Málaga is the urban gateway to the sun-drenched Costa del Sol in Spain’s southwest, within close proximity to 16 spectacular beaches that help the city rank #31 in our Nature & Parks subcategory. And we’re not kidding about the sun-drenched part: with 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, Málaga is the sunniest city on the continent. But while the busy port city buzzes with hedonistic vacationers who pour into the oceanfront high-rise hotels, this is also one of Spain’s most culturally significant cities—and not only because the modern skyline is dwarfed by two massive hilltop citadels (the Alcazaba and the ruins of the Moorish Gibralfaro) or because of the soaring Renaissance cathedral. Two years after the 50th anniversary of the death of native son Pablo Picasso, the city continues reclaiming the famous artist and sharing his local inspiration with the world throughout this year. Tours of the church where he was baptised to the ring where he watched the bullfights, exhibits and workshops are still running, none more comprehensive than by the Picasso Museum Málaga. The anniversary is a good reminder of the city’s 40 museums (ranked #51), including the cube-shaped waterfront Centre Pompidou Málaga, opened in 2015, and the Contemporary Art Centre of Málaga in the city’s kinetic Soho district.