Málaga, the least typical part of the Costa del Sol, is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. A climb up to the Moorish castle of Gibralfaro will give you a feel for some of the history and a great view of the mountains, Mediterranean and the city below, including the Alcazaba, neighbouring Roman theatre and the bullring.
The huge and hugely ornate Cathedral, built on the site of a former mosque, makes for an impressive site which just has the shine taken off it by only having one and a bit of the two planned towers built. Locals call it La Manquita or One-Armed. You can go up on the roof for more spectacular views.
Málaga's most famous son has a museum dedidated to him - the Picasso Museum, but for art lovers there's also another fascinating offering. MAUS is effectively an outdoor museum with its street murals on the buildings and other infrastructure of the Soho district.
Atarazanas Market is a great place for food and has both fresh produce and bars selling vermouth and various tapas including delicious pescaíto (fried fish) and ajo blanco - a chilled garlic soup which is well worth a slurp during the hot weather. You could also make your way over to the seaside neighbourhood of Pedregalejo and try the typical grilled sardines on skewers.
But if all you want to do is chill on the beach then you could head for the long sandy beach of the Malaguetta.
As with much of Spain, Holy Week is festival time in Málaga, with other popular festivals including the Málaga Carnival, which takes place just before lent, and the Feria de Málaga held in August. There's also an annual film festival held in March or April which s dedicated to Spanish films.
Highlights
See more than 200 works by the man himself at the Picasso Museum
There are two Moorish castles to choose from - the palace-fortress of Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro, of which the solid ramparts are the main feature - if you're into Moorish history and great views, why not get a combined ticket for them both?
Visit the Cathedral with its 40m high domed ceiling and small couryard of fragrant orange trees - the only survivor of the mosque which previously occupied the site
Check out MAUS - a grassroots movement where the streets have been transformed into a working canvas for international street-artists
Station stroll ideas
Tourist info have provided a set of downloadable maps and guides here and you could also have a go at using the malaga app on your phone - further details are here.
Guided tours
Tourist info provide a list of tour guides which you can look at here
Luggage
If you want to stroll without a care in the world, including your luggage, you could try using the nannybag app to find a place that will take your bags.
Getting there
2 1⁄2 hours from Madrid
1 hour from Cordoba
5 3⁄4 hours from Barcelona
Useful links
Tourist info: https://visita.malaga.eu/en/
Where next?
Why not continue to Gibraltar which you can reach by bus?