Marbella

Marbella West

Highlights

The elegant resort of Marbella, situated in the foothills of the Sierra Blanca, on the Costa del Sol, in the province of Malaga. A model Mediterranean resort and firm favorite for property buyers worldwide. Since the 70s, Marbella has been renowned as a playground for the rich and famous. Yet underneath all the swagger, there is so much more to Marbella. It has a wonderfully cosmopolitan atmosphere, exudes charisma; attracting visitors for its many facets: diverse beaches, mild climate, multitude of leisure facilities, including some of the best golf courses in Europe; Michelin star restaurants, world-class nightlife and International luxury shopping brands. Marbella is a charming, warm and welcoming city, beguiling to all who visit her. So it’s no surprise that time and again, it tops the most visited city in Spain list. Who wouldn’t want a piece of the action in Marbella? Marbella’s motto is "a way of life", if you are looking for a holiday home that offers great beaches, wonderful all-year round climate, unique leisure facilities, gastronomy and entertainment, then choose Marbella, its way of life will enchant you.

History 

 Although Marbella is a fairly modern town, it still has an interesting history and a significant architectural heritage. Some experts believe the first settlement in the Marbella area dates back to the Phoenician occupation in the 7th century, although there is no conclusive evidence of this. The Casco Antiguo (Old Town) dates back to the Roman occupation and was originally called Salduba (Salt City).

See & Do

 From the beaches and enclaves of east Marbella through to the western municipal of San Pedro de Alcantara, Marbella offers so many activities and facilities, visitors have no need to venture away from the area to enjoy a full and active holiday. In the famous Plaza de Naranja ’Orange Square’, you can while away hours, sipping sangria, taking in the beautiful surroundings and people, visiting the charming boutiques and gift stores. The labyrinth of tiny streets and alleys that surround Orange Square will reveal further tiny shops selling all forms of trinkets, fashion and souvenirs and there are some excellent restaurants and bars for a young and trendy crowd. Cross the road from the Old Town and you find yourself in La Alameda Park, filled with exotic plants and trees, leading down to an open exhibition area; where you can enjoy a permanent exhibition of Dali sculptures and temporary art and media exhibitions during the year.
Down from the park is the Paseo Maritimo (Promenade); this is one of the favorite places for locals and visitors. The boulevard is filled with restaurants of all gastronomies, with terraces facing out to the beautiful Mediterranean.

Marbella's beaches: 

The Marbella coastline stretches from Cabopino through to San Pedro de Alcantara. 26 kilometres of golden sandy beaches, shelving down to the calm Mediterranean Sea.
Funny Beach just outside of Marbella, is an amusement park on the beach, with go karts, parasailing, water scooters and a restaurant bar.
Marbella town’s beaches are well equipped, with water sports facilities, beach restaurants line the golden sands, cooking sardines on the spit,  the waters are calm, ideal for family beach days. Head further west into Puerto Banus and you have a mix of family beach zones and hedonistic beach clubs, where you’ll likely bump into a few celebrities and paparazzi.

Finally, you reach San Pedro de Alcantara, at the western limits of Marbella. Here the wide, palm-fringed beaches are more laid-back, backed by a beautiful promenade and restaurants.

Shopping: 

If you want to combine a beach holiday with a shopping trip, Marbella is an excellent choice. Between Marbella town and Puerto Banus you have an impressive mix of independent boutiques, luxury brands and international Spanish high street brands, such as Zara and Mango. The luxury Puerto Banus is crammed with designer boutiques, if you have a few hundred pounds to spend on a t-shirt, bikini or pair of shoes, then this is the place to shop. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, then Marbella Old Town is a good shopping destination and La Cañada Shopping Centre on the highway above Marbella, is home to chain stores, boutiques, supermarkets, DIY stores. Here you’ll find the largest Apple store in Spain, Habitat and Marks & Spencer!

