Things to do and See

Visit Gibraltar, which is only 35 minutes away, where you can glide up the side of the rock in the cable car right to the top and see the famous Barbary Apes. On the way back stop off to see St Michael's caves and stock up all your duty frees. A day trip out on the boats to see the dolphins and pilot whales is a must and in you can buy your tickets at Marina Bay Harbour Gibraltar.

Gibraltar

Africa is a 20-minute ferry ride away from Algeciras situated just past Gibraltar.

You can also catch the ferry from the lovely Spanish town of Tarffia across to Tangiers. It only takes 40 mins or so in a modern high speed  ferry. If you go to the train station in Tangiers they will sell you an overnight ticket on the Marrakech Express. Bit of an adventure?

Morocco

For water lovers try the water park in Mijas.  www.aquamijas.com  or  www.aqualandwaterpark.es

For those who like culture and sight seeing Ronda, Seville and Granada can be reached quite quickly by coach or car and the famous A1 Andalus  train tour. You can drive yourself up to  Ronda in 40 mins or there is a train that climbs up the side of the rock face that departs from Algeceris. This has breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Tickets can be bought from the Tourist Office in Town.

If your after a bit more excitement the closest theme park is just on the other side of Malaga, Tivoli World, (Arroyo de la Miel, 29630  Benalmadena) Tivoli World makes for a great evening out  - it doesn't open until around 4p.m. in the afternoon and shuts after 1a.m. in the morning. Children between the ages of five and twelve will love it, although older children will undoubtedly find it an anti-climax compared to parks such as Alton Towers. The shows, however, are well worth the entry fee. Tivoli World won't appeal to adrenalin junkies and doesn't feature any innovative or unique rides, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in entertainment. Can-can and flamenco shows as well as music concerts and theatre are all on offer and draw crowds from all over the Costa. Tivoli World also contains many restaurants and many parents take the opportunity to leave their children in the park while they have a meal in peace. Some of the rides are owned and run by independent operators, so you will need a certain amount of cash as well as some Tivoli World tickets. The Bungee Rocket is one of the park's more unique features and catapults participants 120 metres into the air in under two seconds. It's great fun, if a little bit pricey. www.tivoli-atracciones.com