I stayed in Malága during what I later found out was Semana Santa, the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Unfortunately, although I booked 4 nights at this apartment, I only ended up staying for one night and had to switch to a hotel for the remainder of my trip. I did not do enough research into how big Semana Santa is in Malága, but if I had I almost certainly wouldn’t have booked this listing.
Arantxa’s apartment is in a great location for attractions - right in the heart of the historic area. There’s tons of life and things to do and see right outside your doorstep.
The trade-off is at night it is extremely noisy. This is an old building, and the walls are paper-thin. The multiple layers of windows barely conceal the noise, so if you are a light sleeper you will be woken up often. This normally wouldn’t be a very big deal, but the problem was exacerbated by the Semana Santa processions.
What I only learned once I arrived is that during Semana Santa, a mile-long parade effectively shuts down the historic center of Malága all-day, all-week. Crowds of thousands of people stand grid-locked along the streets while thousands more participate in the processions. The parade has several full-instrumentation bands, playing music every 5-10 minutes throughout the procession.
The apartment has an excellent view from its balcony of the whole thing and it was a joy to watch on the first afternoon. What I only found out later as I was trying to fall asleep is that these processions continue well into the night. The parade doesn’t finish until 2am, and then the crowds and street sweepers keep the party going until at least 4am.
On top of the noise, the crowds and procession make it near impossible to get in and out of the apartment. The surrounding streets remain backed up for blocks in every direction with crowds, and only every 15-25 minutes do they let people cross the street. There are lines of people on the narrow sidewalks and you have to push through crowds for blocks to make any progress. This includes directly in front of the entrance.
If you stay for Semana Santa you will be trapped in the apartment, or have to avoid it completely until you have to go back for sleep. It’s hard to overstate how loud it is, and again, from maybe 5pm to 3-4am the apartment will be close to inaccessible.
I wish I could have stayed here for my entire trip. The hosts are genuinely nice, and checkin was also great. George does an amazing job giving recommendations and the lay of the land for people unfamiliar with Malága.