There is no denying that rural Spain provides some of the most varied and beautiful landscapes in the whole of Europe, however, what many love best about the country is the abundance of great cities you can visit in the space of just a few short weeks on holiday.

Barcelona is one such city. Home to some of the greatest architecture in the entire world, Barcelona, is a beautiful symbol of an alternative side to Spain, representing as it does a different way of life from in its capacity as the capital of Catalonia. This region has its own culture, cuisine and politics. It even has its own language and, whilst this city may have given us arguably the world's best footballing side, FC Barcelona, it does one lack one thing…A beach.

Malaga on the other hand has no such problem. Sitting pretty slap bang in the middle of the Costa del Sol, this conurbation flawlessly combines the most straight forward principles of sand, surf, sun and fun with an intricate and rich history. The city also serves as a good base from which to branch out to other nearby costal towns. In Malaga car hire opens up some of the most stunning roads you'll ever take.

Of course, it's impossible to overlook the nation's capital city, the utterly mesmerising Madrid, with its plethora of incredible art galleries, museums and cosmopolitan population, over 6 million people strong. However, as well as offering up the best of modern Spain, Madrid also has a strong current of history flowing through it and some very traditional tourist attractions are on offer such as the magnificent Almundena Cathedral.

Another centre of historical interest in Spain is the city of Alicante, the sight of which has been populated by humans since ancient times, a span reaching back 7,000 years! The Beneacantil slopes near the location of the city have long offered up an opportune spot for settlers, from the first tribes that settled there, to the peoples of the Middle Ages who decided the natural defences of the location could be bolstered by building the mighty Santa Barbara castle, which stands there now. Car hire in Alicante will allow you to see even more of what lies waiting, just beyond the beaten track.