A further attraction – from next year – will be the Picasso museum, celebrating the often overlooked fact that Malaga was his birthplace.Food and drinkAndalucia is one of the great places to eat tapas. It also has good beaches, vigorous nightlife, vast numbers of cheap restaurants.Malaga. By far the largest city on the coast, Malaga has been smartened up beyond recognition. It has an old town that is only slightly seedy and two charming Moorish citadels, most notably the cypress-filled Alcazaba.

Having grown from a fishing village into a medium-sized city, Torremolinos is unbeatable if you are interested in the study of European mass tourism. Retains vestiges of its Spanish origins and has nice beaches. It has a series of caves which were inhabited by palaeolithic man 20,000 years ago, and which contain a 63-metre-long stalactite (the world’s longest) as well as a “cave theatre”.Torremolinos. See the gigantic yacht of King Fahad of Saudi Arabia and mingle (possibly) with local residents such as Sean Connery.Marbella’s old town. Immaculately renovated, this whitewashed flower- filled zone embodies all your dreams of Andalucia. Come for small squares, outdoor restaurants, white churches and (in spring) the all-pervading scent of orange blossom.Nerja. This marina just west of Marbella is the glitziest part of the coast.

A run such as Malaga to Marbella (about 60km) costs about Pta6,000.What to do and seeGrey sandy beaches, golf courses, tourists, palm trees, tower blocks, blue mountains, traffic, white cottages, flowers, balconies Here are some of the highlights:Puerto Bans. All buses run from one station (tel: 95 235 00 61) in Malaga centre, just north west of the RENFE station on Paseo de los Tilos.Taxis run up and down the coast, but without meters: they look up the fare in a book according to the distance covered. Those travelling by car should note that the region’s main highway is one of Europe’s most dangerous roads.From the airport, the electric train (every 30 mins) is the best way to get into central Malaga, if heading east, or Torremolinos or Fuengirola if heading west. For golfing breaks, try Longshot Golf Holidays (tel: 01730 268621), which provide seven-night packages including return flights, car hire and discounted golf.Getting aroundHoliday Autos (tel: 0990 300 400) offers class A cars for pounds 69 per week (taking up to four people). Doubles Pta4,500 with bath.Hostal La Pilarica, Calle San Cristobal 31 (tel: 00 34 95 282 0049) One of the cheapest small establishments in Marbella. Doubles Pta4,000 with bathroom.Deals and packagesCosmos (tel: 0161-480 5799) is offering one week’s self-catering in a one-bedroom apartment in Nerja for pounds 202 per person, based on two sharing. One week with half-board accommodation at a three-star hotel in Fuengirola costs pounds 240 per person.For something a little less typical, try B&B Abroad (tel: 01689 857838), which has rooms in a converted stagecoach inn on the coast for pounds 50 per twin/double room, per night.

Doubles Pta4,300 with shower.Hotel Mediterraneo, Paseo Carmen 41 (tel: 00 34 95 2381452). One of several small family-run establishments in Torremolinos, and proof that this resort is, in fact, still Spain. Double rooms with shower Pta3,800.Hostal El Cenachero, Calle Barroso 5 (tel: 00 34 95 222 4088). Also in Malaga, this is another friendly and quiet place near the seafront. Prices start from about 3,000 pesetas (pounds 12) for a double room. If it is luxury you want, I would steer clear of the Costa del Sol altogether. Five-star hotels here are not good value.Hostal Derby, Calle San Juan de Dios 1 (tel: 00 34 95 2221301) One of many cheap establishments in Malaga.

This one is a friendly, quiet place on the fourth floor with some rooms overlooking the harbour. British Airways (tel: 0345 222111) flies daily with return flights from pounds 195.Where to stayThere is no obligation to stay in a concrete tower block Infinitely more charming, and much cheaper, are pensiones. Malaga is the cheapest and the most convenient airport to fly into, though Gibraltar is an alternative. Charter flights are usually block-booked by package- tour operators but are rarely full and can be bought at discount.