Mama MálagaPostsTransportationUntangling the buses in the Costa del Sol

Untangling the buses in the Costa del Sol

December 20, 2024

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It is difficult to figure out the buses in the Costa del Sol. Frankly, it is sort of messy, with several operators, some joined together in the Consorcio de Transporte Metropolitano del Área de Málaga, some not, and some partially; there are different systems, prices and cards depending on the operator, a lot of cards overlapping and limited, dispersed information online.

Above: two buses from Avanza. The one on the left (line M-220) is part of the Consorcio Malaga; the one on the right (line L-304) is not.

The goal of this post is to collect as much information as possible in a single place and help untangling this mess. I’ve added every link to every relevant page on the text below, so it should be easy (or a bit less difficult!) to find how to get anywhere your heart wants in the Costa del Sol! But first, let me explain how to pay for the bus.

How to pay for the bus in the Costa del Sol

As a rule of thumb, you can pay for the trips with cash (small bill or coins), directly to the driver, entering through the front door of the bus. Debit or credit cards are accepted on EMT buses (which run inside Malaga city) and may be accepted by Interbus buses, which run inside Fuengirola – some people online say they do, but I am yet to confirm this information – but you cannot pay for the bus with bank cards in the rest of the Costa del Sol, unfortunately.

Avanza, the main bus operator in the Costa del Sol, only accepts bank cards in their offices, which sell their own bus cards, not inside the buses. I asked a driver and even called Avanza to confirm – they really do not accept bank card payment (neither debit nor credit card) on the buses.

But if you are staying longer, if you want to travel often by bus, and especially if you live in the Costa del Sol, you should get a few bus cards that give substantial discounts and make the trips easier, as you just tap the card as you enter, instead of counting coins. It’s the next best thing as to paying directly with a bank card, or even better because of the discounts. In this post, we explain and link to all information about these bus cards.

green bus card of the Consorcio Malaga — The main bus card in the Costa del Sol, the green bus card of the Consorcio Málaga. We talked about it in details in the post about Bus and Train Cards in the Costa del Sol. Image source: Hexpdp CC BY-SA 4.0

Malaga city buses

The main bus operator of Malaga city is EMT, which is responsible for most of the bus lines that travel within the city. You can find their prices, discount cards, lines and times on the respective linked pages of their website. They do accept the green bus card, despite not being part of the Consorcio Málaga.

To go to the neighboring towns, though, you wouldn’t use EMT. Malaga is connected to the rest of the province by several different operators, many of them bundled on the Consorcio Málaga – an attempt by the government to give some uniformity to the public transportation system, by joining several operators under the Consorcio guidelines. It is helpful, but not complete, as many bus operators are not part of the Consorcio; the Consorcio also has a limited range – it is focused on the city of Malaga, not on the Costa del Sol as a whole.

You can check the lines of the buses operated by companies that belong to the Consorcio on their website. The Consorcio also includes, beyond buses, the 2 train lines of Malaga and Malaga’s subway. You can use the green bus card that we discussed on Bus and Train Cards in the Costa del Sol in the lines operated by the Consorcio Malaga (EMT buses, Consorcio buses, train and subway). By the way, it looks like the trains in the Costa del Sol will continue to be free of charge until at least June 2025!

Among the operators of the Consorcio, Avanza is the one that offers more lines in the Costa del Sol, and the main one at our next stop, Torremolinos.

Torremolinos buses

Torremolinos has two bus lines that stay only in the town, lines T-1 and T-2, both operated by Avanza, and several lines connecting Torremolinos to nearby towns (choose Torremolinos on ‘Municipio’ to see all the bus lines of the town). These are also all operated by Avanza, except for line M-136, which connects Los Álamos, in Torremolinos, to Alhaurín de la Torre and Cártama, operated by Autocares Vázquez Olmedo. As both operators belong to the Consorcio Málaga, I believe it is possible to use the Consorcio green card on every bus of Torremolinos.

Above: T-1 and T-2, the two bus lines that ride inside Torremolinos, as shown in Avanza App.

Apps of the buses in the Costa del Sol — Avanza and Consorcio Malaga Apps.

The Avanza app is very useful and handy – it shows the routes, timetables and even tells how long until the next bus arrives at your chosen stop! I’ve used it a few times and so far, the app has been accurate – quite a relief, because the web of the Consorcio is anything but.

The full price ticket within Torremolinos costs € 1,30 as of this writing, and the town does not offer free bus lines for residents (Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Marbella do, as we’ll see ahead). With the green bus card this price drops to € 0,50 (up to the end of 2024) or € 0,99 (from January 1, 2025). Avanza also has their own discount cards with better discounts than the green bus card of the Consorcio, but they are valid just for lines T-1 and T-2. You can read about Avanza cards here and buy one for €1,80 at Avanza’s office in Terminal Torremolinos (Calle Hoyo 10, shown below).

Above: Avanza’s office in Terminal Torremolinos, one of the main stops of the town.

