Meet the mercadillos, or flea markets, on the Costa del Sol

Street markets are an integral part of Spanish life. Mercadillos are a great opportunity to get to know the character of Spain and delve into its culture, through new tastes and smells or handicrafts. Each market is also a place to meet and integrate the local community. When in Spain, it is definitely worth taking a walk to your nearest mercadillo, where you will find some real gems.

What are Spanish mercadillos?

In Poland it is called a bazaar or market – in Spain – un mercadillo. Like a Polish bazaar, a mercadillo is a mobile open-air market located in a designated public space – such as squares, alleys or car parks.

The variety of things that can be bought there – from fresh fruit and vegetables to clothes, shoes and jewellery, including second-hand goods, plants and household items – is of great interest. Spanish markets often have stalls selling traditional Spanish food and coffee, encouraging locals to meet up with friends and family.

In the markets, you can usually buy better quality products than in the usual shops, and at the same time at more affordable prices. In some places on the map of Spain, markets have themed fairs where you can buy products from all over the world. One of the largest fairs in Andalusia is in the town of Fuengriola, currently numbering more than 470 stalls.

Types of street markets in Spain

Regular (traditional) street markets

In the usual mercadillos, you can find products such as fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as everyday products – such as beach blankets made of raw cotton, footwear or light clothing made of linen for the Spanish heat.

Organic markets

There are stalls selling organic and bio products. Here you can buy fresh, seasonal or dried fruit and vegetables, oil, honey, hand-baked bread, organic eggs and wines from the Guadalhorce Valley, otherwise known as the 'Malaga Orchard’.

Flea markets

In such places you can find a wide range of handicrafts, as well as antiques and second-hand products. You can buy everything from home decoration or fine jewellery, tools, films, books or records to really big furniture, household appliances or… car parts.

Locations of street markets on the Costa del Sol

Below is a list with the locations of the most popular street markets on the south coast of Spain. Certain types of markets – such as organic or flea markets – are only found in certain towns.

Malaga

In 2025, there were a total of around 16 street markets in different neighbourhoods in Malaga.

You can visit on Mondays:

• In the Campanillas district, on Tiziano Street, there is a traditional market with 23 stalls, open from approximately 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Textiles, footwear, leather goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as kitchen items and plants can be purchased there.
• The market located at Andromeda Street and Plutarco Avenue – the place is open around 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is a regular street market where you can buy souvenirs in addition to the usual everyday items and food products.

Street markets open on Tuesdays:

• Puerto de la Torre district, Pirita Street, – a traditional bazaar is set up between 9am and 2pm. You can buy clothes, shoes, leather goods, fruit, vegetables, nuts, jewellery and plants, among other things.
• Churriana district – the Plaza Virgen de la Inmaculada has a traditional bazaar open from 9am to 2pm.
• Palma-Palmilla district – traditional market on Guadalbullón Street, open standard hours 9am – 2pm.

Markets open on Wednesdays:

• Virgen de Belen estate – there is a fairly large traditional market here, open from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. The site is well connected to the city centre and it is easy to get here by metro, getting off at the nearby Puerta Blanca station.
• The Cortijo de Torres district – this is the largest street market, located on Avenida de las Malagueñas. It has as many as 315 stalls and two cafés. In addition, you can get second-hand items at some of the stalls. It is open longer than standard street stalls, from 9am to 3pm.
• The Colonia Santa Inés estate in the Teatinos-Universidad district – is one of the smaller street markets in Málaga (there are only around 34 stalls). It is located at the intersection of Tamayo y Baus and Juan Francés Boscá, and you can shop there from around 9am to 2pm.

Markets open on Thursdays:

• Ciudad Jardin (Garden City) district – this market has around 120 stalls and is located on the northern outskirts of Malaga (next to John F. Kennedy Square). The most convenient way to get there is by car due to its proximity to the ring road, but there are also public transport buses. From the city centre, you can get there in 30 to 40 minutes on bus lines 20 and 2, getting off at the stop: Plaza John F. Kennedy. The market has standard opening hours – 9.00 am to 2.00 pm.
• Cruz de Humilladero district – a market located much closer to the centre. You can get there by metro, getting off at La Union station, or by public transport bus, e.g. line 4. The market is located on Conde Guadalhorce street and is also open from 9.00 to 14.00.

