Order ice cream on Málaga’s eastern seafront and the menu offers something the old town does not have: a copa, a sundae in a glass with a name instead of a description. Ask for «una Che» and turrón nougat arrives with cream, almonds and caramel for €5.00.
Which shop is best in the city is answered in the ranking of the best ice cream in Málaga. This is about the afternoon that ends here, and the vocabulary you need to order well. Heladería Santa Gema publishes eleven slush flavours and the Crema Málaga scoop, Helados Lauri has traded since 1952, and Cremades, at Calle Cenacheros 34, prices everything from a €2.90 cup to a €16.00 litre.
Where do you get ice cream in Pedregalejo and El Palo? Helados Cremades, Calle Cenacheros 34 and Avenida Salvador Allende 256, with cones from €2.90 and sundaes from €5.00. Heladería Santa Gema, on Avenida Pío Baroja, rated second in the city. And Helados Lauri, Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano 53, open since 1952.
Reaching any of the three means a city bus east along the coast road rather than a walk from the cathedral. Heladería Santa Gema carries 1,437 reviews at 4.4 and Helados Cremades 1,481 at the same score. A tub at Cremades runs €3.30 to €5.60, and a litre carried away costs €16.00.
Getting to Pedregalejo and El Palo
Calle Cenacheros 34 and Avenida Salvador Allende 256 are a bus ride from the cathedral, not a walk. The eastern promenade runs out of the centre along the coast road, and the options are a city bus or a taxi, as set out in getting around Málaga.
That is why it works as a half day rather than an errand. The three shops here have been trading since 1952, 1972 and 1976 respectively, and the sequence locals follow is lunch at a beach restaurant, a walk along the water, then ice cream at the end.
The copa, decoded
A copa is built rather than scooped, and the names carry no clue for a visitor. This is what each one contains.
| Sundae at Helados Cremades | What is in it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Che | turrón nougat ice cream, whipped cream, almonds, caramel | €5.00 |
| Carlitos | pistachio, turrón and Kinder, with hot chocolate | €5.20 |
| Cremades | turrón, vanilla and chocolate, cream, almonds, caramel | €5.30 |
| Banana Split | strawberry, vanilla and lemon with fresh banana and syrup | €6.90 |
| Pijama | crème caramel, fruit, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry | €10.00 |
The Che at €5.00 is the shortest route to turrón without ordering a tub. The Pijama at €10.00 stacks five elements and is built to share. The gap between the Carlitos and the Cremades is thirty cents and a pour of hot chocolate.
Santa Gema, second in the city
Heladería Santa Gema has made ice cream on Avenida Pío Baroja since 1976 and ranks second in Málaga on the specialist rating, with 1,437 reviews at 4.4. Its board runs to fourteen traditional flavours plus a long list of house specials.
Among those specials is Crema Málaga, the house take on the local wine-and-raisin flavour, alongside oddities like banachoc, carapino and milhoja de turrón. It also carries eleven different slush flavours, set out in granizado and horchata in Málaga.
Lauri, trading since 1952
Helados Lauri opened at Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano 53 in 1952, founded by Eliseo Lauri and Juana Brotons, who arrived from Ibi. It is the oldest on this stretch and the one that keeps tiger nut horchata as a fixture.
Its fruit flavours follow the season rather than running all year, so July and September are not the same menu. With 215 reviews it carries far less volume than its neighbours, and more decades.
What everything costs
| Format at Helados Cremades | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cone | €2.90 | €3.90 | €5.00 |
| Tub | €3.30 | €4.00 | €5.60 |
| Ice cream cake, per slice | €4.10 | n/a | n/a |
| To take away | €8.50 per half litre | n/a | €16.00 per litre |
An extra scoop adds €1.00, toppings €0.70 and fresh fruit €0.80. Ice cream cakes are ordered separately at €16.00 for six slices, €20.00 for eight and €28.00 for twelve. The slush drinks mixed with spirits, at €5.90, come from the same counter as the children’s cones.
Planning the afternoon
Four steps, and the ice cream is the last of them. Helados Cremades anchors the fixed-price end at Cenacheros 34, Santa Gema the local-flavour end on Avenida Pío Baroja.
It pairs naturally with grilled sardines and with the beaches of Málaga, and the difference between the two neighbourhoods is worked through in Pedregalejo or El Palo.
None of the three posts opening hours, so for a mid-morning or after-dinner visit it is worth ringing first: Cremades on 952 297 269 for Pedregalejo and 952 204 846 for El Palo, Santa Gema on 952 294 764.
With children the sundae beats the cone: it is eaten sitting down, it does not run down a wrist, and the Che at €5.00 costs the same as one large cone. Options for dietary restrictions are in gluten-free and vegan ice cream in Málaga.
Frequently asked questions about ice cream in Pedregalejo and El Palo
What is a copa in a Spanish ice cream shop?
A sundae served in a glass and ordered by name rather than by ingredients. At Helados Cremades the Che is turrón nougat with cream, almonds and caramel for €5.00, and the Pijama piles five elements for €10.00.
How do I get to Pedregalejo from Málaga centre?
By city bus east along the coast road, or by taxi. It is not a walk from the cathedral. Helados Cremades sits at Calle Cenacheros 34 on the Pedregalejo promenade and at Avenida Salvador Allende 256 in El Palo.
How much does ice cream cost on the Málaga seafront?
A small cone is €2.90 and a large one €5.00, with tubs from €3.30 to €5.60. Sundaes run €5.00 to €10.00 and a litre to take away is €16.00. An extra scoop adds €1.00 and toppings €0.70.
Which is the oldest ice cream shop in Pedregalejo?
Helados Lauri, at Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano 53, opened in 1952. Its fruit flavours change with the season rather than running all year, and it keeps the tiger nut horchata that the neighbourhood is known for.
Learn one word and the seafront opens up. Ask for a copa and you get a glass, a spoon and somewhere to sit.