7 Malaga Cooking Classes for a Day off the Beach

1.Spanish Cooking Workshop with Paella and Sangria

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 613 reviews · 3 hours · from $78Our pick

In central Málaga, chefs Laura, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate trained in paella, and Diego, an Andalusian cuisine specialist, lead a three-hour, hands-on class in English. You prepare paella, ajoblanco, remojón malagueño and a surprise dessert, with sangria included. The modern kitchen is five minutes from Atarazanas Market.

“This is a fun and unique way to learn about the culture including how to prepare some Spanish cuisine. Laura was very personable and entertaining. She appears to genuinely enjoy what she is doing, speaks very good English, is extremely knowledgeable and very well qualified. The class was 10 people, which made it very personal. There were people from Canada, the UK, Switzerland and Portugal. It made for a very convivial group. The food was excellent, and we learned about dishes we will be trying to duplicate once we return to the US. She answered everyone's questions and provided recommendations on where to eat and visit while in Malaga. She…”

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2.Sailing Catamaran with Swimming and Paella Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 578 reviews · 3 hours · from $53Best value

From Malaga, Mundo Marino’s three-hour catamaran trip pairs coastal views with stops for swimming and snorkeling in open water. You get one drink, then pork paella with salad, bread, and fruit onboard. The crew speaks Spanish and English. A paid upgrade lets you stretch out on the bow nets, and the trip is wheelchair accessible.

“Very relaxing lying on the nets and a good amount of time spent at swimming stop”

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3.Paella Cooking Class in Malaga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 209 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $84Top rated

Meet your chef at Malaga’s Atarazanas Market, learn about local ingredients and choose produce for paella. Then walk to a modern Soho kitchen to taste olive oil, make gazpacho and cook paella with step-by-step help. The roughly 3.5-hour class includes food, a paired drink and recipes.

“What a great experience in Malaga. The cooking class was fun and joyful. The tour guide, Elise, was excellent and took us through the history of the market”

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4.Paella Cooking Class with English Guide in Malaga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 149 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $84

At Kulinarea in central Malaga, you’ll cook seafood paella with an English-speaking guide, make sangria, and finish with churros. Daytime classes from Monday to Saturday include Atarazanas Market, except on listed holidays. Instructors have included Pepo, Alba, Anais, and Javier, though your guide may differ.

“Instructor was fun, enthusiastic but patient and understanding too. Very clear and thorough instructions! Delicious in the end! Loved the bottomless wine too!😁”

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5.Paella and Sangria Workshop in Malaga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 108 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $84

At Lebasi Taller de Cocina in central Málaga, you’ll spend about three hours making cold almond soup, a local Malagueño side dish, and Valencian paella, with sangria prepared along the way and an Andalusian sorbet to finish. Instructors including Diego, Laura and Nahuel lead the hands-on class in English. The group is capped at 14.

“The paella and sangria experience was one of the highlights of our vacation. We ate a family of four and thoroughly enjoyed cooking together. The cook was very fun, knowledgeable and helpful. The gentleman making the sangria was extremely polite and friendly. They made sure we all had a great time while learning how to cook soup, salad and a traditional paella. After we cooked, we got to feast on our marvelous and delicious dinner. This tour is highly recommended for anyone. We met people from the Netherlands and Estonia. It was the best cooking class to date!”

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6.Malaga Tapas Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 99 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $84

Start with seasonal produce at Málaga’s Atarazanas Market on eligible daytime classes, then walk five minutes to a modern Soho kitchen. An English-speaking instructor leads you through regional tapas, olive oil tasting, and a shared meal with wine or beer. Classes run about three and a half hours by day, or three hours in the evening and on Sundays.

“Excellent experience. My wife and I like to cook together so we wanted to learn to cook something together. The lesson was tapas. The teacher was very organized and was able to teach a group of twelve people with ease. The outcome was delicious. Felipe was one of the teachers. Very friendly and knowledgeable his colleague Alsa was also very friendly and capable. We were in excellent hands. We will definitely do a class here every time we return😃”

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7.Paella and Tapas Tour with The Best Flamenco Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 78 reviews · from $108

Spend four hours walking Málaga’s historic center with a local food guide, tasting tapas and drinks at traditional bars and restaurants before a flamenco show. Guides named Paola, Maria, and Issac have led the tour. You’ll start with a welcome wine at Antigua Casa de Guardia, and the dishes and wines come with explanations along the way.

“Maria was amazing! She was a great host, very knowledgeable, spoke English very well and she was very friendly and welcoming! She led us to several places in Malaga where we could taste local drinks and foods. The Flamenco show was great. We had a great time on this tour, thanks to Maria!”

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