Used as a hub by holiday makers travelling to other destinations in Andalucia, Malaga is a bit of a 'missed opportunity'. This is a real pity as it is a beautiful and vibrant city with a great deal to offer.

Malaga is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain and is the southernmost large city in Europe. It enjoys a subtropical climate and has one of the warmest winters in Europe, with average daytime temperatures of 17 °C in the period from December through February. Today it was 43°C.

Málaga's history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded by the Phoenicians about 770 BC, and from the 6th century BC was under the rule of Ancient Carthage. From 218 BC it was ruled by the Romans and was under Islamic domination for 800 years, following the fall of the Roman Empire. In 1487 it again came under Christian rule in the Reconquista. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the city centre an "open museum", displaying its rich history of more than 3,000 years.

The Cathedral is particularly beautiful and the pedestrianised shopping precincts match anything Paris has to offer. If you like Spanish food you won't be disappointed either, with plenty of tapas bars, restaurants, and baristas to choose from.

The beauty of Malaga lies in the fact that it also has a superb new marina complex and numerous beaches to choose from - everything on it's doorstep.

Backblipped from 23.8.13