If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I was lucky enough to spend last week in Spain. I was a little bit nervous as it was the first time I’d visited since being gluten and dairy free; so I had no idea how I’d fare in the eating out department (and was tempted to pack a suitcase full of food!)
We stayed in Fuengirola and took a day trip to Malaga; a destination that impressed me the most being gluten and dairy free! So when I was asked by villa company Clickstay to share my top tips for gluten-free travels; I decided to focus on that city in particular and share my top tips for eating out when you’re gluten-free in Malaga.
Gluten and Dairy Free Malaga:Where to Stay
We decided to stay at a self-catered apartment during our time in Spain; as I wanted the flexibility to have breakfast or lunch in the apartment. I brought my own bread, herbal tea, nakd bars, crisps and biscuits so I could eat in the villa and I’m glad I did this as it saved money but also stopped me worrying about where to eat on the first day we arrived. However, as I’ll share later on, the supermarkets in Spain were amazing so I needn’t have worried.
We actually stopped in an area called Los Boliches; which is in Fuengirola and a 45-minute journey by train into the centre of Malaga. The journey was straightforward (it only costs 7 euros for a return trip) and the train system was amazing. However, since we only had one day in Malaga, I’d like to return to have a weekend break and do it properly; I’ve already got my eye on this Clickstay villa in Malaga and am thinking of booking it in the winter months (because my gut does not do well with the heat-something I didn’t realise until we arrived in Spain!)
Gluten and Dairy Free in Malaga: Where to Eat
1.Cafe Central Malaga
This is an amazing brunch spot in Malaga. Not only is it smack bang in the middle of the square but they’re completely comfortable with gluten and dairy free. The bakery section has a contained shelf just for gluten free cakes and pastries; whilst they also serve super crispy, gluten-free baguettes with a range of toppings. I opted for the gluten-free baguette with Spanish ham, and at only 3 euros it’s surprisingly reasonable.
2.Conico
Looking for gluten and dairy free ice cream in Malaga? Well, look no further! Conico is an amazing ice cream shop with some of the best allergen info I’ve ever seen. Not only do they offer gluten-free cones but all ice creams are very clearly marked with allergens: including gluten, dairy and egg. Why can’t they do this in the UK?
Almost everything’s gluten-free but there’s a handful of dairy-free sorbets too. You might think ‘oh great, another bloody sorbet’ but this sorbet was out of this world and easily rivalled the regular ice cream. I went for Rasberry Mojito flavour and it was incredibly refreshing and sweet. Conico has two branches in Malaga -one at the port and one in the centre (Calle Granada N 8) where I visited.
3. Costa Coffee
Yes I know we can get Costa’s back home but it’s good to know that if you are in Spain and can only find a Costa, they’ve got you covered. Like back home, there’s only a few gluten and dairy free bits on the menu but the lemon cake I tried was top notch!
4. Taberna De Siglo
Just before we went home, we stopped off at this restaurant in search of some tapas. They were really knowledgable about gluten and talked us through the avaliable options. I ended up with the chilli prawns and a glass of wine but some of the meat dishes also sounded lovely!
Gluten and Dairy Free in Malaga: Where to Shop
Just a final note that no gluten free Malaga trip should be complete without shopping and El Corte Inges in Calle Hilera was literally a treasure trove of gluten and dairy free food. As I said, next time I plan to stay in the centre and look for somewhere with proper self-catering facilities (and then promptly fill my basket here!). The gluten and dairy free aisle was huge-and the freezer stocked loads of goodies I’d never seen in the UK before!
I can’t tell you how much I wanted to just fill my suitcase full of churros.
Before I go, I did vlog my entire trip to Spain; including our day trip to Malaga, our trip to McDonalds and some of the great places I found in Fuengirola too. So if you fancy seeing it all in its glory, you can watch below…
*This post is in collaboration with Clickstay who asked me to share my gluten-free travels*
