Ronda
What Ronda is really like: the Puente Nuevo over the El Tajo gorge, a Moorish old town and an easy day trip inland from the Costa del Sol.
Málaga: Alcazaba, Picasso Museum and La Malagueta Beach
Málaga city guide: Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, the Picasso Museum, La Malagueta city beach, espetos and sweet Málaga wine, plus the airport train and climate.
Barcelona
What Barcelona is really like: Gaudi landmarks, the Gothic Quarter, Barceloneta beach and an easy-to-walk Mediterranean capital in Catalonia.
La Línea de la Concepción: Gibraltar border, city beaches and fort ruins
Border town beside Gibraltar, about 64,500 residents: city beaches, Santa Bárbara fort ruins, two museums and a direct bus from Málaga airport.
San Fernando
What San Fernando is really like: Camposoto beach, salt flats, Carnival roots and easy Cádiz access on the Costa de la Luz.
Algeciras: Port, Plaza Alta and the Strait of Gibraltar
Port city on the Bay of Gibraltar with ferries to Ceuta (about 60 minutes) and Tanger Med (1h 30). Worth a night around a ferry or Getares beach, not a holiday base.
Motril: Pebble Beaches, Sugar-Factory Museums and a Cane Rum Distillery
Working port city on the Costa Tropical: sugar-factory museums, a rum distillery and long pebble-and-sand town beaches, about 40 minutes from Granada.
Almería: Alcazaba, Civil War Shelters and Cabo de Gata Day Trips
Port city of about 205,000 people with a 10th-century Alcazaba, a fortified cathedral, Civil War shelters and city beaches, 20 km from Cabo de Gata-Níjar.
Murcia: Cathedral, Tapas and Casino
What Murcia is really like: the Baroque cathedral, the Real Casino, huerta tapas on Plaza de las Flores, and the gateway to Costa Calida beaches.
Canet d’en Berenguer: Racó de la Mar beach, a 579-berth marina and a base near Sagunto
Small beach town next to Sagunto, about 27 km north of Valencia: 1,250 m Blue Flag beach, a sailing club with 579 berths, rice and seafood.