I can't really comment about Malaga, having only ever passed through there, but I've just returned from a trip to Spain and Portugal that included a couple of days in Granada, and I absolutely loved it.
I suppose I was lucky, in that the weather was perfect - sunny with mid to high 20's - but I would have happily stayed for longer had time permitted.
My main reason for going was to visit the Alhambra. It had been on my bucket list for decades, and was something that I thought I could casually do when in Spain on holiday generally. However, I decided that I'd never get round to it on a casual basis, hence the specific decision to go there.
I knew from speaking to friends that had been there that you had to book tickets ahead, but I was shocked to discover that they were sold out for several weeks ahead. You can check the current availability here -
https://compratickets.alhambra-patronat ... lg=en&ca=1As I was booking just a few days before I wanted to visit this threatened to scupper my plans entirely. However, a bit of digging around revealed that if you're prepared to pay for a guided tour you can usually get in at fairly short notice. I booked with this lot, and I would recommend them very highly -
https://uk.viator.com/tours/Granada/Ski ... 554-3443G1I found Granada itself to be a delightful city. I was based centrally, just a few hundred yards from the Cathedral, and although the road I was staying on, the Gran Vía de Colón, was quite a smart city street with upmarket shops, within a hundred yards walk you were in the old town, with winding streets, lots of tiny restaurants (including quite a few Middle Eastern ones) and bazaar style shops, brilliant for just exploring and people-watching.
And although it's typical of most of southern Europe in the summer it was wonderful to be able to sit down outside a restaurant at 11pm and order a meal without the slightest problem - try doing that on a weekday in the average English town! Many of the bars and restaurants were open till well after midnight, which as a night owl suited me perfectly.
As someone said, it’s a fair climb to the top of the town, particularly in hot weather, so being something of a lazy git I caught a bus up to the Mirador de San Cristobal. There are excellent views from there, and I then followed a slightly convoluted but hugely enjoyable route back to the Cathedral that wandered through the Albaicin, the old Moorish quarter, and now a World Heritage Site.
It was a very easy walk, being downhill, but was one of the most enjoyable for a long time. It went through lots of narrow streets and there were plenty of bars / cafes to stop and soak up the atmosphere but without it feeling at all tourist-infested. In fact there seemed to be relatively few obvious tourists at all, certainly compared to other Spanish cities I've visited recently.
I'd booked a 4pm ticket for the Alhambra, which worked out well, as we were able to stay till closing time at 7:30. I was in a group of about 8 or 9, and our guide was brilliant. He spoke excellent English, and was an absolute fount of knowledge, but he didn’t just sound like he was reading a script as so many guides do. Even if I'd been able to buy a normal entrance ticket the guided tour was definitely worth the extra, as it's a large site, and I wouldn’t have got half as much out of it if I'd been left to my own devices.
One thing you must ensure is that the tour includes entrance to the Nazrid Palaces. Your entry to these is timed, but they are the most exquisite part of the Alhambra, and it would be a dreadful mistake to miss them.
The Alhambra itself and the Generalife gardens were absolutely stunning. In fact, I'd say it was possibly the most beautiful man made object I've ever seen. I love Islamic architecture and design anyway, and the Alhambra encompassed some of the best examples of it that I've ever seen. It was one of the very few `must see' items that surpassed not just my expectations but my hopes. I took this as we were leaving:
I am definitely going back there when’ve more time, and I can assure you there is more than "enough food, culture, things to see" to last far more than a week!