Malaga for a while and kept noticing the same thing: people arriving here, whether for a short break or a long-term move, were struggling to find clear, practical and up-to-date information in English.
Having worked for SUR in English, the biggest expat newspaper in the area, I felt I had the knowledge to bridge that gap and combine local insight with genuinely useful, actionable guidance.
When it began in 2016, it was a tourist guide focused on sightseeing and restaurant recommendations. Now it’s more about helping people navigate the realities of living here, especially around property, lifestyle and settling in.
What is the primary draw of Malaga as an expat destination compared to other Mediterranean cities?
Malaga hits a very rare balance. You’ve got the climate and lifestyle people associate with the Mediterranean, plus infrastructure that actually works.
Compared to other coastal cities, Malaga is extremely well-connected. With a major international airport, high-speed trains and an extensive road network, everything makes it easy to live here without feeling isolated.
On top of that, the city itself has transformed into a cultural hub, not just a beach destination.
Despite that, somehow it still feels more “liveable” and less overwhelming than other big cities in Spain.
How important are local traditions and events to Malaga’s appeal for visitors and expats?
They’re absolutely central. Beyond the weather and lifestyle, the city has a really strong cultural rhythm throughout the year that people end up building their lives around.
Take Semana Santa, for example. Even people who aren’t religious are often struck by the scale, the atmosphere and the sense of tradition every Easter. It’s something you don’t really experience elsewhere in the same way.
Then you have the Feria de Málaga, the big summer fair, which is a completely different energy. It’s more social, more open and very much about celebrating the city itself. It’s one of those events where locals and newcomers mix very naturally.
And towards the end of the year, Christmas, and the city’s world-famous light show, has become a major attraction in its own right. They’ve helped turn what used to be a quieter season into something much more dynamic.
For expats especially, these kinds of events play a big role in helping people feel connected to the place. They give structure to the year and create shared experiences, which is often what turns Malaga from somewhere you visit into somewhere you stay.
Malaga has changed quite a bit compared to 10 or 20 years ago. Do you think this has been done sustainably, and how do you see Malaga developing in the future?
The transformation has been impressive, particularly in the historic centre and along the waterfront. Malaga has done a great job repositioning itself from a purely seasonal destination into a year-round city.
That said, sustainability is the big question going forward. Like many European cities, it’s starting to feel the pressure of its own success, especially in terms of housing affordability and the impact of short-term rentals.
If Malaga wants to maintain its appeal long term, it will need to strike a better balance between growth and liveability.
Has Brexit negatively impacted the expat trends in Malaga in 2020, and how have things developed since then?
Brexit definitely introduced friction, particularly in the immediate aftermath. The loss of freedom of movement made things more bureaucratic for UK nationals, especially around visas and residency.
However, what we’ve seen since then is more of an adjustment than a decline. People are just approaching it differently now. There’s more planning involved, more reliance on legal and relocation advice, and a greater awareness of the administrative side of moving.
What are the typical expectations of expats coming to Malaga compared to the reality that meets them? What makes it more likely that they will end up having a good time and staying?
A lot of people arrive with a kind of ‘holiday mindset’, seeking out sunshine, cheap living and a very relaxed pace of life.
The reality is a bit more nuanced. Yes, the quality of life is high, but there are also practical challenges: bureaucracy, language barriers and a property market that’s become increasingly competitive.
The people who tend to settle successfully are the ones who come prepared. They take time to understand the system, make an effort with the language and integrate into local life rather than staying in an expat bubble.
We hear all sorts of funny stories about how it’s cheaper for friends in the UK to fly to Malaga and meet up than to take a train to another UK city. Fact or fiction?
It sounds like an exaggeration, but there’s definitely some truth to it.
With the volume of low-cost flights between the UK and Malaga, you can often find return tickets for less than the cost of a long-distance train in the UK, especially if you’re booking last-minute or travelling at peak times.
When you factor in accommodation and food, it’s not always cheaper overall, but the fact that it’s even comparable says a lot about how accessible Malaga has become.
Where do you see Malaga Guru in the coming years?
The goal is to continue evolving Malaga Guru into a true authority for information about the city. Now, the focus is on creating content that’s more useful and more aligned with what people actually need when they’re making decisions about visiting or moving here.
Beyond that, there’s a clear opportunity to expand the service side of things, particularly around buying property and bureaucracy. Ultimately, it’s about building something that doesn’t just inform people about Malaga, but actively helps them navigate life once they’re here.
This interview is published in collaboration with Connecto Transfers.
Daryl is the co-founder of Malaga Guru. He is a copywriter, editor and translator who moved to Malaga over a decade ago, having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found this site in 2016.