Somewhere For The Weekend: Malaga

Soak up some winter sunshine, and enjoy the off-peak peace of this elegant Spanish city, says Cathy Packe

WHY GO NOW?

To escape the January blues. Even in the depths of winter, Malaga's weather is usually a pleasure. The rest of this week should see a fair amount of sun, with temperatures at 10C or above.

DOWN PAYMENT

You can fly from airports all over the UK to Malaga. At short notice, charter flights are likely to be the cheapest bet. The main scheduled airline is easyJet (0870 600 0000, www.easyJet.com), which flies from Bristol, East Midlands, Gatwick, Luton, Liverpool and Stansted. Other services are from East Midlands by bmibaby (0870 264 2229, www.flybmi.com); from Heathrow and Gatwick by British Airways (0845 77 333 77, www.ba.com); and from Heathrow by Iberia (0845 601 2854, www.iberiaairlines.co.uk). Travelling out this Friday and back on Sunday, for example, easyJet had a fare of £110 from Gatwick on Monday of this week. Malaga airport is seven miles from the city. Buses and trains run every half-hour between the airport and the city centre. A taxi takes 20 minutes, and costs around €14 (£9).

INSTANT BRIEFING

Malaga has sprawled in all directions since its origins in Phoenician times, but the most interesting area is east of the Guadalmedina river and north of the main avenue, the Alameda Principal. This thoroughfare turns into a narrow park before it reaches the bullring, at the foot of the Gibralfaro hill. On the seafront, south of the park, is the port, with ferry services to the Canary Islands and North Africa. The city's main beach is La Malagueta, 10 minutes from the cathedral.

The Central Tourist Office on Avenida de Cervantes (00 34 95 213 4730, www.malagaturismo.com) is open Monday-Friday 8am-2.30pm and 4.30pm-7.30pm, weekends 9.30am-1.30pm. If you fancy a city tour and are too tired to walk, a gentle way of seeing the sights is from a horse-drawn carriage. You will find them lined up near the main attractions; expect to pay €25 (£16) for a 40-minute trip. More conventional is the hop-on, hop-off bus service from Malaga Tour (00 34 95 236 31 33, www.citysightseeing-spain.com). Tickets cost €11 (£7) and are valid for 24 hours.

REST ASSURED

Malaga is not, as you might expect, crammed full of hotels, but at this time of year it's a buyer's market. In January you shouldn't have trouble finding somewhere to stay. The Hotel Malaga Palacio (00 34 95 221 5185, www.ac-hoteles.com), at 1 calle Cortina del Muelle, is conveniently located close to the old city centre and the waterfront. Doubles start at €127 (£82). Not far away, but considerably cheaper, is the Hotel Sur (00 34 95 222 4803, www.hotel-sur.com), a block south of the Alameda on the pedestrianised Trinidad Grund. Doubles here start at €54 (£35). If you want a room that is by the sea but also reasonably central, the best option is the Hotel Las Vegas at 22 Paseo de Sancha (00 34 95 221 7712). The grounds of the hotel open on to the beach. Doubles start at €66 (£43). The best choice in town is the Parador Malaga Gibralfaro (see Room Service, below), a luxurious hotel up on the hill overlooking Malaga, where there is a combination of peace and quiet, as well as easy access to the city.

MUST SEE

The capital of the Costa del Sol is very different from the resorts along the coast. Malaga is a remarkably elegant and attractive city which just happens to have become the centre of a massive holiday industry. Its most interesting monuments are a legacy of its long history as an important Roman stronghold and, later, a Moorish port. The oldest of these is Gibralfaro Castle, founded by the Phoenicians and rebuilt by the Arabs. The small museum inside chronicles the city's history over the centuries, but the main reason for a visit is its location: towering above the city, it has the best views in town. The castle is open daily from 9am until 8pm; entrance is free.

A little further down the hill is the Alcazaba, on calle Alcazabilla (00 34 95 221 6005, open daily except Tuesday, 9am-8pm), the fortress built by Malaga's Moorish rulers to defend the town. The towers and courtyards have been carefully restored, and there is a small archaeological collection near the main entrance.

Close to the Alcazaba, work is taking place to excavate and restore an old Roman theatre. Malaga's most prominent monument is its 16th-century cathedral, on calle Molina Larios (00 34 95 221 5917) which dominates the city's old quarter. It is famous for the fact that its south tower has never been finished, but it is an impressive building, particularly inside. It is open from 10am until 6.45pm, except on Sundays when it is closed to tourists; an entrance fee of €2 (£1.20) includes access to the museum.

Around the cathedral are a number of pleasant squares and narrow streets that are worth exploring. Malaga seems finally to have woken up to the fact that, as the birthplace of Picasso, it should be able to exploit its connections with one of Spain's most famous artists in the same way that other cities have done. The house where he was born, at 15 plaza de la Merced (00 34 95 206 0215), is open to the public (Monday-Friday 11am-1pm and 7-9pm, Saturday 11am-1pm, entrance free). It contains a number of his sketches, lithographs and ceramics, as well as a collection of family photographs. A major museum, which will display nearly 200 works lent by his family, is scheduled to open in October this year. It will be housed near the Cathedral, in the Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista, which used to be the home of Malaga's fine arts museum.

MUST BUY

The thing to buy is Malaga – not real estate, although that might be tempting – but the sweet wine that is made from local grapes and aged in the city. One of the best stockists is the little shop on the corner of calle Santa Maria, where the street joins Plaza de la Constitucion. If you are interested in food as well as drink, La Mallorquina is a traditional Spanish delicatessen in the plaza de Felix Saenz, which stocks salt cod, cheeses, almonds, raisins and sausages, as well as the local tarta malaguena, a raisin cake.

The whole pedestrianised area around plaza Felix Saenz is ideal for shopping. If you are looking for traditional ceramics, go to calle Coronel, off the busier calle San Juan.

MUST EAT

The best selection of restaurants is in the old city, and one of the liveliest and most typical is El Chinitas, at 4 calle Moreno Monroy (00 34 95 221 0972), which opens every day for lunch and dinner. Regional specialities include gazpacho, and plenty of fish and seafood (often served fried and described on menus as fritura). Of the tapas bars and restaurants around calle Nueva: try the Meson la Aldea on calle Esparteros, an old-style bar/restaurant; and Alegria or the Bar Logueno on calle Martin Garcia.Don't confuse El Chinitas with the Rincon Chinitas, an excellent tapas bar on pasaje de Chinitas. If you just want to hang out, nibbling while you do so, try one of the places in the lovely, cobbled plaza del Obispo, on the south side of the cathedral.

INTO THE NIGHT

Malaga has several flamenco clubs that are extremely popular. Vista Andalucia (00 34 95 223 1157), on Avenida de los Guindos in the Santa Paula district, about 10 minutes by taxi from the city centre, opens every night except Monday. Flamenco nights are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the entertainment starts around 12.30am.