This is the town in Malaga province that the UK's Sun newspaper has called the Florence of Spain

Strategically nestled in the heart of Andalucía, the Malaga province town of Antequera stands as a hidden treasure that has captured the attention of travel experts and has now been compared to the famous city of Florence in Italy.

The British tabloid newspaper, The Sun, has described Antequera, which has remained largely unknown to foreign tourists. as the “jewel to discover” in Spain, for its unique essence and charm.

Antequera, known as being at “the crossroads of Andalucía”, is strategically located between the cities of Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. According to the red top newspaper, Antequera is compared to the iconic Italian city for its Renaissance and Baroque churches, and Unesco World Heritage sites.

For British travelerls, accessibility is key, and according to The Sun, Antequera does not disappoint in this regard; Malaga Airport is just an hour away by car. Ryanair and easyJet operate direct flights from various UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bournemouth and Liverpool, with prices starting from just £14 by route, with flights taking less than three hours. Also, according to The Sun, the town offers very attractive public transport options, such as the daily bus from Malaga Airport to Antequera.

Another point of interest is the karst landscape of Torcal de Antequera, a mysterious often mist-clad place, with a myriad limestone pillars. This was declared a World Heritage site by Unesco in 2016 as were the Megalithic dolmens of Menga, Viera and El Romeral, near Antequera.

The Sun reported that other activities which can be enjoyed in the town include visiting the local museum, taking a tour of the bullring, or exploring some of the 33 churches. The newspaper highlighted the Church of San Sebastián, the Church of Carmen and the Church of San Juan, all of them examples of the Renaissance style.

Local gastronomy is also an important attraction, according to The Sun, with specialties such as 'porra', a cold tomato soup, and bienmesabe, a dessert filled with apples, cinnamon and sugar.

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The Sun also noted that Andalucía offers much more beyond the main cities and coast. The British newspaper highlighted locations such as Almodóvar del Río, a town away from tourist crowds and that also served as a setting in the Game of Thrones television series. Also, according to The Sun, the city of Cadiz, with its sandy beaches, blue waters and delicious gastronomy, has been recognised by the newspaper as the cheapest getaway in Spain.