Warm, welcoming, fun-loving Malaga is many a holidaymaker’s gateway to the legendary sands, party strips and sprawling resorts of the Costa del Sol. But it’s also an alluring cultural destination in its own right, boasting no less than two exquisite Moorish castles (the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro), its own elegant Gothic cathedral, all the heritage of Picasso and more museums than anywhere else in Andalusia. And there’s a great gastronomic ambience too, with the Plaza de la Mercad and the neighbouring Plaza de la Constitucion throwing up a wealth of tapas bars that’s enough to satisfy even the most finicky gourmand of the Spanish kitchen.

In the evening, Malaga tour guides often direct travellers to the city’s bustling coastal strips, which thrive with chiringuito beach bars and Spanish bodegas, while others hit the sands of La Malagueta to watch the sun set over the Alboran Sea. There’s a buzzing nightlife scene here, one that’s truly worthy of the Costa del Sol, not to mention plenty of opportunities for breaking away from the city to explore the whitewashed villages of Andalusia to the north, or the rugged precipices of the Gibraltar rock just along the coast.