In Torremolinos, the Avanza cards are sold only at the office in Calle Hoyo, but can be recharged in the bus. Notice, though, that this card is valid only for lines T-1 and T-2, the lines that stay within Torremolinos, referred to as Transporte Urbano de Torremolinos; the green bus card is valid for these lines and all other lines of the Consorcio Málaga. Nothing stops you from getting both and using the one that is more convenient on each occasion – I would certainly do that if I used the T-1 and T-2 lines often. Both Avanza and the green bus cards are available for visitors and residents alike.

Benalmadena buses

Like Torremolinos, Benalmadena has two lines that circulate only within the town – lines M-103 and M-107, both operated by Avanza. It is also connected to nearby towns by several bus lines, all of them by Avanza (choose Benalmádena on ‘Municipio’ to see all the bus lines of the town). On top of the two internal lines, buses that connect to other towns are used daily just to move inside Benalmadena; and like Torremolinos, Malaga and Fuengirola, Benalmadena also has the train.

Above: M-103 and M-107, the two bus lines that ride inside Benalmadena, as shown in Avanza App.

Residents of Benalmadena can use the two internal lines – M-103 and M-107 – for free, as long as they have the transport card which we’ve discussed in detail in Bus and Train Cards in the Costa del Sol; everybody – local or not – can benefit of the discounts of the green bus card in these two lines and in all other lines of the Consorcio. The fares for these two lines in Benalmadena, as of this writing, are € 1,55 (full price) and € 0,50 (up to the end of 2024) or € 0,99 (from January 1, 2025) with the green bus card.

The fares for the bus lines connecting Benalmadena to the other towns remain too tangled for my understanding, but you always get a good discount with the green bus card. I think almost each line has their own fare, but go down to around € 0,40 to €0,50 (in 2024; probably € 0,99 in 2025) with the green bus card.

Fuengirola buses

Fuengirola bus system is completely different from the previous two towns we have seen so far, something that took me long to understand. 😳 But I did it! (I think). Here is the catch: much like Malaga, Fuengirola is served internally by a bus operator that is not part of the Consorcio, but connected to the other towns by Consorcio’s bus lines. That explains, among other things, why it is so hard to buy a green bus card in Fuengirola!

Buses in the Costa del Sol - Fuengirola L1 — A bus from Interbus in Fuengirola (Line L1).

There are 5 bus lines that run within Fuengirola, all operated by Interbus. They are called L1 (blue), L2 (green), L3 (pink), L4 (yellow) and L5 (dark red).

Bus lines in Fuengirola. Source: Ayuntamiento de Fuengirola

All 5 are free for Fuengirola residents – an example! For everybody else, the current fare is €1,20 per person and € 0,60 for pets; it is possible to buy a 10-trip pass for € 10,00. The town also has their own app, called Fuengirola Transporte Urbano, but no transportation card.

But when leaving Fuengirola by bus, you’ll get one from Avanza, and there the green bus card makes sense. You can check the lines that connect Fuengirola to the nearby towns on the page of the Consorcio (choose Fuengirola on ‘Municipio’ to see all the Consorcio bus lines that pass in the town).

Mijas buses

Mijas is a bit different from the previous towns, but not like Fuengirola. It’s quite unique. There are no internal bus lines in Mijas connecting the different parts of the town; when moving between La Cala de Mijas and Mijas Pueblo, for instance, one would need to go to Fuengirola and then take another bus. Sad, I think.

Nevertheless, Mijas Town Hall says that Las Lagunas has 3 urban lines that allow for good communication within the different parts of the city… but doesn’t name or show them. The same page points at the Consorcio Málaga (choose Mijas on ‘Municipio’ to see all the bus lines of the town) as the provider of buses for the town – all of them by Avanza. At least the green bus card is valid here!

Marbella buses

Up to now we got it easy, dear reader, thanks to the Consorcio Málaga. It just turns out that, for reasons beyond my understanding, the Consorcio Malaga does not include Marbella (nor Estepona). This is the Consorcio’s range:

Area of the Consorcio Malaga — Source: Consorcio Malaga

There are 13 bus lines that run inside Marbella – all provided by Avanza but completely unrelated to the Consorcio, which means the green bus card is not valid here at all. These 13 lines are free for residents that have the local bus card! There are discount cards available as well, one of which, called Tarjebus, lowers the fare from € 1,18 to € 0,83. You can check information on Marbella cards and fares here. Besides the resident’s bus card and Tarjebus, Avanza offers one more option of bus card that make sense for frequent Marbella visitors: it is the Avanza Costa del Sol card, that we will discuss ahead, because it also matters for Estepona visitors.

The problem is the connection between Marbella and nearby cities. It’s deficient, to put it lightly. The Consorcio has one bus line, M-320, named Malaga-Marbella and another one, M-220, named Fuengirola-Marbella but, as you would expect, it doesn’t really reach Marbella – at least not with the green bus card.

