Erasmus Experience in Malaga, Spain by Valentina

Why did you choose to go to Malaga, Spain?

I chose Malaga because I wanted to go to Spain, learn Spanish and live near the sea. Little did I know that I would fall so deeply in love with this city!

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I received 300 euros a month. This is good enough to pay for your rent and apartment expenses but you need to have other sources of money to eat, move around, go out etc.

What is the student lifestyle like in Malaga?

The student life in Malaga is the perfect life! The university is pretty near the centre with lots of buses connecting it to everything. The nightlife is tailor made for students. Also, there are great places to eat or have a drink, in the university or outside, at really affordable prices.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Malaga to other students?

I highly recommend it, the experience was awesome and the place, people and life are great!

What is the food like?

The food you'll find anyplace and anytime are tapas which are little portions of food like tortilla, meatballs, potatoes and much more. Moreover, you'll find great fish and sea food restaurants next to the sea.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Malaga?

No, there are many Facebook groups and websites about accommodation for students. Firstly I booked a hostel and once I was there I started looking for rooms. There's plenty of choice!

How much does it cost to live in Malaga?

Life there is very affordable as prices are never high. You just need to keep an eye out for the tourist traps that are a little more expensive. Once you get to know the city a bit you'll find great places in the very centre which are really cheap and good!

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

For me the language was easy but that's probably because I come from Italy and Spanish is not that different. But I had never studied it before and I got it pretty quickly.

There are courses at the beginning of every semester in the university, based on your level and they surely help a lot.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Malaga from your city?

Plane, for sure.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Malaga?

Just go to the centre and there you'll be able to choose! There are PR everywhere so you can go for the best offer.

Popular places are:

• Sala Gold.
• Toulouse.
• Bubbles.
• Sala Wengé.
• Anden.

They're all within walking distance from one another so if you get bored just go to the next one!

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Malaga?

My favourite is El Tapy, a tapas bar near Teatro Cervantes that gives you a free tapa with every drink (and a small glass of beer only costs 90 cents).

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Otherwise there are some food chains like 100 Montaditos, La Sureña and Tragatapas. Another good one is Vaca Loca. There are so many good places!

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

For starters, Alcazaba, the big arabic castle on the hill, and for sure Picasso's house and museum. Then you can find many other museums, like Thyssen, and for sure Teatro Cervantes.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Malaga in the future?

Definetely go and you'll have a very good time! Join Facebook Erasmus groups in Malaga to be up to date with parties, trips and accommodation offers!