Marbella is the Costa del Sol’s most cos-mopolitan resort and its high-classhotels, glitzy nightclubs, designershops and superyacht haven PuertoBanus make it a mecca for the jetsetand celebrities.

Yet it is far from just the preserve of millionaires. Itembodies the heart and soul of Andalucia with its beauti-ful Old Town quarter. Tree-shaded squares and cobbledside streets are dotted with historic buildings, bars,bistros, boutiques and galleries, just perfect for kickingback your heels in by day or night.

It has glorious, sandy beaches where you can hireparasols and cabanas, to laze and gaze out over theazure-blue Mediterranean. While for the active, there’swater sports and great golf galore.

on the beach

Marbella’s coastline spans 25km and encompasses anumber of sandy beaches. The palm tree-lined PaseoMaritimo esplanade stretches almost 7km from thecentre of Marbella to Puerto Banus and flanks some ofthe best beaches, with many beach bars, restaurants andcafes along the way.

Playa de Calahonda, just east of the city, is one of theCosta del Sol’s prettiest beaches and is easily accessiblefrom the main road.

Playa de la Bajadilla is located next to Marbella’sPuerto Deportivo marina, close to its Old Town quarter,and has several bars while the dark sands of Playa dela Fontanilla boast numerous bars.

The pristine Playa de Nagueles beach, along thecity’s Golden Mile, is adjacent to the beach clubs of the

swanky Puente Romano and Marbella Club hotelswhere you may well spot celebs relaxing in the sun.

Just west of that is Playa del Ancon, a half-mile-long

golden, sandy beach giving sweeping views of neighbour-ing bays. You can fish from rocks at the end of the beach.

The fun beach of Playa Nueva Andalucia is adjacent toPuerto Banus marina and is a short walk from San Pedrode Alcantara, one of the centres within the Marbellamunicipality, with Playa de Guadalmina just beyond.

attractions

Marbella has plenty of historic and cultural interest forthose who enjoy time away from the beach or pool.

A reminder of Andalucia’s Arab heritage is evident inthe Murallas del Castillo, literally Castle Walls, whichare all that remain of a Moorish castle in the historic OldTown. They are not open to the public, but guided toursare available for even older ruins in San Pedro de Alcan-tara – Roman baths, a Roman villa and the 4th centuryBasilica Vega del Mar.

Marbella’s Old Town is a maze of delightful sidestreets and has some lovely squares, notably the Plaza de

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Cultured Marbella is the Costa del Sol’s answer to St Tropez but it has plenty of appeal for all. PeterEllegard is your guide

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Los Naranjos (Orange Square) with old buildings includ-ing the Town Hall, a 500-year-old fountain and bars andrestaurants with outdoor seating shaded by orange trees.Another typically Spanish square is Plaza Puente deRonda, surrounded by whitewashed buildings.

There are some pretty parks and gardens to enjoy,among them the Old Town’s Parque de la Alameda,which is full of sub-tropical plants. The adjacent Avenidadel Mar is lined with copies of Dali sculptures. The fasci-nating Bonsai Museum has trees hundreds of years old.

But to really push the boat out, head down to PuertoBanus to mingle with the jetsetters and ogle at the float-ing gin palaces in the harbour.

eating and drinking

Gastronomy lovers will be in seventh heaven inMarbella. Fish, particularly pescaito frito (small friedfish), is naturally very popular. But with such a cosmo-politan clientele holidaying here you can find any type

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of cuisine, served up in eateries from beach bars to high-class restaurants.

This being Spain, you will find tapas everywhere. Agreat place to enjoy it in is plum-coloured La Cuisine(+34 952 82 56 88), on Plaza Puente de Ronda, whichhas a roof terrace and is open until 2am daily. Some ofthe best, and cheapest, tapas in Marbella can be had atnearby La Venencia de Los Olivos (+34 952 77 99 63),a favourite with locals.

Also in the Old Town is La Lavadora (+34 952 90 1083), an atmospheric bar noted for its Moroccan speciali-ties and milkshakes.

For some of the best freshly-caught and cooked fish,head to the Sociedad de Pesca Deportiva Marbellarestaurant (+34 657 83 32 51) on the Puerto Deportivoharbourfront. It may be tiny and no frills, but the qualityis excellent and the prices are good value.

At the Hotel Guadalpin’s El Rincon restaurant(www.rinconguadalpin.com) in Puerto Banus, youcan even enjoy a traditional British Sunday roast

“Head downto PuertoBanus tomingle withthe jetsettersand ogle atthe floatinggin palaces”

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cooked by French chefs!There are many restaurants and bars to savour a meal

or drinks while people-watching in ritzy Puerto Banus.But for sheer pizzazz, nothing can beat dining inMarbella Club’s (www.marbellaclub.com) legendaryChampagne Room, which reopened after extensive reno-vations in October. With a glass or two of vintage KrugChampagne, of course.

nightlife

With Marbella and Puerto Banus attracting the rich andfamous, there’s no shortage of bars and nightclubs withbling appeal. The Olivia Valere nightclub (www.oliviavalere.com), between Marbella and PuertoBanus, is where you can rub shoulders with the highestof high society clubbers – and the drinks prices are sky-high to match. Another exclusive club is La Notte (+34 952 77 61

90), part of Marbella’s La Meridiana restaurant. Alsopopular with the party set is the stylish Suite in theGolden Mile’s Hotel Puente Romano (www.puenteromano.com), an Asian-inspired blend ofrestaurant, lounge and nightclub which becomes one ofMarbella’s most exotic and upscale spots at midnight,featuring top DJs.You can find beautiful people partying to some of the

