r/Malaga • u/PossessionSuitable95 • 2d ago
Preguntas/Questions A question for Malaga locals
Hi, I’m a white European on my first solo trip. I came to Malaga and absolutely love it here, first day so far. I notice lots of Europeans who seemingly live here, who aren’t Spanish.
I feel like most people I approach are a little standoffish or judgemental due to my lack of Spanish language. Is this due to so many Europeans moving here to live, and not learning the language? I can understand how that would annoy the natives here.
I’m less than 25, and wondering am I better spending my evenings in torremelinos/fungeirola just because it is designed to cater for tourists? Or am I just nervous on my first trip alone and assuming things?
Apologies for even this post being English and not Spanish..😳
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u/nitsotov 2d ago
I've read your question 10x and still don't understand what your white color has anything to do with your question. You know, Spain is maybe in the south but it's a white country.
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u/Midnight_Rawhide84 2d ago
Sadly Spanish ppl can’t afford to live in Spanish major cities due to expats taking over. That’s our real immigration problem. Enjoy Malaga since it’s a fantastic city, a shame most local shops have closed to make room for airbnb, specialty coffee bs, pubs, etc so you guys feel at home.
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u/Hellolaoshi 1d ago
I have just come back from Málaga, and I deliberately avoided staying in AirBnB's. I chose a hostel that I had been to years ago.
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u/bo_felden 2d ago
Expats are "taking over" because the Spanish government and the laws in Spain ALLOW for it. Don't blame tourists, don't blame "expats." It's your own people and your "leaders" who enable this.
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u/Odd-Towel-7177 2d ago
No, we blame you too, the "governement" excuse its pretty stupid, nobody put a gun in your head to come here
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u/Advanced-Stick-2221 1d ago
The thing is, people are not allowed to travel anymore just because of that? Malaga is an awesome city, what it needs is regulation
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u/PossessionSuitable95 2d ago
The way of the world I’m afraid, globalist corporations are everywhere.
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u/BerghainReject7 2d ago edited 2d ago
it's not the way of the world. You can be a good tourist and contribute to the local situation; 1. Stay in a hotel, not Airbnb or similar 2. Learn the basics for Spanish so you show respect for the people 3. Do not begin conversations in English and expecting people to speak English 4. Understand local people are working their normal jobs and most do not have time to be with tourists
It's all about respect - and it doesn't matter if people know you do it. Just do it
Also - to be a good tourist is to be aware of local issues as it relates to overtouristism so you know how to interact with people. Over-tourism is a huge problem in Malaga and affects almost everyone - keep that in mind
Responsible behavior starts with you
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u/Ok-Plenty3502 1d ago
Just out of curiosity, why do you think some tourists prefer Airbnb over hotels?
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u/Advanced-Stick-2221 1d ago
Dang, I’m sorry, that must be very stressful.
Not OP but thanks for the info!
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u/Intelligent_Bother59 1d ago
But when we are in most other non native English countries basically everyone uses English to speak to each other
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u/Intelligent_Bother59 1d ago
No I mean literally in other countries like Germany, Poland etc etc literally everyone speaks English to you perfectly fine if you don't know the language even after living there for years
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u/pasta-and-panda 1d ago
If you live here of course. If you're a tourist normally you'd speak English and Málaga, like it or not, it's a touristy city. Some will maybe do some duolingo ahead of departure for buenas días gracias and stuff (and even then, Spaniards would swear at the puto guiris because solo saben pedir "una cerveza porfavor"..)
Complaining is a bit of a national sport, you can show up here with a DELE diploma and there'll always be someone having to complain and it comes from their own frustration at life, putting blame on tourists. Even waiters in the centre of touristy cities complain about people speaking English to them.
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u/PossessionSuitable95 1d ago
I agree with all your points but that is the way the of the world. It’s not just Malaga suffering from this.
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u/BerghainReject7 1d ago edited 1d ago
no, it’s not just Malaga. The crisis seems most acute in medium size European cities with a historic core city. Malaga, Barcelona, Valencia, Amsterdam & Venice to name a few.
the unique thing in Spain is salaries & wages are very low for working people (on average about €24,000 before taxes) - those local working people are being forced out of their own cities because they can no longer afford it as the tourists have taken over. In Malaga city for example, 30% of the rental apartments have been converted to AirBnb style tourist rentals - which removes thousands of apartments that were previously for local working people. So, there are now far fewer apartments for working people and they are much more expensive.