Festivals: Starting around June, the summer season in Marbella gets going and with it comes a host of festivals and parties. Events include a weekend of pure luxury, at the Marbella Luxury Weekend and the annual Marbella Feria, a week of flamenco, flounce and frivolity. The summer solstice is celebrated on the beach for La Noche de San Juan, where bonfires are lit all along the beaches of Marbella. These three events take place in June. The world-renowned Starlite Festival comes to Marbella in August, bringing together musicians and artists from around the world in a series of concerts to raise money for charity. Finally, the eco-holistic Arte Sano festival, which takes place in July and November in San Pedro de Alcantara is a fun, free and sunny weekend of healing arts, eco market, children’s workshops and music.

Museums:

Marbella might not be a big city, but it has its fair share of cultural attractions. If the day is overcast and you don’t fancy shopping, then we recommend a trip to the Bonsai Museum (Museo de Bonsai), which houses a wonderful collection of Bonsai trees from all around the world, in it’s fantastic garden-museum.  Art lovers have the choice of the Ralli Museum, a contemporary art space, with works from Latin American artists; the Poligono Gallery, a wonderful space created to emulate the art district in Beijing. The Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo houses exhibitions of engraving and art works from national artists.

Golf: 

There are 10 golf courses in the Marbella area alone and over 50 in the region of the Costa del Sol. Local courses include: Rio Real, Los Naranjos, La Quinta, Marbella Club and Aloha Golf.

Places to visit

In the famous Plaza de Naranja ’Orange Square’, you can while away hours, sipping sangria, taking in the beautiful surroundings and people, visiting the charming boutiques and art galleries. The labyrinth of tiny streets and alleys that surround Orange Square will reveal further tiny shops selling all forms of trinkets, fashion and souvenirs and there are some excellent restaurants and bars for a young and trendy crowd. Cross the road from the Old Town and you find yourself in La Alameda Park, the park is filled with exotic plants and trees and you will feel like you have arrived to a tropical forest in the centre of Marbella. During many weeks of the year there are exhibitions on show in La Alameda. Down from the park is the Paseo Maritimo (Promenade); this is one of the favorite places for locals and visitors. The boulevard is filled with restaurants of all gastronomies; all look to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

There are heaps of activities to keep a family occupied in Marbella, but if you want to venture out of town, pop down the road to Puerto Banus, making sure you stop off to visit some of the cool cafes and restaurants on the Golden Mile (Milla de Oro). Puerto Banus is notoriously known across the globe for its glitz and glam, chic and showy boutiques, clubs and yachting port. And it’s not far off the mark. If you have the cash to dash for a shopping spree, then here you can shop Gucci, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, the designer list is endless. If you don’t have a spare couple of grand to go shopping, you still need to experience the port. During the day you can enjoy a stroll to the end of the portside, rhapsodize over the luxury yachts and then enjoy a Cosmopolitan cocktail at one of the portside bars, where you can sit on the terrace, watching the world glide by in their Ferrari.

The neighbouring town of San Pedro de Alcantara combines a traditional old-town, with a more modern seafront. There are some superb restaurants and a long, clean stretch of family-friendly beach.

Head up into the mountains behind Marbella to enjoy day visits to some of the inland, whitewashed pueblos of the region. The closest village is Ojen, around 10 minutes drive from the coast, nestled between the Sierra Blanca and the Sierra Alpujata and just five minutes from the stunning Sierra de las Nieves natural park. A charming town, small but perfectly formed. Slightly further inland you have the villages of Monda and Coin, and Istan is reached heading inland from the Golden Mile. Many foreign residents have settled in these parts, but the villages still retain an air of the past and are worth a visit. You can spend a day out visiting several of the local interior villages, to get a feel of Andalucian life.

Gastronomy & Nightlife

Whether you enjoy fine dining or traditional tapas, some of the best restaurants on the Costa del Sol can be found in Marbella, East Marbella, Puerto Banus and San Pedro de Alcantara. Traditional tapas bars, jostle with fish and seafood restaurants, beach bars, Michelin-star establishments and international diners. Whichever way you turn in Marbella, you’ll come across a restaurant. Head to the old fishing port for a plate of fried fish, clams sardines. The Old Town combines budget tapas with some real fine dining establishments.

If you want to eat and then party, you’ll find what you’re looking for in Marbella. Glamorous beach clubs, stylish cocktail bars, rowdy tapas until the early morning.

