Episcopal Palace of Málaga: what to see, opening hours, tickets and exhibitions

Before looking at times or prices, it is worth deciding what you are going to visit, because two different set-ups coexist in the same building, with separate opening hours and tickets.

Usual visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00, and Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00.

Usual access is by a donation of €3. Under-14s go in free. Some exhibitions offer guided visits linked to the show, with prior booking subject to availability.

They work with seasonal opening hours, and the time slots may vary depending on the time of year. As a frequent reference, they open around 10:30 and close between 19:00 and 21:00.

Usual tickets: general €5 and reduced €3 for groups such as over-65s, students, unemployed people and residents of the province, among others. There are also usually options such as Vaults (Bóvedas) and combined tickets with the Cathedral, each with its own price.

Plaza del Obispo is the Baroque urban space par excellence in Málaga and one of the city's most important squares since ancient times. Here stands the Bishop's Palace, whose construction begins in 1762.

Opposite is the main entrance to Málaga Cathedral, La Manquita. You can take in its façade and the marble steps that come down to the level of the square, separated from the monument by railings.

The centre of the square is taken up by an 18th-century stone fountain, contemporary with the building of the palace. It served to supply water to nearby residents, and that water arrived by way of another point of interest: the San Telmo Aqueduct.

The main façade is key for the quality of its composition. It is three storeys high and articulated with shallow pilasters. On the lower floor large windows predominate, and on the upper floors, large openings in the form of balconies.

The commanding element is the centred altarpiece-style doorway, also three storeys high. It combines grey marble in the background and pink marble in the columns, which decrease in number as you go up. Standing out are the large balcony above the door, the finials of pilasters and columns, and the coats of arms above the entrance. In the top section, the niche houses the Virgin of the Sorrows (Virgen de las Angustias), the work of Fernando Ortiz.

The interior is organised around two successive courtyards. Around the first is grouped the public area of the complex, with a low block with arcades. In the second, the fronts are laid out open with balconies, and in this area are distributed the private quarters intended for the prelate, also on two floors with a light arcaded structure.

To one side stands an imperial double-flight staircase connecting with the upper part of the palace. It is one of the pieces that best explains how the building is articulated and how the passage towards the upper spaces is ordered.

The Episcopal Palace is the result of a group of constructions that have undergone transformations over time according to the needs of use, within the period from the 16th to the 18th century. The construction of the main building begins in 1762, under the patronage of Archbishop José F. Lasso de Castilla, with designs attributed to the architect Antonio Ramos.

On the death of Antonio Ramos in 1782, the works carried on under his successor José Martín de Aldehuela, to whom the stone balustrade crowning the top of the building is probably attributed, added at a later date. The Episcopal Palace was listed as a Site of Cultural Interest in 1991, and since October 2019 it has been the Fundación Unicaja Cultural Centre of Málaga, with a cultural programme.

Since October 2019, the building has operated as the Fundación Unicaja Cultural Centre and runs on a cultural programme, not a fixed collection.

A real and useful example for 2026: the exhibition Patronage and collecting in the House of Alba can be visited until 11 January 2026 at Plaza del Obispo 6. Admission to the centre is by a donation of €3 and they usually organise free guided visits to the exhibition included in that donation, with prior booking.

As well as exhibitions, the centre programmes series and activities. For example, the Cultura 360º series continues on 15 January 2026 with a session by Rocío Molina, with free entry while places last. That gives you a clear idea of how the space works: some days it is worth going for an exhibition and others for a specific event.

The most direct way is to head for Plaza del Obispo, next to the Cathedral. It is a central and very well connected location, so the last stretch is usually done on foot through the old town.

By city bus, the usual option is to get off around Paseo del Parque, Alameda or Catedral and walk a few minutes to Plaza del Obispo.

By taxi or ride-hailing, ask for Plaza del Obispo or Málaga Cathedral. They drop you in the immediate surroundings and the final approach on foot is straightforward.

With a guide you understand why the Episcopal Palace is one of the finest examples of civil architecture in Málaga, the organisation around two successive courtyards, the difference between the public area of the first courtyard and the private quarters of the second, and the role of the imperial double-flight staircase as the axis of circulation towards the upper floor.

Our guide also explains what matters about the altarpiece-style doorway with its grey and pink marble, the main balcony, the coats of arms and the upper niche with the Virgin of the Sorrows, the work of Fernando Ortiz. If you are looking for a guided tour of the centre with clear explanations, here is our guided tour in Málaga.

Start at Plaza del Obispo: cathedral in front of you, palace to one side and the 18th-century fountain in the middle. It is a complete stop before going in.

On the façade, go straight to the altarpiece-style doorway: grey marble, pink marble, main balcony, coats of arms and the Virgin of the Sorrows at the top.

If you go inside, look for two things without fail: the two courtyards and the imperial staircase. They are what best explain the building.

If you are going for an exhibition, check beforehand whether there is an associated activity, such as a guided visit or a talk-through, because it depends on the centre's programme.

Combine it with a guided tour of Málaga Cathedral: by location, it is one of the visits that fits best into a route around the old town without losing time getting from place to place.