Malaga is a shopping wonderland with just about everything available here. It is a unique combination of the old and the new. There are international chains and shopping malls thrown in with distinctive shops which have been in the business for decades. These indigenous shops thrive on selling just a couple of specialties. Explore the weekly markets for authentic, inexpensive souvenirs like ceramics, leatherwear, and traditional artistic items.
Another shopping option is to be found in the Historical Quarter. Parking is not a problem: there are municipal car parks as well as street parking areas, and you will be able to combine your shopping trip with a visit to this historical area, with its many pedestrian thoroughfares, making your shopping tour all the more enjoyable. It is the city’s largest commercial area, with over a thousand establishments that will vie for your attention with the incomparable monumental and museum attractions. The whole area forms a semi-circle that extends out from its central axis at Calle Larios to the banks of the River Guadalmedina and to Calles Carretera, Alamos and Alcazabilla.
Some of the things you need to keep in mind while shopping in Malaga:
When you make a purchase over ˆ90.15 in shops showing the ‘Tax free’ logo and you are resident outside the European Union, you have the right to a VAT refund, within a deadline of three months following the date of purchase. The request can be made as follows:
Ask the shop assistant to give you the shop’s Tax-Free refund voucher or the invoice for tax refund together with a prepaid envelope to request the VAT refund.
When leaving the country or the European Union, present your purchases, together with the receipts, your passport and your travel document, to the Customs Officer to have your Tax-Free vouchers stamped. This should always be done before checking in your luggage. The Customs Officers are well informed on the VAT tax refund system.
You can cash your vouchers at the nearest Spain Refund office, or request a transfer to your credit card account or bank account, or have a cheque sent to the address of your choice. To do this, use the prepaid envelope. Malaga Airport has a Quick-Change refund office in the international departures terminal.
