Street Art Route

× Street art in Málaga: when the city picks up a spray can and speaks

Forget sterile museums. In Málaga, some of the boldest artworks are outdoors — painted on walls, hiding in alleyways or stretching across entire buildings. Welcome to the street art scene of Málaga, where the city does not just hang art — it becomes it.

× from Picasso to spray cans

This is the hometown of Picasso, yes. But Málaga does not live in the past. Over the last decade it has turned forgotten walls and grey corners into canvases that shout, whisper, question and provoke.

What began as rebellion is now celebration. Street art here is more than tolerated — it is curated. This is a city where the walls are never blank and the messages rarely are.

× start in Soho, the open-air gallery

Just south of the historic centre, between the port and the Alameda, lies Soho Málaga, also known as the Barrio de las Artes. What used to be a fairly anonymous neighbourhood has become the epicentre of Málaga’s street art revolution.

Thanks to the MAUS Project (Málaga Arte Urbano Soho), internationally acclaimed artists were invited to leave their mark. And they did — on façades, bridges, garages and entire apartment blocks.

× murals you should not miss

Use this as a quick guide to Soho’s most iconic walls:

• Shepard Fairey (Obey) – Yes, the artist behind Obama’s Hope poster. His huge mural on Calle Comandante Benítez is pure Obey: bold reds, stylised faces and political tension.
• D*Face – Right next to Obey’s piece. Think comic-book aesthetics colliding with pop culture and rebellion, all delivered with dry British humour.
• ROA – Belgian, monochrome and fascinated by animals. His surreal chameleon on Calle Casas de Campos almost melts into the wall, but it stays in your mind long after you turn the corner.
• Boa Mistura – This Spanish collective paints with words. On Calle San Lorenzo you will find big, colourful typographic pieces designed to stop you in your tracks and make you think.
• Dadi Dreucol – Málaga-born and deliberately strange. His recurring bearded character on Calle Tomás Heredia sits somewhere between mystery and manifesto. Look twice — it feels as if he is watching you.

× beyond Soho: the city keeps talking

The street art scene does not stop in Soho. Follow the colour trail and you will find more pieces scattered around the city:

• Guadalmedina riverbed – A 130-metre mural by Ben Eine, with his signature block letters marching across the concrete banks.
• Lagunillas neighbourhood – Gritty, raw and absolutely worth the detour. This area is a living sketchbook for local artists: ever-changing, unpredictable and full of character.

× how to explore it on foot

The best way to experience Málaga’s street art is simple: walk.

Start at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo (CAC), a fitting gateway to the scene. From there, drift into the backstreets of Soho. Let the murals guide you. Take detours. Look around corners, down side streets and even at the pavement. Some of the most memorable pieces are also the most discreet.

And if you take a wrong turn, do not worry. In a city that writes its thoughts on the walls, every “mistake” is just another story waiting to be found.

× art with something to say

These murals are not just decoration. They are conversations about peace, protest, identity, nature and the pace of modern life. Some shout. Others whisper. All of them give Málaga a voice that carries far beyond the gallery walls.

Whether you are an art lover, a photographer in search of new backdrops or simply a curious walker, this is a side of Málaga you should not miss.