Málaga airport is used by millions of holidaymakers annually as the gateway to Spain's most commercialised coastline with the ‘super resorts' of Torremolinos and Marbella, just a few miles west.

However, while Málaga calls itself the ‘Capital of the Costa del Sol',  it is very untypical of the region it serves, and for better or for worse, it has absorbed very little of the Costa holiday culture.

Instead of swish marinas, all-day British breakfasts and hordes of pink-faced North Europeans, Málaga boasts a busy commercial port, bars and restaurants where local food and language are the norm, and Malagueños going about their daily business. Above all, this is a very Spanish city.

First impressions (high-rise apartments, busy traffic and dusty graffitied streets) are not promising. But the old centre also features many handsome venerable streets and plazas, and several historic landmarks which would grace any European metropolis.

Since the millennium Málaga has been a city in transition with building projects everywhere. The new Picasso Museum (opened in 2003) is the jewel in its tourism crown and has kick started the city's growth in visitor numbers. Many more projects have followed, including new hotels and an increasing number of high quality ‘Spanish-cosmopolitan' restaurants, cafes and bars.

Work is also being spurred on by the fact that Málaga is a candidate for European City of Culture 2016. It may be a while yet before it becomes an established city break alongside the likes of Barcelona and Seville, but Málaga is no longer just a mere holiday portal.