It is the only place on this coast where you can rent skis and a paddleboard on the same morning.

Driving licence

An EU or EEA licence is accepted as it stands. Licences from outside that area are usually accepted alongside an International Driving Permit, and some desks insist on one even where the law does not. Bring the physical card — a photo of it will not open the barrier.

Age limits

Car hire generally opens at 21 with a young-driver surcharge into the mid-twenties. Motorbike hire is tied to your licence category and to time held rather than age alone, and larger machines are commonly restricted to riders with several years on the licence.

Deposits and cards

A credit card in the main driver's name is the usual requirement, and the coast is where the debit-card question comes up most often. Some operators accept a debit card only with their own full-cover product bought at the desk, which is how a cheap headline rate becomes an expensive week. Settle this before you fly.

Roads and zones

The coast has a free motorway and a parallel toll road running the same direction, and the difference in journey time in August is significant. Central Málaga has traffic restrictions, and the practical answer for a city stay is to park on the edge rather than to find a way in. Check the current restricted-zone rules before driving into the centre.

Boat licence

Spain allows small, low-powered craft to be hired without a certificate after a briefing, with the threshold set nationally. Anything above it needs a recognised qualification. Marinas here also operate their own competence checks in practice, so a certificate you hold may still come with a supervised departure.

Mountain roads and exclusions

Rental contracts commonly exclude tyres, glass, the underside and the roof from basic cover, and the roads inland towards Ronda and El Chorro are exactly where those get damaged. If you plan to go up there, read the exclusions rather than the headline cover, and photograph the underside at handover if you can.

Licence categories, age limits and what may be taken out without a certificate change, and operators set stricter terms than the law requires. Treat everything above as orientation and confirm it with the operator and the local authority before you book.