It’s very confusing: the page for the M-220 line on Consorcio says it goes only until Leila Playa, in Calahonda (Mijas) close to the border of Las Chapas (Marbella), but several kilometers away from Marbella’s center; the page for the same M-220 line on Avanza says it goes way beyond Leila Playa, reaching the center of Marbella and beyond. I guess the lines that reach beyond the Consorcio borders have this particularity, that you would have to inform the bus driver of where you are going and be charged accordingly, either being allowed or not to use the green card! Because why not make it complex, right?

To go to Marbella Center from Benalmadena or vice-versa, by bus, it would take at least two buses and about two hours; there seems to be only one bus line (L-304, Málaga-Ronda), and it passes only twice a day. It is also more expensive than the usual bus (around € 6,00 each way), as it is actually an inter-city, travel bus. By car, it takes around 40 minutes – but parking in Marbella’s Center is expensive, around € 4,00 per hour. Uber / taxi should cost around € 30 to € 40.

To find the ways to go to Marbella from where you are, I’d recommend checking Google Maps first (you can do it from the map below!), and then confirming times and lines on Avanza. Even better if, instead of using Avanza’s website, you can confirm on Avanza’s app, which updates in real time.

Google gives many more options than looking directly on Avanza’s website; they also show local lines, which can come in handy – but the bus lines may be outdated. Avanza’s website shows less options, takes time to load and is not always user friendly, but seems to be up to date – or so we hope! Avanza app I have used on the street a few times, and so far, it has been spot on.

I think the best way to get to Marbella from Malaga, Torremolinos or Fuengirola using public transportation would actually include taking the train to the last stop – Fuengirola – and from there, the L-60. This bus passes several times per day – way more than two! – which is already a big plus. The full fare is € 3,75, but less with Avanza’s Costa del Sol card. And the bus stop is very close to the train station, so you can time yourself according to your needs. 😉

Above: the bus stop in Fuengirola (Terminal Fuengirola) where we can get the L-60, that goes to Marbella. This stop is very close to the train station. On the right of the image, we can see Fuengirola’s obelisk (Monumento Mare Nostrum), which is right at the exit of Fuengirola’s train station.

Estepona buses

Estepona is quite large, but has only 3 bus lines, all by Avanza. Checking the Town Hall’s information on the matter takes you straight to a page in Avanza website about buses in Estepona. And you know what? It is an improvement. Up to August 2024, the buses in Estepona were being provided by another company, much smaller; it was even harder to find information, and there were only 2 lines.

Above: E-1, E-2 and E-3, the bus lines that ride inside Estepona, as shown in Avanza App.

The regular fare for the internal lines in Estepona is € 1,20, but it lowers to 0,70 with the Avanza Costa del Sol bus card. There are no bus cards in Estepona besides the Avanza bus card, that we will see in the next topic.

Estepona, like Marbella, is not connected to the Consorcio Malaga, and getting there is like getting to Marbella on steroids. From Benalmadena, there are ways to reach the town by taking two buses, but most options use three; there are less lines than to Marbella, and, of course, the trip is more expensive and longer – about 3 hours, while by car it is close to one. You can check directions and lines from where you are on the map below:

Avanza Costa del Sol Card

The Avanza Costa del Sol bus card works for a limited number of lines, which are not covered by the Consorcios’s green bus card but are specified on the previous link. It also works for the lines within Estepona (with discount) and for those within Marbella (without discount). It can be purchased in the Avanza offices listed here and recharged in the same offices, in the bus or even online.

I have never used this card, and it seems a bit complex; according to the previously linked page about the card, you’d have to inform the bus driver about where you would like to go, as for some lines this card is valid only for origin or arrival outside of the borders of the Consorcio. So, in the same bus line, this card can be both valid and not valid. A Schrödinger’s card, so to speak…

From the Airport to Marbella or Estepona by bus

Getting to Marbella or Estepona from the airport by bus is confusing, to say the least. Take Avanza’s line L-602, for instance, that looks very convenient: it has one stop in the airport, next on Marbella and then Estepona. Fantastic, right?

But it offers only one time – get to Malaga in the morning or no deal! Clicking on the pdf link that says “consulta aqui todos los horarios de media y larga distancia” (check here all the times for medium and long distances), though, gives you this fabulous list with all the lines and times from Malaga to pretty much anywhere – Marbella, Estepona, even La Línea and Algeciras:

Long distance buses from Malaga — Avanza list of long-distance buses from Malaga

Check those that show times both from the airport and to where you want to go. I assume arrows means no-stop, times mean stop / arrival times and a dash means the bus doesn’t get there. Right after Algeciras there’s a field with tiny, tiny numbers – these are the bus lines you are looking for! As this information may vary overtime, don’t trust the list I put here too much; follow the steps I did to find this pdf in Avanza to get data straight from the source. 😉

Conclusion

Right, now let’s do a test! Just kidding; I feel more like eating spaghetti, after all those lines. I hope we untangled the buses a bit, but at least now we have a lot of relevant information about buses in the Costa del Sol linked in one page. That’s a win! Don’t forget to bookmark this page, so you get a bit less lost when riding the buses around the Costa; and if you know more or want to know more, please leave a comment – let’s improve this mess together!