HE is short, no more than 5ft 7in in his Cuban-heeled boots and his grey hair is thick, curly and tousled, writes IRVINE HUNTER

And the eyeliner and light foundation on his leathery face fight a doomed skirmish with hardearned wrinkles.

He should have cut a comic figure, this 50 or 60-something Spaniard, plying his trade in a small Marbella bar long past midnight. But his trade is flamenco. And he is good at it.

When he takes to the floor, eyes ablaze, feet a blur, body ramrod straight, his head thrown back in haughty disdain, this man has a proud presence that belies his physical stature.

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The rest of the troupe consists of a formidable woman about the same age, two young female dancers, a male guitarist and a young man pounding out rhythms on what looks like nothing more than an upturned box.

They sing those wailing, almost African-sounding flamenco songs, clap in intricate rhythms (no castanets here) and when the women take to the floor, their bright dresses swirling madly, it takes your breath away.

We came across the small, intimate Flamenco Ana Maria bar in Marbella on the last night of a whirlwind trip to Andalucia in southern Spain.

While we were in the glamorous party town, we stayed at the superb Sultan Club aparthotel with its wellequipped apartments and cooling swimming pool.

It's in an area called the Golden Mile, just two or three minutes' walk from the beach.

You can easily stroll into the town centre along the promenade with its bars and shops on your left and, on your right, the beach bars and restaurants looking out on the twinkling Mediterranean.

But don't confine yourself to the seafront, vibrant and beautiful as it is.

Pass Marbella's marina - not to be confused with Puerto Banus, a few miles west - turn left up the Avenida del Mar with its Salvador Dal­ statues and head for the old town.

But before you cross the busy Avenida de Ramon y Cajal to get there, you might want to chill out in the Paseo de La Alameda, a beautiful square with tall palm trees, a fountain and ornate tiled benches.

Vibrant Once in the old town, make sure you don't miss Orange Square with its busy - and relatively pricy - restaurants.

Then just wander around the maze of streets and alleys with the buildings' whitewashed walls and wrought-iron balconies and windows providing the ideal background for the vibrant pinks and purples of the abundantly flowering bougainvillea.

There are buildings, too, in various shades ranging from deep burgundy to subtle gold.

And all of it played out in a bright sunlight that gives this breathtaking kaleidoscope an almost hyper reality. Gorgeous!

We also stayed in the H10 Andalucia Plaza, about four miles west of Marbella.

This is a large hotel which caters exclusively for grown-ups, with no-one under 17.

Tough luck if you've got kids, though the Costa del Sol isn't exactly short of alternatives.

Re-vamped and beautifully modern inside, the hotel has a light and airy appeal, but still feels Spanish.

It's a place where it's easy to relax and unwind, with three pools, one indoor and a newly created chill-out terrace bar.

From the hotel it's a 15-minute stroll to the marina of Puerto Banus, which hosts the kind of yachts you measure in football pitches.

All the expensive designer shops are there - Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, etc. And their pricing policy certainly seems to have spilled over into the bars and restaurants.

We sat in Salduba's Pub, close to the entrance to the Port, to watch the world go by. From blinged-up wide boys in open-top Mercs, through rich men's arm candy in skyscraper heels to slack-jawed tourists and lairy lads and lasses, it was quite a parade.

I supped, very slowly, my £8 lessthan-a-pint of indifferent lager and took a wander along the back alley past its sports pubs, Irish pubs, nightclubs, table-dancing bars and business-like young women. Looked like the ideal place for raucous stag and hen nights.

And, who knows, you might bump into celebs like Kate Price and Kerry Katona, who love the place.

Or the TOWIE crowd, including I'm A Celebrity prince Mark Wright, his best mate James Argent and glamorous Sam Faiers. They pretty much turned the place into Essex-on-Sea last summer.

Gorge Bookings to Marbella sky-rocketed by 425% as a result of the docu-soap's choice of location and the catchphrase "no carbs before Marbs" has become synonymous with the show.

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Just my luck that the TOWIE crew were long gone by the time I arrived there.

If you're down Marbella way and you hanker for a break from the beaches and the clubs, you could hire a car and take off for a day or two. On a clear day you can see Gibraltar. Or you could do what we did and head inland to the stunningly beautiful town of Ronda.

Ronda sits astride the deep El Tajo gorge that carries the Guadalev­n river through its centre. And you get a real sense of this ancient town's history when you learn that the Puento Nuevo, which translates as New Bridge, is actually 218 years old.

We arrived at the end of a spectacular three-day festival to celebrate Ronda's most famous son, Pedro Romero. He was the man who in the 18th Century came up with the style of bull-fighting we know today in which matadors fight the bull on foot.

Happily for us, all the gory stuff was out of the way during our visit, which just left the party atmosphere, with drinking and dancing in the streets.

Well, it would have been rude not to, so we threw ourselves into the throng with more gusto than technique.

Let's just say the little Cuban-heeled guy from Marbella has nothing to worry about.

FACT BOX

THOMSON offers seven-night holidays to Puerto Banus, half-board at the four-star Hotel H10 Andalucia Plaza from £535 per person.

Price based on two sharing a room, departing May 22, 2012 from Gatwick.

Includes return flights, transfers plus all FACT FILE taxes and surcharges.

Visit thomson.co.uk or call 0871 231 3235.

One week's hire of a small family car (Renault M©gane or similar) costs from £61 through Economy Car Hire, with a supermini (Kia Picanto or similar) coming in at £33.

Shorter hire periods are available. Call 0845 450 0877 or visit economycarhire.com.

For Flamenco Ana Maria, see flamencoanamariamarbella.u-city.org.