Too often tarred with the same brush as its brash Costa del Sol neighbours, Málaga is shaking the touristy image and aiming to show off its cultural heritage

Sitting on the orange-tree-lined patio of a chic gallery café, leafing through a hefty cultural agenda, it comes as no surprise to learn of Málaga’s candidature for the title of European City of Culture 2016. The news may come as something of a surprise to the masses who think of Málaga as nothing more than a glorified air terminal – the gateway to the Costa del Sol.

Travelling to Formentera, also known as the White Island, is still something of an adventure for those looking for a different side of Spain

Arriving by ferry on the last leg of a journey really makes you feel like a true traveller, and nowhere I can think of illustrates this more than sailing into the tiny port of La Savina on Formentera, in the Balearics. Other than day-trippers over on cruises from neighbouring Ibiza and those fortunate enough to sail into the island’s sheltered anchorages on their yachts, every visitor to the ‘White Island’ passes through this bustling little Estacio Maritima.

Samantha Lorimer want to find a bolthole in the Canaries where her family can enjoy some decent weather all year round. Can we help?

Dear Property Clinic

I am sick of this wet weather and have persuaded my husband that a villa in the Canaries would give us a great escape with the promise of sunshine all year round. We are a family of four and the children always bring friends with them so three bedrooms is a must. I am really keen on a brand new property and would prefer the clean lines of a modern build. I have visited Tenerife but would be happy to look at options on other islands.
Samantha Lorimer, Edinburgh

Pricey with John Radford

2004 El Puntido, Viñedos de Páganos
Price £23.05
Stockist: Gerrard Seel,  01925 819695,  www.gerrardseel.co.uk
I was lucky enough to visit the winery at El Puntido in 2003, just as its second vintage was maturing in the casks, and it was impressive. It has been created by Marcos Eguren, whose empire includes Sierra Cantabria and Señorio de San Vicente in Rioja, and a Vino de la Tierra bodega in Castilla y León. The Egurens have been involved in wine for a very long time: another branch of the family runs Bodegas Heredad Ugarte in Laguardia, about 5 km away from the village of  Páganos.
The winery is an interesting mix of traditional and modern, with small ‘tinas’ (oak vats) among the stainless steel tanks, and Marcos’s idea was to make a local style of wine from vineyards surrounding the bodega, in the Basque style. The wine is all-Tempranillo, with 18 months in new French oak to bring out the brightest fruit and give it the most savoury ‘cloak’, with four months ‘on the lees’ before the wine is racked off into clean barrels, to get every last vestige of flavour from the grape skins. Subtle, perfumed but mineral nose which hides a big tannic punch on the palate but with massive locked-in fruit. The 2004 is drinking splendidly and (a word to the wise) I’ve just had a sample of the 2005, and it’s even better.

Paz Vega has never worried about taking the typical route to Hollywood stardom, but with four English-language movies on the way, global stardom is knocking on her door

Quite what Paz Vega likes about the name ‘Orson’ I can’t say. But it obviously does something for the Spanish star. Married for five years to Venezuelan restaurateur Orson Salazar, she named their one year-old son after his father too. Now she has an affair with Orson Welles – on screen at least – in her new film Fade to Black. She plays Italian actress Lea Padovani, who becomes romantically embroiled with the legendary actor-director (played by Danny Huston) while he’s in Rome shooting the 1948 film Black Magic. But with Welles on the rebound after being rejected by Rita Hayworth, don’t expect theirs to be a hearts and flowers romance. “I think like many, many love stories, it starts with a bad beginning!” laughs Vega.

Looking for luxury, style and relaxation? The Balearics have got it all, as well as some of the best spas in Spain

1. Hotel Hacienda Ibiza

Think Ibiza: pristine azure waters, idyllic beaches and that cool, hippie chic vibe that just oozes calm and harmony. If this is an appealing idea, then the Hacienda Na Xamena spa will hit the spot. Nestling high on the cliffs overlooking the Med, in a blissfully unspoiled pinewood, the location is a natural paradise blessed with amazing flora and fauna.

Few visitors to Barcelona miss the colourful market of Sant Josep, also known as La Boquería, right on La Rambla, but there are many other gems tucked away throughout the Catalan capital.

Barcelona, with its fabulous Gothic quarter, impressively sprawling Sagrada Familia cathedral and more Gaudíesque buildings than you can throw a Dalí at, is attracting more than its fair share of visitors. From a culinary perspective it’s a treasure trove of everything from rustic Catalan cooking and Basque tapas – currently all the rage – to mouth-wateringly tasty paellas and sparkling cavas. To get a real feel for the city, its culture and cuisine, there’s nowhere better to get to grips with it all than local markets.

Penelope Cruz is finally coming into her own in English-language film, and she’s so happy she could sing

On a cold winter’s day in Berlin, Penélope Cruz breezes into the boardroom of the Adalon Hotel like a ray of sunshine. Once dubbed the ‘Spanish enchantress’, she may be 5ft 6in but you can’t fail to notice her. Dressed in figure-hugging navy jeans, tailored black jacket and silver-hoop earrings that peep through her long black hair, the 34 year-old starlet is in a triumphant mood. And no wonder: in town to promote Elegy, she’s just received some of the best reviews she’s ever received for an English-language film.