9,500 cruise passengers disembark in Málaga and unexpectedly encounter the fair

Four cruise ships dock this Friday at the port of Málaga during the fair, with 9,591 passengers who mostly were unaware of the celebration. Many end up joining the festive atmosphere.

The gangway of the Arvia has been continuously emptying since nine in the morning. Swimsuits, backpacks, and folded maps mix with the bustle of a port that this Friday welcomes four cruise ships, one of which has a capacity for more than 6,200 passengers. According to data from the City Council of Málaga, the day accounts for almost half of all the expected cruise passenger arrivals for these festivities: 9,591 people set foot in Málaga in a single day.

Most arrive without knowing that the city is celebrating. Emily, 33 years old and from Sheffield, disembarks from the Arvia with her family with a simple plan: to stroll and spend the day at the beach. It’s her first time in Málaga and, when asked if she knows that the fair starts today, she replies succinctly:

“No, I had no idea.”

A little further on, Paul and Lindsay, a retired English couple aged 69 and 67, also have not heard of the celebration. Their itinerary, they say, is always the same: walk, have a coffee, a beer, another stroll, some shopping.

“Just taking it all in, enjoying the weather,” they summarise.

Their cruise departs from Southampton and will visit Alicante, Marseille, Barcelona, and Cádiz in the coming days. They must be back on board by 16:30.

Not everyone is improvising. Lynn and Tim, retirees from Texas, are visiting Málaga for the first time with a pre-booked excursion: a castle, a cathedral, and a wine tasting. They don’t even know exactly which venue the bus will take them to.

“I have the description on my phone,” one of them says, searching through the notes on their phone.

After Málaga, their cruise will take them to a flight to Edinburgh, where friends and a golf course await them.

Michael, Karen, and Kelly, also from the Arvia, don’t need a guide: between cruise visits and holidays in Torremolinos, they estimate they have been to Málaga half a dozen times. Their plan for today is simple: a coffee and spending the day in the city.

“There’s a lot to do,” they say before saying goodbye.

A couple from Texas, camera around their neck, barely slowed down when approached at the dock. When asked about their plan, they replied almost casually: they were going to see some olive trees. Nothing more. They continued walking towards the centre.

Another group ended up at the fair purely by chance. Glyn, Karen, and their young daughter Fleur, from Southampton, were on their way to the beach, they say, but took a wrong turn and ended up in the middle of the festive atmosphere.

“It’s incredible. The traditional dance and the maracas,” says Karen.

They didn’t know if it had any historical background or if it happened every year. What surprised them most was that the fair was never mentioned on the ship.

“They could have mentioned it upon arrival and we would have come earlier,” they lamented. Still, they left delighted: “I’m glad we stumbled upon this by chance.”

Bárbara Revuelta, CEO of the agency BRH Spain, was taking four groups of cruise passengers that day, spread between the Picasso Museum and a gastronomic tour by Antonio Martín. She says that, although most knew nothing about the fair, her team explained it to them as soon as they picked them up. Some later approached to take a look, even one wanted to buy some candied almonds on calle Larios, although they were careful not to lose the group due to the tight schedule: everyone had to return to board in the afternoon.

Juan José Pérez, one of the guides welcoming the groups, describes a reaction he sees repeated every year: total surprise.

“When they arrive, they say: What is this? And they are amazed because a celebration like the fair doesn’t exist anywhere else,”

he says. He compares it to the Holy Week in Málaga for its ability to overwhelm those who don’t know it: it’s not a one-day event, but a whole week of celebration. Nevertheless, his assessment is unanimous:

“There’s no one who complains about Málaga.”

For cruise passengers who want to join the party, the fair is celebrated all week at the fairground, with booths, attractions, and a festive atmosphere until late hours. Those without a booked excursion can still head to the centre and experience it on their own, although they must keep in mind the return times to the ship.