Málaga English Cemetery

The basics

Visitors pay a small admission fee to explore the cemetery independently, seeing everything from grand family tombs and Commonwealth war graves to an old walled inner graveyard, which houses some seashell-covered graves. Must-sees include the Gneisenau Monument, where the 42 victims of the 1900 sinking of a German navy ship are interred, and the angel-statue grave of Mary-Anne Plews, considered the cemetery’s most beautiful.

Visitors can also view St. George’s Church, a classical-style chapel standing on the grounds that hosts Sunday morning services. The cemetery is also regularly used as a setting for concerts, artisan markets, and nighttime illuminations during holiday periods such as Christmas.

Things to know before you go

• The English Cemetery will appeal to history buffs and anyone with ancestral links to Malaga.

• Ticket prices are reduced for over-65s and students, and entry is free for children under 12.

• Pick up a cemetery map at the gatehouse and allow around an hour to explore.

How to get there

The cemetery stands at 1 Avenida de Pries, just east of the Paseo de Reding and a roughly 15-minute walk from Calle Larios, Malaga’s main shopping street. Bus lines #3 and #11 run to the Hotel Miramar stop, about a minute’s walk from the gate. Payable street parking is often available near the entrance, and there’s a public car park at Calle Cervantes, around a 5-minute stroll away.

When to get there

The cemetery is generally open from 9am to 2pm on Tuesday to Sunday. Although it’s usually closed on Mondays, exceptions are sometimes made on public holidays. Ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing time. Services at St. George’s Church are generally held every Sunday from 11am.

The story of Malaga English Cemetery

Up until 1831, Malaga’s Protestants were buried on the beach—at night and in upright positions—as the law banned their burial in consecrated ground. William Mark, Malaga’s British consul from 1823 to 1837, campaigned for the cemetery to enable decent Protestant burials. Its best-known early resident was romantic hero Robert Boyd, who was shot by firing squad in 1831 on Malaga’s San Andres beach for his part in a political uprising: his tomb stands inside the cemetery’s inner graveyard.