Málaga, Spain
Smoking policy at Málaga, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP)
Warnings & Caveats
The airside smoking area near Gate D72 is not officially listed by AENA and may be closed without notice. Verify at the airport information desk on arrival. Non-Schengen passengers (UK, Ireland, long-haul) cannot access the D72 area and must smoke landside before security. Smoking inside any terminal building is illegal under Spanish smoke-free law. Fines can apply.
Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) has a limited but workable situation for smokers. Smoking is banned inside all terminal buildings, in line with Spanish smoke-free legislation, but there are outdoor designated areas landside and, unusually for Spain, one reported airside terrace near Gate D72 in the Schengen zone.
Before Security
Landside smoking is straightforward at AGP. There are at least three outdoor spots you can use:
Terminal 3 Departures (Level 2): The main outdoor smoking area sits just outside the departures entrance. Standing ashtrays line the curbside. This is where most passengers will smoke before checking in or heading through security.
Terminal 3 Arrivals (Level 0): An outdoor area near the arrivals exit, taxi rank, and car hire zone. This is the most spacious of the landside options and benefits from Málaga's generally sunny weather.
Terminal 2 entrance: The older, smaller terminal (used mainly by easyJet and some non-Schengen carriers on Piers B and C) also has outdoor space near its entrance, though the majority of passengers use Terminal 3.
All landside areas are open-air, so there is no shelter from rain, though that is rarely a problem on the Costa del Sol.
After Security
This is where AGP stands out compared to most Spanish airports. Travellers consistently report an open-air terrace smoking area near Gate D72, in the Schengen (D) gates section of Terminal 3. A photo taken in September 2025 confirms the area exists, showing glass doors marked "Zona de fumadores / Smoking area" right next to the D72 gate sign.
Important caveats:
This spot is not listed in AENA's official services, so treat it as subject to change and confirm on arrival at the information desk.
It is accessible only to passengers flying within the Schengen zone. Non-Schengen travellers (UK, Ireland, long-haul) pass through passport control into a separate gates area and are unlikely to have access.
If you are on a non-Schengen flight, plan to smoke landside before clearing security, as re-clearing screening can take up to 30 minutes during busy periods.
Transit and Layovers
If you are connecting through AGP and your itinerary requires you to leave the secure area to smoke, you will need to re-enter Spain, go through passport control, smoke outside the terminal, and then queue through security again. Allow plenty of time, especially in summer when queues can be long.
Vaping Rules
Spanish airports apply the same indoor restrictions to e-cigarettes as to traditional cigarettes. Vaping is not permitted inside the terminal buildings. Use the same outdoor designated areas listed above. The D72 airside terrace would also be the logical spot for vaping after security, though the same uncertainty about its official status applies.
Bottom Line
Smoke outside the Terminal 3 departures entrance before security; if you are on a Schengen flight, the open-air terrace by Gate D72 airside is your best post-security option, but verify it is still open on the day.
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