Puerto Banus

Puerto Banus is located to the west of Marbella, before you reach the small town of San Pedro de Alcantara. A relatively new town on the scene, it was actually developed in the seventies in a beautiful setting within the town of Marbella, by the local developer Jose Banús. The area affords a beautiful setting, with an impressive mountain backdrop and ocean views. Puerto Banus has fast become a mix of jet set playground, combined with hen and stag party hang out. Here you can while away hours sipping a cocktail in the port watching the super rich on their luxury yachts and the Ferraris and Lamborghinis drive by.

Around town
Although small, Puerto Banus offers an amazing wealth of facilities and attractions; including beautiful beaches on either side of the port, a myriad of restaurants and bars, water sports, golf, a casino, cinema and a amazing selection of upmarket and expensive fashion boutiques; there is also an El Corte Ingles department store here, the largest department store chain in Spain. If you really want to get a birds eye view of the port and its magnificent setting, then you can take a boat trip around the local coastline, which you can catch central promenade area.

Beaches
The beach adjacent to Puerto Banus holds a European blue flag. The port is flanked on either side by beaches, looking out towards the sea, to the left you have a less crowded beach, with a walkway to the promenade, which will take you all the way down to the Marbella. Here there are a couple of Chiringuitos (beach restaurants) and a children’s play area. To the right is main beach, where during the summer, beach parties are held with bars, music and dancing on the beach, day and night.

Market
Every Saturday Puerto Banus and its urban area of Nueva Andalucia, hold an extensive market, probably the largest and most popular along this stretch of coastline. Here you can buy everything from handbags, to carpets, to clothes, music and furniture. Beware in the height of season it gets extremely busy and is very difficult to park close to the market itself.

Nightlife
Puerto Banus is definitely the place to come to if you are looking for a varied and busy nightlife scene. The town is packed with alfresco bars, piano clubs and discos, which all keep going until dawn. It’s important to mention that many of the boutique shops stay open during the summer months until midnight and do not then open until midday.

Eating out
What can we say? What isn’t there to eat in Puerto Banus? The town was developed for entertainment and there are more restaurants and bars than anything else here. The port is lined with up market Spanish seafood restaurants, American hamburger joints, and Italian eateries, plus there are a couple of good Indian restaurants too.
Step back away from the port and into the plaza area and there is an excellent tapas restaurant, as well as Burger King and MacDonald's if you need a quick fix, in between window shopping!

Marbella East

Cabopino

Cabopino is a tiny harbour village which has become a sought-after area to live and visit on holiday. It has a fantastic beaches on either side, which are never too overcrowded and is also beside a natural park of sand dunes and pine trees. On the beachfront, to the left towards the sand dunes there is a nudist beach, a great spot for naturists. The harbour is backed by pine clad rolling hills and mountains. Cabopino itself is located on the Costa del Sol in the province of Malaga, between Marbella (14 kilometres west) and Fuengirola (14 kilometres east). Cabopino is small and perfectly formed, a great location for relaxation and as a jump off to the other areas of the Costa del Sol. Close to hand you have the shops and facilites in the neighbouring urbanisations of Elviria and Calahonda.

Cuisine

Cabopino is home to a handful of very fine restaurants including Da Brunos, which is a popular Italian restaurant, where you can often see well-known celebrities dining. The seafood choice in Cabopino’s restaurants is understandably excellent.

Golf

Cabopino boasts its own golf course, Cabopino Golf, which offers a challenge to your short game. There are also many world-class golf courses a short drive from Cabopino, including Santa Maria Golf in Elviria, just 5 minutes drive away.  

Las Chapas

Las Chapas is a small residential and beach urbanisation situated on the Costa del Sol in the Malaga province of Andalusia. Set between Fuengirola and Marbella, it is an ideal location for families who want to enjoy a beach holiday, but would also like to explore the local coastline. The resort has very little aside from apartments, and a couple of restaurants, but you can walk along the beach to Cabopino Port and the small community of Elviria is just five minutes drive, which offers ample amenities.  