Markets open on Fridays:

• The Miraflores de los Ángeles neighbourhood – a small market – is located on Marqués de Ovieco street. The most convenient way to get there is by public transport – bus number 7. It is normally open between 9am and 2pm.
• Cruz de Humilladero district – on Corregidor Pedro Zapata street. It has standard opening hours for Malaga and a convenient location. You can get there easily by metro, getting off at Barbarela station.

Markets open on Saturdays:

• Province of Malaga Este (also known as District 2) – a market located just off the beach of Playas de Palo, in the Plaza Virgen de la Milagrosa. It is easy to get there from the centre by buses such as lines 8, 11, 3.
• Malaga’s Carretera de Cádiz province – the Mercadillo de Huelin market also operates on Wednesdays, on Avenida de Europa. As well as the standard stalls, it also includes a flea market. You can get there by metro, getting off at the Barbarela or Princesa – Huelin stops, and by buses such as lines 7 or 3.
• Cruz de Humilladero district, Arroyo del Cuarto housing estate – the market is located on Carlos Haya and Argentea Street. You can get there by taking the bus or the metro near the market – Carranque station.

Markets open on Sundays:

• Cruz de Humilladero district, Recinto Ferial Cortijo Torres housing estate – a second-hand goods flea market located on José Blánquez el Maño Street. You can buy clothes, ceramics and decorative items for the home, among other things. It is open from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. You can get here by train, getting off at Victoria Kent station, or by bus line 20.

Torremolinos

There is a market area in the town called the Recinto Ferial de Torremolinos, located on Periodista Federico Alba street.This is a traditional market, open on Thursdays and Sundays, from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. You can get there by taking the T1 and M-125 buses.On Thursdays there is a regular market where you can buy food, clothes and all kinds of textiles. On Sundays, however, there is a flea market where you can find second-hand gems. There are two pine forests nearby, with barbecue areas you can use.

Fuengirola

• The Recinto Ferial Fuengirola, on Av. Nuestro Padre Jesus Cautivo, hosts one of the largest markets in Andalusia on Tuesdays, with as many as 470 stalls. The market is open to the public from 9am to 2pm and offers a wide range of products. This location also often hosts fairs and festivals, well-known throughout Andalusia, such as: Rosario Festival (from 6 to 12 October), Carmen Festival (in mid-July) or the International Country Fair (from April to May).
• On Saturdays, a second-hand market takes place in the same location, with more than 300 stalls. You can find everything here: textiles, tools, music, films, bicycles, household goods, books, furniture, car parts, white and brown goods or sporting goods. The flea market is open from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm.
• A little further away from the centre, on Av. Maria Zambrano in Las Lagunas de Mijas, you can also visit the flea market on Saturdays between 9am and 1pm. There is a large car park next door, as well as a playground for dogs.
• On the street C. Méndez Núñez, on Sundays there is a traditional market with artisanal products: hand-decorated leather goods, ceramics, children’s toys, handbags or jewellery. It operates from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is a little smaller than the other markets in Fuengriola, as it has around 130 stalls.

Benalmadena

• Arroyo de la Miel Market – known as the 'market of opportunity’ has around 230 stalls where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes, jewellery, ceramics, handicrafts, sweets, home furnishings and much more. It is located Parking Tivoli, Arroyo de la Miel, next to the cable car and very close to the train station. The train station is accessible by train from Malaga, which runs every 20 minutes daily. It takes place every Friday around 9am – 3pm.
• La Paloma Fairground Flea Market – is located on Gandhi Avenue, next to La Paloma Park and Selwo Marina. Held every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., it is sure to be an attraction for fans of antiques, as second-hand home furnishings and handicrafts can be purchased here.
• Organic market in the La Paloma market area – in the same place where the flea market is held, you can find stalls selling organic products every first and third Sunday of the month. The products of the market mainly come from the Guadalhorce Valley, known throughout Spain as the orchard of Malaga. Here you can taste wines from regional vineyards and buy healthy fruit, vegetables or animal products (e.g. eggs, milk) from organic farms. The market takes place on the first and third Sunday of each month, from 9am to 2pm.

La Calla de Mijas

On the Mijas website you will find all the locations of the local street markets. Most of them operate in the mornings, between 9am and 2pm, and the most interesting ones are:

• La Cala de Mijas market- takes place every Wednesday and Saturday at the La Cala de Mijas market area, between Av. de Mare Nostrum and Av. Abogados de Oficio. The market is located near the beach of Playa La Cala, which can be reached in just a few minutes’ walk. There are many eating and drinking establishments all around, making it a constantly lively place. You can find quality fresh food – including sausages, cheeses and olives – as well as original handmade items. In addition, organic food stalls are set up there every second and last Sunday of the month.
• The Calypso Market, next to the Valdepinos shopping centre in Calahonda, is open on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can get there easily by car, as it is located just off the A-7 road. There is ample parking and a petrol station next to the market. For those wishing to use public transport, there is a bus stop next door, „Las Potas”, with buses 220, 313 and M-220 from Marbella, Fuengirola and Las Lagunas.

