Malaga

Peak season is spring, with Holy Week (Semana Santa) and other fiestas: Christmas is another busy time. The city roasts in July and August; if you go then, take a long afternoon siesta.

Autumn is lovely and warm; January and February are quiet, and can be rainy, but offer a good chance to feel like a local.

Malaga’s international airport is 20 minutes from the centre, linked by train (the C1 line) with a station directly under Terminal T3; it runs every 20 minutes until 11.20pm. For the heart of Malaga, get off at the last station (Centro-Alameda). Buses (Linea A Express) go the centre from Terminal T3, level 0, and run every 15 minutes until midnight. Buy tickets on the bus. Taxis are easy to find.

All the sights of Old Malaga are in a compact, walkable area. Taxis and Ubers are readily available, and the efficient bus network (EMT), is useful for reaching the Sunday flea market (No. 54) or the Botanical Gardens (no. 2) from the Alameda Principal.

Although traffic can be crazy, hiring a bike isn’t a bad option: there are miles of bike paths and it’s a great way to get to the beach.

Hotels are concentrated in evocative Old Malaga, in walking distance of the historic sights, bars, restaurants, shops and the Playa de la Malagueta.

There are cheaper choices around the main train station in the new part of town, a 20-minute walk from the sights. If you want to spend a lot of time on the beach and enjoy Malaga’s nightlife, look at the seafront hotels along the beaches of Malagueta and Pedragalejo.

Old Malaga is packed with tapas bars, gastro bars and new edgy restaurants, several sporting Michelin stars for their takes on new Mediterranean cuisine.

For seafood (and the city’s famous pescaíto – crispy fried small fish) head to the strip of restaurants along Playa de la Malagueta, or east to the cool bistrots and chiringuitos (beach bars) of Pedragalejo or El Palo, that stay open long into the night.

Smart shops and international chains line Old Malaga’s pedestrian Calle Marqués de Larios and around, but the whole district’s little independent boutiques make for fertile fashionista hunting ground.

The big Sunday Cortijo de Torres flea market in the fair grounds has 300 stands; Sunday also sees local artists and artisans selling their creations at Muelle Uno near the cruise terminal.

Try the excellent covered market, the Atarazanas Central Market for local produce and foodie treats.

What to buy

Local wines and olive oils, Spanish designer fashions and colourful hand-painted ceramics.