The area...
Apart from the big cities, there are a number of beautiful towns to visit, all within about an easy drive including Antequera, Osuna, Carmona, Ecija, Cabra, Loja, Puente Genil, Iznajar, Montilla (for sherry-like wine), La Rambla (for plates/ceramics) and Rute. You could drive to Ronda for the day, or down to the coast (we tend to go to Rincon de la Victoria (45 mins), just to the east of Málaga, still very Spanish with a good beach and beachside restaurants).
There is a salt water lake at Fuente de Piedra where flamingos come to breed in the spring and near which there is a branch of the Donkey Sanctuary. More bird watching at Corcoya, Gilena or really anywhere in the mountains around us.
There’s plenty of hilly walking around, and you can walk around the Lake at Fuente de Piedra if you like, but it’s 21 km, so be warned. El Torcal near Antequera is a stunning area of strange rock formations. The area between Badalatosa and Jauja is lovely and there are some nice walks around there.
If you want to stay further afield for a night or two, then Jerez de la Frontera (sherry), Sanlucar de Barrameda (manzanilla) or Cádiz are towards the Costa de la Luz on the Atlantic coast.