2016 seems quite a far date, but there is a city that is already thinking about what it might happen during that year. We are talking of Malaga, which since January 2004 has been planning and aiming to be named European Capital of Culture. It is not an easy task, as the Costa del Sol capital is competing with cities like Cordoba, Zaragoza, Burgos and many others.

From the cultural point of view, Malaga is a suitable and perfect candidate to aspire to the title. Its cultural background is deeply rooted in more than three thousand history, during which different cultures have met, clashed and melted. The inhabitants of this city have developed an extremely welcoming attitude towards tourists and integration is not really an issue for foreigners.

Culture is not enough, though. Other aspects are taken in consideration before being nominated the capital of culture as infrastructures, for instance. The effort that the city is doing from this point of view is really praiseworthy.

The new train station Maria Zambrano, inaugurated in 2006, boasts of being the biggest station of Spain. It has nothing to do with the old train station, also because it is not a simply train station. It is an intermodal transport centre combined with a commercial centre that employs approximately 2,500 people. At the moment, there are AVE trains (Alta Velocidad Española) that can reach Madrid in two hours and thirty minutes and there are trains that connect with the airport every thirty minutes. Nevertheless, the station is not completed yet. In fact, there is a subterranean part that it is being finished. This will enormously simplify the life of travellers, as it will connect the station with the underground and with the national rail.

Malaga will have its new, modern underground soon. The works of construction started in the 2005 and for the moment the project counts with two lines. The line one will run from the neighbourhood of La Malagueta to the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucia, whilst the line two link La Malagueta with the airport. Malaga might have four more lines. The projects of them have not been approved yet, as several issues have been raised. The line number three would connect La Malagueta with El Palo. The line number four would start to the station of Guedalmedina and would finish at the neighbourhood of Ciudad Jardin. The line number five would connect the station Maria Zambrano with Puerto de la Torre. Finally, the line number six would be a semicircular line and would connect the other lines. The line one will partially be opened in 2010 and will regard the above ground section. Also, the line two will start operating services between Guadalmedina station and Martin Carpena station, the end of the line. Yet, there is the possibility that in the future this line might be extended to the neighbourhood of Guadalmar and the airport of Malaga.

Another important zone of the city that has been undergoing radical changes is the international port of Malaga. This port was almost certainly founded by Phoenicians and it is three thousand years old. It deals especially with imported goods such cereals, cement and petroleum coke, but there is also a regular line with Melilla and weekly cruise traffic. Since 1998, it has been immersed in an enlargement process of modernisation and as a result it will have the double surface size that it has at the present. One of the most important changes is the realisation of an outer harbour which will allow berthing to the biggest cruises of the world.

Last but not least, the airport of Malaga has been undergoing a huge extension for several years and hopefully it will end in 2010. If we speak in air traffic terms, this airport is the third most important airport of Spain, after Madrid and Barcelona. The airport of Malaga boasts of a new terminal building, modern and functional, a car park of seven levels that can hosts up to 2,500 cars and a second takeoff runaway. Also, it has a new train station which, as mentioned before, is connected with Maria Zambrano train station.

Therefore, Malaga is beautifully dressing up to be prepared and to be awarded in 2012 as European Capital of Culture in 2016. It is evident that it has good chances to get the award and it really deserves to be considered as one of the most charming destinations for holiday in Spain – try one of the best rental accommodation in Malaga city and be your own personal judge.