On Thursdays, you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, sweets, clothes – including swimwear, hats, flowers, hand-fired ceramics or kitchen utensils. Once your shopping is done, you can enjoy a coffee at a nearby café and then take a walk on the beach, which is only 350 metres from the market. The flea market opens at the same location on Sundays, also from 9am to 2pm.

Marbella

• Mercadillo de Marbella is located on C. José Manuel Vallés, it has 360 stalls and offers a wide range of products – from clothes, daily necessities, ceramics, food and clothing. It takes place every Monday, from 9am to 2pm.
• The Marina Virgen del Carmen crafts and flea market – located in the Puerto Deportivo Virgen del Carmen de Marbella, on Muelle Hermanos Leon Street. It is open every Sunday and public holidays, from 11am to 6pm in winter and 7pm to midnight in summer.
• El mercadillo de Puerto Banús – The market has been in existence for 30 years and its stalls are spread around the Nueva Andalucía bullfighting arena. It is one of the most popular and largest markets in Spain, and is divided into 3 sections – the first is dedicated to antiques and second-hand products, the second includes stalls selling fashionable clothes, flowers and food, and the third is in the common areas of the Centro Plaza shopping centre, where there are permanent shops, available all year round. The market is famous for its good quality clothes and handicrafts, which already carries higher prices, but it is certainly an ideal place to buy original souvenirs.

Estepona

• The Puerto Market (Mercadillo del Puerto) – located on Avenida Virgen del Puerto and with an extensive network of cafés and restaurants – is open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can find original dresses, handbags and shoes here, as well as buy a swimsuit or hair scarf.
• Traditional street market (Mercadillo Callejero) – located along Calle Francia and Calle Alemania streets. It opens on Wednesdays after 9 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. Here you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables, jars of homemade preserves, as well as ceramics, clothes or jewellery.
• Mercadillo Plaza de Toros – a flea market located next to the bullfighting arena in Estepona, on C. Matías Prats. Open on Sundays from 9am to 3pm.

Organic markets in the province of Malaga

The organic markets located in the province of Malaga are worth highlighting. As a rule, organic stalls are set up once a month – on weekends – and the products available are largely sourced from the Guadalhorce Valley, also known as the Malaga orchard.

Open on the first weekend of the month:

Estacion de Cartama – located in the Los Naranjos Park municipal park and open from 10am to 2pmOpen thesecond weekend of the month:

• Malaga – organic market in the Centro district, at Paseo de Reding 6, La Malagueta. Open on the second Saturday of the month from 9am to 2pm.
• Las Lagunas, Parque de Andalucia market on Av. de Mijas Costa, open on the second Sunday of the month from 9am to 2pm.
• La Malagueta – in Cervantes Street, on the Redding Promenade. The organic bazaar runs every second Saturday of the month (from 14 January to 9 December), from 10am to 2pm.

Open on the third weekend of the month:

• Marbella, Nueva Andalucía – on the Elivira estate, in Sirio Street. The market is open on the first, second and third Saturdays of each month (from 21 January to 16 December), from 10am to 3pm.
• Benalmádena – fairground complex between Av. de Rocío Jurado, Av. Gandhi, Av. Federico García Lorca. The market is surrounded by the Parque de la Paloma park and is open on the third Sunday of the month, from 11am to 3pm.

Open on the fourth weekend of the month:

• Malaga – an ecological market, located in Huelin Park, just a few metres from the seafront promenade and harbour. Open every last Saturday of the month (from 28 January to 23 December), from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. It is worth going there by bike, as the town offers a well-developed system of cycle paths running along the seafront promenade. Thus, you can combine a visit to the organic market with a bike ride along the coast – with beautiful views of the Alboran Sea.

Weekly fair, open every weekend:

• Benajarafe Organic Market – at the Garden Centre Florymar, at Diseminado Chilches Rural, 84, open from 10am to 2pm.

As you can see, there is something for everyone at mercadillos in Spain. Most towns and cities on the Costa del Sol have local markets where you can get good quality products. At least one of the Spanish markets is worth a visit, if only to be able to show off your original acquisitions to your friends.