As the gateway to the Costa del Sol, Malaga is one of Spain's busiest holiday airports, welcoming nearly 10 million visitors per year. In the summer it is served by charter, scheduled and low cost flights from the UK bringing vast numbers of holiday makers to their week or two in the sun. Nowadays from the UK cheap flights to Malaga are easy to come by, with prices to be found as low as £50 return if you know when and where to look.

So where might you choose to head for if you snap up a a cheap flight? Malaga itself isn't a destination where many tourists choose to stay, using it instead as the gateway to many very popular beach resorts such as Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmedina. Unknown to many though Malaga does have a rich historic culture dating back more than 3,000 years with remains of the Romans, Moors and the Carthaginians having been found. Of the many sights Malaga Cathedral and the 15th century Moorish fort, the Alcazaba, are well worth a visit.

Even if you do plan on booking your Malaga flights just for some pure Andalusian sunshine you could be very pleasantly surprised if you take some time out for a day or two in town. The city has a fantastic market, the Mercado de Atarazanas, and in recent years has seen an influx of international shopping brands, these coupled with a range of idiosyncratic local shops make for a plenitful opportunity for spending your holiday money.

In terms of eating and drinking, the old town's narrow street are brim full with bars and eateries where you can sample endless dishes of tapas, washed down with a few cold beers. As in the rest of Spain nightlife starts late and ends late so you'll have no trouble seeing in the dawn if that's your scene.

So, the city is full of surprises and is definitely worth factoring into your plans once you've booked your flights. Malaga, for most of us, ends up being little more than a thoroughfare, why not buck the trend? If you can't be swayed then don't let us detain you from booking your cheap flight to Malaga and heading for the beach. Whether it's swanky Marbella or the more down to earth pleasures of the all day breakfast in Torremolinos the joys of Andalucia will keep millions of people happy every year, with our help there's no need to spend a packet to get there. Check out deals on flights to Malaga today and grab yourself a bargain.