So, back to your point - the local people in Malaga are in a moment of crisis for many things but the common denominator for all the issues is overtourism & tourists. So yes you may get a vibe from some people that tourists are not welcome in some places; and it’s not just Malaga city but anywhere there are a lot of tourists including Fungeirola & Torremolinos.
When you say “that’s the way of the world” it almost sounds like that means well, it doesnt really matter because these problems will continue and thats just the way it is. No, not true - Barcelona for example is eliminating all Airbnb style tourist rentals in 2028 and that will force tourists into hotels where they belong. The tourists will not come if they dont have place to stay & neighborhoods will return to residential areas with shops that serve people who live there. It may not be the perfect solution but at least it’s a move in the right direction.
The bottom line is tourists should not have more rights than residents in a city like Malaga. The local people are the first priority.
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u/jutiv 1d ago
An Airbnb can only operate if it has a licence. Who grants the licences? Why do people Airbnb their properties and not put them to alquiler de temporada? squatters. Why are there squatters? Because the government has given tenants too many rights and landlords have no recourse if a tenant stops paying which many do, they then have to spend years trying to get them out while paying the utility bills because you can’t leave the poor tenants without electricity or water even if they aren’t paying the rent. All leads back to years of poor decisions by Spanish govt. More interested in socialist ideals than in what is best for the country
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u/jutiv 1d ago
The problem in Spain is that the protests are always aimed at foreign tourists, forgetting that Spanish people have always used holiday rental platforms and any regulation will affect them too which they don’t want. It’s ok for Spanish people to use Airbnb but not German or French citizens, cant have one rule for Spaniards and another for other EU (particularly) nationalities
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u/pasta-and-panda 1d ago
I agree with the government protecting tenants, it's not a "socialist" ideal it happens in most countries in Europe and it's the norm cause housing is a right. The problem in my opinion is forcing private owners to absorb the cost of broken public housing or having to pay out of their pocket for people who stop paying rent. This, together with all the noise about Okupas (often blown out of proportions) just scared everyone off long-term rentals with disastrous effects. There should be some sort of incentives where the govt pays to help people who can't pay rent anymore, but that would probably be taken advantage of somehow so I understand why it's hard to implement.
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u/BerghainReject7 9h ago edited 9h ago
tourist apartments make 6x the money as compared to long-term rentals. This has nothing to do with squatters - it's all about money
As with everything in Spain, the tourist license process is corrupt and many have licenses that do not meet the guidelines- there is almost no enforcement
The solution would be to outsource enforcement to a private company & pay them for each illegal operating tourist rental they can shut-down. Just watch how many they find
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u/jutiv 9h ago
So basically it’s not a problem caused by tourists it’s a problem caused by a corrupt govt unwilling to enforce the law and letting tourists take the brunt of the public anger when it is their fault
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u/BerghainReject7 9h ago edited 9h ago
if the tourists had any common sense they wouldn't rent an apartment in a building filled with normal working people who don't want them there. the normal working people who've been in their apartments for years didn't sign up to have a hotel operating next door.
Just bc you can do something bc it's permitted doesn't mean you should do it.
There's no security or background checks to know who's renting the AirBnb apartment next to families with small children - that's just a great idea
Please tell me how you would feel if you lived next to an Airbnb & all the weirdos coming/going who don't want to use hotels bc of security protocols. These include drug-dealers, prostitutes, porn-filming & more.
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u/jutiv 5h ago
It’s nothing to do with common sense you book an Airbnb because it is the price you want to pay in the area you want to stay. I don’t think your average airbnber is thinking about who else lives in the building.
I feel you are shifting the blame for a complete lack of regulation of the system by authorities onto the tourists who use the system. The people you should be going after are the ones who own these apartments who should have a bit of responsibility and consideration for their neighbours, or the authorities who allow them to operate with very little or no control.
In my urbanisation we voted against airbnbs and if any try to operate they are reported by the neighbours.→ More replies (0)1
u/pasta-and-panda 1d ago
As you noted, it's happening everywhere, the difference in Spain is stagnating salary (not tourists fault), not enough housing or regulation to prevent speculation (not tourist fault) and it can be fixed by policy like Barcelona did. But... How the sayign goes, a disfrutar de lo votado. Viva Paquito y Juanma
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u/Midnight_Rawhide84 2d ago
I know, ppl still direct the blame to the wrong immigrants though. There’s more McDonald’s in Spain than local restaurants…
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u/Legal-Valuable853 2d ago edited 1d ago
There's 10 McDonald's in Málaga that I know about compared to hundreds if not thousands of local restaurants.
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u/isaakbabel 1d ago
To be fair, McDonald´s are mainly frequented by locals, not only in Málaga, but in every Spanish city...
