Málaga is a municipality, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 569,130 in 2015, it is the second-most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth-largest in Spain. The southernmost large city in Europe, it lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean, about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) east of the Strait of Gibraltarand about 130 km (80.78 mi) north of Africa.

Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Affectionately known as Gib or The Rock, Gibraltar is a little slice of Britain in the Mediterranean. And, just like the motherland, it’s a small stretch of land with a lot to offer. The history here is largely military-related – you’ll find Nelson’s anchorage where the body of Nelson was brought back to land after the Battle of Trafalgar, and the Parson’s Lodge Battery that dates back to 1875. Elsewhere, wildlife steals the show. Check out the cheeky Barbary apes or go whale-watching in the Strait.

• Explore the Rock’s famous attractions like the Moorish Castle and the fascinating Gibraltar Museum, where you can learn about the island’s role in the World Wars as well as its prehistory.
• Inside the Rock, you’ll find more miles of road than on the outside. Check out the Great Siege Tunnels and St Michael’s Cave.

Ponta Delgada, Azores

Sao Miguel does a good impression of Eden. The largest of Portugal’s Azores is contoured with rolling hills, expansive lakes and beaches that have resisted tourism. That’s not to say there aren’t any signs of life on the island, though. The capital, Ponta Delgada, is a bubbly city of museums, 17th-century architecture and seaside restaurants.

• It’s easy to unlock your inner locavore in Ponta Delgada’s restaurants. Local specialities include seafood, pineapples, barnacles and tea pudding, made from locally-grown tea.
• The Furnas Valley is a natural spa. More than 22 natural springs and mud pools puddle along the valley floor and you can swim in some of them.
• Mirror-shine is the only way to describe Sao Miguel’s twin lakes. Clouds spend entire days admiring their reflection in the water.

Philipsburg, St Maarten

Two flags rule over this tiny isle – the French and the Dutch. Philipsburg is the Dutch capital and the place to head for a serious shopping splurge. Marigot, meanwhile, is the French capital, where you can divide your time between bistros and boutiques. Add to the mix dreamy Caribbean coves, kaleidoscopic reefs and lashings of sunshine and you’ve got all the ingredients for tropical bliss.

• Give your credit card a duty-free workout in Philipsburg. From cut-price island crafts to cutting-edge designer gear, you’ll find it all here. Front Street’s your starting point, the town’s main artery that has lanes, alleyways and courtyards leading off in all directions.
• Listen to the flutter of hundreds of tiny wings at the Butterfly Farm in Phillipsburg. This place is home to more than 40 different species, including the Tree Nymph and Blue Morph.
• Get to know the island’s underwater locals on the special Seaworld Explorer. This boat is home to an underwater observatory where you can watch sea turtles, stingrays and barracudas swim by.
• Stand on the deck of a classic yacht as the captain races around a 12-metre course faster than your opponent. The America’s Cup Sailing Regatta has been voted ‘the best excursion in the Caribbean’ for the past 10 years. Alternatively, have a go at driving an inflatable motorboat, known as a Rhino Rider.

Road Town, British Virgin Islands

Nature’s the star attraction of Tortola. Ancient rainforests hog the limelight. Beautiful botanical gardens vie for your attention. And opal-white beaches like Apple Bay and Smuggler’s Cove really steal the show. It’s wild. It’s wondrous. It’s waiting.

• Head for Road Town’s pretty Main Street. Here, you’ll find a medley of shops, museums and historical buildings. And you won’t be able to resist snapping away at the brightly-painted bungalows either.
• Soak up the beauty of Sage Mountain National Park. The British Virgin Island’s highest point, it’s an oasis of tropical vines, trees and plants. You can even saddle up and explore by horseback.
• Leave Tortola behind and make tracks for another of the British Virgin Islands – Virgin Gorda. Among the must-sees here are the Baths, a cluster of sea pools where you can swim or snorkel through the tunnels, caves and arches.

Basseterre, St Kitts

One of the British Leeward Islands, St Kitts is one of the Caribbean’s pearls. Once an illustrious sugar colony, it now focuses its efforts on being a tropical paradise. And it excels in every sense, with its seductive blend of blonde sands and duck-egg blue seas. Away from the shores though, you’ll find plenty of historic sights to tick off your checklist. Or why not pop across to the neighbouring island of Nevis, which is just three kilometres over The Narrows channel?

• Hop on a train at the Needsmust Station, and St Kitts Railway will take you on a tour of the island’s best bits. You’ll chug over ravines 300-feet-deep, circle Mount Liamuiga volcano and take a sneak peek at the island’s black-sand beaches.
• Soak up the jaw-dropping views over lush sugarcane fields from the 17th-century Brimstone Hill Fortress. Once known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies, this major British garrison was abandoned in 1850. Now, it’s been restored back to its grand former self, with cannons, swords and the like all on display.
• Sunbathe your way through the day on one of St Kitts’ beaches. There’s a selection of white sand spots like Turtle Beach and black sand spaces like Pump Bay. Alternatively, see if the grass is greener on the other side of The Narrows Channel. This is where St Kitts’ tropical sister island, Nevis, simmers in the sea.

Castries, St Lucia

St Lucia’s skyline is high rise. But it’s not the hotels that make this island look serrated against the sky, it’s the mountains. The Pitons are 2 of the biggest. Both their summits tower at least 2,000 feet above sea level and their slopes are coiffured with a mane of dense green rainforest. At their feet, meanwhile, banana plantations give way to syrup-coloured beaches and some of the best coral reefs in the Caribbean.

• Pick up a bargain in the Castries market, an amazing swirl of crafts, fruits and the hum of Creole conversation. For a more upmarket, but still good value, shopping experience, try Pointe Seraphine, a duty-free shopping centre next to the harbour.
• Get a bird’s eye view of St Lucia’s rainforests at the Treetop Adventure Park in Dennery. You’ll whiz your way through the canopy using a series of zip lines, and look down on the giant ferns and wild orchids that grow here.

Bridgetown, Barbados

A hypnotic calypso isle, Barbados is the ultimate Caribbean dream. And at just 21 miles by 14 miles, the island really is your oyster. Of course, it’s most famous for its palm-fringed beaches, but there’s more than talcum powder sands here. We’re talking a duty-free shopping scene and sights that are second to none. In a coconut shell, it’s the small island with a big fan base.

• Take a tram ride through a labyrinth of underground caverns at Harrison’s Cave in St Thomas. A natural phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed, it’s all sparkling streams, playful waterfalls and stalactites and stalagmites that shimmer in shady tunnels.
• Go snorkelling in search of hawksbill and green turtles. Once endangered because of over-fishing, these creatures are now protected and monitored throughout the island.
• Take it easy on Carlisle Beach, one of the island’s best stretches of sand. Or, if you’re feeling energetic, slip on a pair of flippers and propel your way past the underwater shipwrecks just off the shore.
• The Atlantis Submarine lets you scuba dive without getting wet. As this underwater ship descends into the ocean, you can look out the portholes for tropical fish and sea turtles.