The urban gateway to Spain’s Costa del Sol, Málaga brings 16 spectacular beaches within arm’s reach to a travelling class eager to relish la buena vida. Safe to say, the vermouth-loving nightlife stays energised and high in our rankings(#36), as does the restaurant scene (also #36), which charms international palates with paella, good olives, and tins of sardines.
Enjoy the revelry, but don’t forget to look around. After all, you’re in one of Spain’s most culturally significant cities, where a modern skyline is dwarfed by two massive hilltop citadels (the Alcazaba and the ruins of the Moorish Gibralfaro) and a soaring Renaissance cathedral that stuns, full stop. Picasso’s home city honours its native son faithfully at the Picasso Museum Málaga, and 2026 will welcome the renovated (and renamed) Museum & Contemporary Art Centre of Málaga, now a multi-venue hub for the world’s modern art buffs. While visitors savour, Málaga builds. A €615-million semiconductor facility is set for 2030, and a €1.5-billion airport expansion is underway, primed to almost double terminal space and dramatically boost capacity. What’s more, Málaga will welcome its third major public hospital in the next decade, meant to be among the largest and most advanced in Andalusia.