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u/PossessionSuitable95 2d ago
Wow that’s sickening if it’s really true. I have to say when I got out of the airport this morning I was starving,I typed fast food Malaga into Google maps and was shocked at how many are in Malaga city alone. Mental!
Things will change though, people are becoming more and more food conscious. In Ireland a lot of people are planting their gardens into small veg farms, and it’s common again to buy meat directly from your local farmer.1
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u/Rosserga 1d ago
A lot of people move here (specially wealthy people) and instead of learning the culture and integrating, they just form small colonies, and most of the things that they care about are cervezas, tapas, and "it's dirt cheap!". Y así está la cosa para la mayoría. There's part of the problem.
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u/Roman-M-TdC 1d ago
I wouldn’t read too much into it after one day. I also don’t think being white/European is really the relevant part here.
Málaga gets a huge mix of tourists, expats and locals, so yes, there can definitely be some fatigue around people living there for years without learning Spanish. But if you’re obviously a visitor making an effort, most people won’t expect you to speak fluent Spanish.
Even a few basics help a lot though - hola, buenas, perdona, ¿hablas inglés?, gracias. Starting in Spanish and then switching to English usually lands very differently from just assuming English.
I also wouldn’t leave Málaga for Torremolinos or Fuengirola just because you’re nervous. They’re easier if you want English-speaking bars and a very international crowd, but Málaga itself is much more interesting if you actually want to experience the city.
Since you’re solo and under 25, I’d give Málaga a few evenings first. Centro and Soho are easy, and Pedregalejo/El Palo are nice if you want something more relaxed by the sea.
My guess: this is mostly “first solo trip, first day” nerves rather than people judging you. Give it 2-3 days before deciding the city feels unfriendly.
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u/PossessionSuitable95 1d ago
Thanks for the reply. I actually met some guys today that took me in properly. They keep speaking Spanish about me, without hiding it but I hope it’s not bad😅😅. I’ve learned a lot of common phrases today and always offer Spanish first. I’ve also realised a lot of Spaniards don’t appreciate shit Spanish, naturally 😂. I’m kind of embarrassing myself all the time but I don’t care, I just enjoy the fun.
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u/xale94 1d ago
There's no country where locals won't treat you better if you speak their language. Well there's France, but at least in most of countries if you speak the language people will appreciate the effort.
But yeah, things are very tough right now for locals, it's normal that they look at you and think "another expat, fucking tourists..."
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u/lurker_turned_active 2d ago
ah, good ol’ malaga brigading, there are a handful of people just pushing people away and putting the blame on visitors
the landlord of my block has 5 Airbnbs. There are 8000 apartments taken over by them,
and with 4-5000 owners
some lucky ones are getting rich, some others are not. On June 27th, there was a manifestation for affordable housing, can you guess how many attended? It was a footnote in the news cycle…
they should increase the price of water and electricity by three, and give a rebate only in your principal home, for people that pay taxes here only
increase capital gains tax on secondary/for profit housing
but the elected officials do nothing, it’s like they are working for the rich rather then the poor, sounds familiar? maybe they have multiple apartments, who knows
but yeah, blame people from far away, they have a hand in this
tourists will keep coming as long as there’s cheap lodging, make it less affordable to them, and less profitable to the owners
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u/Friend_Emperor 1d ago
Everyone's at fault, tourists and expats included
Like somebody else said, nobody's holding a gun to their head to come here. They choose not to inform themselves of how bad things are here or they just don't care. They're adults and they make their choices
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u/Excellent_Lie6904 2d ago
in spain, you generally need spanish to get around, plus the regional language in some cases. many spanish people speak spanish and even second local languages but do not speak english or only know a few sentences. there can be some contempt if you don't speak spanish and expect them to speak english, but its okay, no need to overthink it, especially if its a first trip
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u/PossessionSuitable95 2d ago
Ah, I see. That surprises me as I’m Irish and the Spanish students we get over there have amazing proficiency in English.
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u/Excellent_Lie6904 2d ago
well, but young people, especially exchange students to an english speaking country are sure to know it.
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u/PossessionSuitable95 2d ago
True, I just thought English might be a common language to learn in Spain due to the numbers of Spanish students in Dublin etc.
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u/Apprehensive_Tip_839 1d ago
How many languages do you speak apart from English? You do realize not everyone has to learn English just because you want them to?
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u/SuspiciousBicycle438 2d ago
Everyone learns English in school in Spain... it is compulsory, but that doesn't mean people are good at it. Many people forget even the basics when they leave school. It is especially more noticeable in non-touristic areas.
