The spectacular La Concha mountain behind Marbella creates a microclimate with year-round sunshine.  With 27 km of beaches, 40 golf courses, fast cars, opulent yachts, glitz and glamour, sensational food and wine, an edgy club scene and colourful local festivals, Marbella is one of Europe´s favourite playgrounds.  Puerto Banús, the ultimate recreational port, is just 15 minutes away.  Stylish places to stay are five-star luxury hotels Villa Padierna and Finca Cortesín.

It’s a must to visit the dusky bodegas steeped in the sweet, heavy scent of generations of grape juice and sample the elegantly poured wines, from dry finos to dark brown syrupy liquids. The solera system slowly blends wine from many harvests, giving the end product the complex, mature flavour of the older wines and the fresh, crisp taste of the younger ones.  The place to stay: Hotel Villa Jerez, within walking distance of the bodegas.

Hiking and 4 x 4 in the breathtaking scenery of the sierra; canyoning with rappel, swimming and jumping; great spelunking opportunities in the caves, holes and crevasses of the central sierra formed by karsk action; bungee jumping, rock climbing, paragliding, ballooning and more!  Base camp: the sophisticated rustic chic of Hacienda de San Rafael near Las Cabezas de San Juan.

The must-see Alhambra, fabulous red-coloured palace, citadel, fortress and garden complex built by the Moorish kings of Granada, dominates Granada’s skyline.  200 kms. inland is the legendary Great Mosque of Cordoba, a forest of red and white marble columns covering the area of a modern city block.  Legacy of the 800-year Moorish occupation, both buildings date from the eighth century.  Stay in Granada at the intimate city-centre Villa Oniria.

The pictures Picasso created in his blue period, his cubist vision, political commentaries like Guernica and one-line drawings like The Dove of Peace are known all over the world.  The Museo Picasso, Malaga, opened in 2003, offers a comprehensive collection of the artist´s work.  The museum also has a great bookshop and outdoor café.  Málaga is 30 mins from the affordable luxury of Palacio Blanco boutique hotel, in the lovely old town of Vélez-Málaga.

The famous Andalusian horses and their riders in romantic XVIII century uniform star in an amazing ballet to the music of the Spanish flamenco guitar.  Horses and riders spend years learning the difficult movements based on classical and country dressage.  Behind-the-scenes visits to stables, tack-rooms and training sessions.  The charming Hotel Villa Jerez is within walking distance.

Crammed with culture, Seville has one of Europe´s largest cathedrals, the documented history of the discovery of America and Spain´s most prestigious bullring.  Seville is the heart of Andalusia, where partying is a way of life: lunch is never before 2.30, dinner before ten or bed before two, and the Saturday marcha carries on till Sunday morning.   Some of the world´s great tapas and tablao flamenco can be found in the gipsy quarter of Triana, not far from the stylishly bohemian boutique hotel Corral del Rey.

Benalmadena Tivoli tivolicostadelsol.com, cable car telefericobenalmadena.com; Castellar Zoo +34 607910393; Donana Nature Park by river visitasdonana.com/reservas.asp; Fuengirola Zoo zoofuengirola.com; Gibraltar Dolphin World cruise mhbland.com/dolphin-world.aspx; Granada Science Park parqueciencias.com (one of the world´s best); Malaga Dolls´ House Museum museocm.com and the Picasso Museum; Mijas Parque Acuatico aquamijas.com; Nerja Theatre Workshop tel 645 305 950; San Pedro Alcantara Paint and Fun Activity paintandfun.com; Torremolinos Aqualand aqualand.es and Crocodile Park crocodile-park.com; Estepona Kempinini Kids´ Club at the beachfront Kempinski Hotel.

The wind blows 300 days a year in this part of Spain, southwesterly in summer with the occasional strong levante providing challenging conditions for sailors in the area of Cadiz, Rota, Puerto Sherry and Sancti Petri.  The waves are strong, and miles of fine sand and high winds make the beaches of Los Caños de Meca, unspoiled El Palmar, Zahora and Tarifa some of the top windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations.  Return to the haven of Hotel V… in Vejer de la Frontera.