Location

Las Chapas is well situated between Fuengirola and Marbella, and just 35 kilometres, around 30-40 minutes drive from the International airport in Malaga. The delightful beachside urbanisation is within walking distance, along the beach to Cabopino Port, with its variety of restaurants and bars.  Hop in the car and in five minutes you will be in Elviria, where there are bars, shops, supermarkets, restaurants and the exclusive Nikki Beach Club.The area, called East Marbella, between Marbella and Calahonda, is less developed than most parts of the Costa del Sol and is surrounded by beautiful green pine scenery. There are also several excellent golf courses in the surrounded landscape, making Las Chapas an excellent destination for golf holidays.

Beaches

Las Chapas is an ideal location for those looking for a relaxing beach holiday, the local beaches are long stretches of golden sand, although close to Las Chapas, there is also a pretty rocky stretch. The beaches here, east of Marbella, are said to be the finest on the Costa del Sol. Clean, relaxed, chiringuitos (beachside restaurants) can be found every 100 metres, and in Cabopino there are host of water sports activities to be enjoyed. If you enjoy walking and hiking, we recommend that you head to Elviria and then up into the mountains behind, where we can guarantee the best views to the coast, and some stunning walks into the natural mountains that shelter the coast.  

Elviria

Whatever your age, no matter how diverse your interests, this beautiful urbanisation situated between Marbella and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. Elviria has long been a popular holiday resort and is home to the five-star Don Carlos Hotel and the famous Nikki Beach Club. The internationally renowned Santa Maria Golf & Country Club is also located here; a challenging 18 hole golf course with another 18 holes planned in 2003. The village itself has a genuine heart, complete with town hall, post office, schools, bars, restaurants and shopping facilities. Elviria is home to many superior quality developments and urbanisations, most of which offer an elevated position overlooking the sea. It’s a well suited location for families and has become increasingly popular for second homes for many foreign visitors. Located on the coast around 10km east of Marbella and a 45 minute journey from Malaga’s International airport, which serves most major European destinations.  

Beaches

Elviria like most of the urbanisations that run along the coastal road is divided into two – beachside and mountainside. Golden sandy beaches stretch right the way from Fuengirola to Marbella and beyond and Elviria is no exception. There are some great facilities on the beach, including dining and water sports. The famous Nikki Beach Club is located on the beach by the Don Carlos hotel and is for those who wish to sunbathe in style, accompanied with DJs and day and night partying.

Natural surroundings

From the village centre the land rises gently, past the Santa Maria Golf Course and up to area known as La Mairena, a beautiful biosphere environment, with probably some of the best views on offer on the coast. From here you can see to the Sierra Nevada and Africa. Within minutes you can be rambling through beautiful natural landscape.

Eating out

Elviria is packed with restaurants and bars, including tapas and Spanish ‘menu del día’ options, pizza, Chinese and British options, as well as some first class dining venues, including El Lago Restaurant and Nikki Beach.  

El Rosario

El Rosario is a small residential urbanization located on the beach, just outside of Marbella on the Costa del Sol, in the province of Malaga. The area is very laid-back, with a mix of luxury villas and apartment complexes, all within walking distance of the lovely beach. El Rosario is an excellent destination for couples and families, looking for a quieter location, yet close to all the amenities and leisure facilities of Marbella, which is literally 10 minutes away in the car. Malaga International Airport is just 45 kilometres away.  

Beaches

El Rosario is home to a lovely stretch of golden sand, which forms part of the stretch of beach of East Marbella, which is thought to be one of the best along the Costa del Sol. There are lots of bars and beach restaurants, showers and water sports can be found at intervals along the beach.

Eating out

El Rosario is home to two particularly lovely beach chiringuito’s (restaurants). Hippo’s is ideal for families with children, with a more laid-back menu, serving hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, etc. Los Canos, however, is at the other end of the scale, an upmarket beach restaurant, serving delicious fresh seafood dishes, paella and roasted meats.  

Climate

East Marbella enjoys a sub-tropical Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and warm winters. Cooling breezes from the sea make the summer heat manageable; temperatures average 32 ºC during the summer.