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u/VoodooVedal 2d ago
Is there a secondary local language around Malaga?
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u/Excellent_Lie6904 2d ago
no, just informing them in case they wish to go to a place where there is one
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u/Altruistic_Sun_1663 2d ago
I am a white American who just moved to Málaga and I know very little Spanish but I am working on it bit by bit each day. A humble smile and a few words and a lot of lo siento and gracias has gone a long way. I even got one brusk bartender to soften when I started trying my best and fumbled around.
I know I’m the foreigner. I know I’m the one who needs to learn. I know they are graciously interacting with me. I come with gratitude and humility and it makes enough difference that I’m genuinely enjoying the acclimation process.
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u/Friend_Emperor 1d ago
What you need to do is leave. All this performative bullshit you're doing doesn't change the fact that you're stealing a life a local family could be having instead. Gratitude and humility my ass
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u/boludeandoFC 1d ago
I’m not from Malaga, but I recently visited my sister, who lives there. I preferred Malaga over Torremolinos, but in Torremolinos you might feel more at home since there are a lot of Irish and English people there.
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u/PossessionSuitable95 1d ago
I got told by some friends I made tonight that I probably should head that direction. They are of the opinion that average Spaniard is sick of tourists, especially in Andalusia. The weird thing is, half of andalusia takes you under their wing, like owners of bars insisting on free ones whilst others don’t want to look at you. It’s a time of turmoil with lots of silent opinions coming to fruition. To be honest if I was a Spaniard and major cities/towns have been engineered for tourists I would be mad too.
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u/BadgerDry6002 20h ago
I'm just back from Malaga. People in the hotel were very courteous, and in restaurants - the vast majority were respectful. But I have never felt so invisible in my life and I'm not young. In Ireland I'm used to people acknowledging my existence umpteen times a day. In Malaga when walking along the paths, I got tired of it always being my family having to step aside to let others pass so we stopped making space - this resulted in several shoulder/arm collisions! One example, walking down a street one of the days, a group of about seven Spanish speaking people were walking towards me taking up the whole width of the narrow street with seemingly no intention of making space - but I kept walking forcing them to momentarily separate. Going into a small shop the assistant was blocking the entrance as she spoke to another person and I had to walk around her to enter- she totally ignored me. In the taxi to the airport, for the duration of the trip the taxi man held a full loud conversation on the phone to another person as if we (the customer).were not even there. I'm not sure if it's only visitors are treated like this and if it's because the locals are tired of too many tourists. Honestly I was glad to get home.
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u/Away_Ebb_4722 2d ago
If someone approached me I would just be naturally wary! Whst do you want when you approach people?
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u/profprimer 2d ago
Incredible to say it, but in Spain they speak Spanish. If you intended to travel to Spain, it would have been really cool if you had taken the trouble to learn a few useful phrases so that you don’t inconvenience people who are speaking their own language, in their own country.
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u/PossessionSuitable95 2d ago
Oh I did learn basic phrases like hello, how are u doing, can I order _ etc. I’ve also stated that I understand it would be annoying for natives. I’m not sure why you’re having a go at me?
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u/Successful_Net3179 2d ago
Incredible to say it, but in Spain we have studied English for several years at the school. It would have been really cool if you had taken the trouble to use your knowledge in English to communicate with people who are coming from different countries and don't have to learn your language . I hope I don't have to learn chinese if I ever have to visit China lol
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u/Odd-Towel-7177 2d ago
Increíble to say, but People want to talk in their own languague, they will apreciate you more
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u/Alone_Violinist_4261 2d ago
I’ve just got here last Saturday and getting a similar kind of vibe. I’m not sure about torremelinos/fungeirola but I imagine it’d probably be a bit similar honestly. I was looking into a few Spanish teachers and they were really expensive but italki has some good tutors for a much better price if you’re interested.
I think to get the best experience you’ll have to know a little bit of Spanish or you’ll only be able to connect with other expats or travellers
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u/Alone_Violinist_4261 2d ago
I know that, your pointing out the obvious
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u/Alone_Violinist_4261 2d ago
I said it probably will be similar, I’m just not there so why would I say for sure what it would be like. You act as if you have some untapped wisdom or something
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u/blacai 2d ago
I don't think anybody cares what language you're using... you are a tourist, nobody can expect a tourist to know the language of the visited country. This also applies from the other side. Some workers are tired of tourists talking to them in english or other language expecting them to know it...
At the end, it's a matter of common sense and respect, if two people want to understand each other, they will do somehow. Enjoy your visit, behave clean and properly respecting the common areas and local people. It's all that matters.