Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga (CAC)
Málaga's only museum dedicated entirely to 20th- and 21st-century art, housed in the former Wholesale Market of 1939 (architects Gutiérrez Soto and Jáuregui). It hosts temporary exhibitions by international artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Marc Quinn in a Rationalist building with a triangular floor plan. Free admission.
What it is (and why you should check the programme before you visit)
CAC Málaga was for 21 years the only museum in the city devoted entirely to 20th- and 21st-century art, with a collection of more than 630 works and names such as Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei, Olafur Eliasson, Damien Hirst, Maurizio Cattelan, Ron Mueck, Antoni Tàpies and Miquel Barceló. In September 2024 it closed as the CAC and the project evolved into MuCAC Málaga. Here is the detail that will save you a wasted trip: the building most people associate with the CAC — the former Wholesale Market on Calle Alemania, in the Soho district — has been closed for renovation since 2024 and CANNOT be visited in June 2026. Work was formally begun in January 2026 and the reopening is estimated for mid or late 2026, with no confirmed date yet. The building is worth some context: it is a Rationalist structure from 1939–1944, with an almost triangular floor plan, a central tower and a courtyard, designed by Luis Gutiérrez Soto (who also designed Madrid's Barajas airport and the Europa and Barceló cinemas), with cold-storage rooms and an air-raid shelter in the basement — a reminder that it was conceived during the Spanish Civil War. It is listed as a Cultural Heritage Site. But today, to see art, you need to go to a different venue.
Tickets, opening hours and how to skip the queues
The active venue is MuCAC La Coracha, at Paseo de Reding, 1, at the foot of Gibralfaro in La Malagueta. Admission is free (policy in force as of June 2026; the official website mucacmalaga.eu has not announced any change). It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00 and is closed on Mondays; it also closes on 25 December and 1 January but is open on all other public holidays. The sources we consulted show no requirement to book online, so you can just turn up — though it is worth checking mucacmalaga.eu before you go in case anything changes. The good news is that it is rarely crowded and queues are almost unheard of. The 2026 programme includes "Ayer. Colección 1940–1990" (on permanent display until April 2027), "Tejiendo historias" (April to September 2026) and "Mi porción del pastel" by Verónica Ruth Frías (9 June to 26 July 2026). Allow around 1 hour for a standard visit, or up to 90 minutes if you linger in the bookshop-store or join a workshop. For the quietest experience, go on a weekday morning — Tuesday to Thursday before 12:00.
Getting there and tips from someone who has already been
MuCAC La Coracha (Paseo de Reding, 1) is an easy walk: about 20 minutes from the Cathedral and the historic centre, or about 15 minutes from the Parque, skirting the port towards La Malagueta. It is a pleasant stroll, so if you are already in the centre there is no need to bother with public transport. If you prefer the bus, several EMT lines run along the coastal corridor of Paseo de Reding and La Malagueta (line 3, for instance, stops nearby); check the exact line on emtmalaga.es or the EMT Málaga app before you leave. The tram does not reach Paseo de Reding: the nearest stop is at Alameda Principal, about 15 minutes on foot, so it is not worth it. A couple of final notes: first, if you came specifically to enter the Rationalist Wholesale Market building on Calle Alemania (Soho), you will have to wait until it reopens as MuCAC Mayoristas, expected in the second half of 2026; in the meantime, all the art is at La Coracha. Second, because it is in La Malagueta, you can easily combine the visit with the beach, Muelle Uno or the Castillo de Gibralfaro, all within walking distance.
Frequently asked questions
How much does admission cost and do I need to book?
How much time do I need for the visit?
Can I visit the former CAC building on Calle Alemania?
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Other places in Málaga
Alcazaba de Málaga
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Catedral de la Encarnación (La Manquita)
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Castillo de Gibralfaro
castilloA 14th-century Muslim fortress perched 130 metres above the sea, connected to the Alcazaba by the 'coracha' wall. From its battlements you command views of the Port, La Malagueta and the whole bay. A museum room on its military history was opened in 2003. Entrance: €7 (combined with the Alcazaba: €10); free on Sundays from 2 pm.
Museo Picasso Málaga
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Calle Marqués de Larios
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Feria de Málaga (Feria de Agosto)
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