UK’s best DJs at Tibu Banus (www.tibubanus.com),one of the hottest clubs in Puerto Banus that offers arooftop terrace. Yet more glamour can be found atPangea (www.pangea-club.com), also in PuertoBanus. Famous for its Sintillate Parties and luxuryrooftop terrace, it reopens for the 2012 season in May.If your budget doesn’t stretch to such glamorous

venues, you can find a host of bars that stay open tillearly morning in the side streets of Puerto Banus and incentral Marbella.And if you want to party all day, mixing with

Marbella’s in-crowd, there is just one place to head –Nikki Beach. Its Grand Opening White Party on April 22heralded the 2012 season, with all-day grooves from

DJs, live musicians and entertainers from 11am until8pm up to mid-June and from late August to October,and between 10am and midnight in high summer.

shopping

There is shopping to satisfy every taste and budget inMarbella. Saunter the streets of its Old Town to pick upcurios and souvenirs as well as locally-crafted art worksfrom galleries. Puerto Banus also has art galleries.Head for Avenida Ricardo Soriano, Marbella’s main

thoroughfare, for a wide selection of shops andboutiques including fashion brands Mango and Zara.Shopping centres include La Canada, offering a mix offashion boutiques and other stores in central Marbella.Spanish department store chain El Corte Ingles has a bigbranch in the city and is good for clothing, shoes,perfumes and houseware items.For designer label shopping, Puerto Banus is the

place to browse with names including Versace, D&G,Dior and Fendi dotted around the superyacht-filledharbour.Nueva Andalucia’s Centro Plaza has fashion outlet

bargains, while a market every Saturday offers leather-ware, antiques and general bric-a-brac. Shops typically open from 9am or 10am until 8pm on

weekdays, closing earlier on Saturdays. Most shopsclose on Sundays, other than those in central Marbella.

days out

You don’t have to venture far to get a taste of rural lifeaway from the busy beaches. The village of Istan, only10km inland, is a peaceful haven with narrow streetsthat echo to the sound of water flowing from numerousfountains fed by natural springs.A popular excursion is to Ronda, one of Andalucia’s

celebrated hill-top Pueblos Blancos, or white villages –so-called because of the dazzling white-washed walls oftheir traditional architecture. A deep gorge spanned byan ancient bridge pierces Ronda, dividing its historic and

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marbella facts

new quarters while buildings perch impossibly on sheercliffs. Sights include an old bull ring, Arab baths and itsornate town hall and churches. A tourist route links Ronda with other white villages

including Arcos de la Frontera, which possesses one ofSpain’s most striking old quarters. Close to Estepona, the ancient mountain-top village

of Casares, the construction of which was ordered byJulius Caesar, has a preserved Arab castle and offersviews of the Straits of Gibraltar, where theMediterranean is squeezed by the convergence of Europeand Africa.You can also take a day trip to Gibraltar for a cable

car ride to the top of the Rock, while in the other direc-tion you can visit Malaga’s Picasso Museum and thehouse where he lived, now preserved as a monument.

sporting chance

The Costa del Sol boasts well over 60 golf courses andeven proclaims itself the Costa del Golf on road signs.All are easily accessible from Marbella, but with the cityhaving the highest concentration of golf courses on theCosta del Sol, there are morethan a dozen right on yourdoorstep. Several are clus-tered in an area knownas Golf Valley.Among local gems

you can play are threeby master designerRobert Trent Jones – LasBrisas, which sparked theregion’s golfing boom in the1980s when it hosted the World Cup, Los Naranjos andMarbella Golf & Country Club.Also nearby are La Quinta, which hosted the 2011

Spanish Ladies’ Open, and Monte Mayor, where you cantee off on high in mountain surroundings.Water sports lovers have an endless array of options.

stay

Hotels range from basic and affordable right up to five-starchic. Pick of the bunch are Leading Hotels of the Worldduo and near neighbours Hotel Puento Romano andMarbella Club Hotel, both of which offer refined elegancein relaxed environments and attract celebrity guests. Just outside the city, Los Monteros

(www.monteros.com) is another five-star hotel with A-list guests that have included Richard Burton, SeanConnery and Michael Jackson.Other five-star hotels include the Gran Hotel

Guadalpin Banus (www.granhotelguadalpin.com)and Hotel Don Carlos (www.hoteldoncarlos.com),home to the Nikki Beach club.For something smaller, the hip, boutique Hotel

Claude (www.hotelclaudemarbella.com) is in theheart of Marbella Old Town, as are The Town House(www.townhouse.nu) and, for those on a budget, theHotel Don Alfredo (www.hoteldonalfredo.com). TheHotel Pyr Marbella (www.hotelpyr.com) offers three-star value in the heart of Puerto Banus.

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when to goNot for nothing is the coastal strip whereMarbella is situated called the Costa delSol, or Sun Coast. It is blessed with 325days of sunshine a year and enjoys warmdays year-round, with daytime highsrarely falling below 14°C in winter andtempered by the Mediterranean insummer.

getting thereDirect, non-stop flights are operated from London airports by BritishAirways (www.ba.com), easyJet (www.easyjet.com), Ryanair(www.ryanair.com), Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk) and Thomson(http://flights.thomson.co.uk). Marbella is 45km from Malaga Airport,a 40-minute journey by road.

getting aroundDriving is the most convenient option. Rent a car from Malaga Airportbefore you arrive to ensure you get one; they can be in short supply inhigh summer. Prices may also be much higher if you leave it till you flyout. All the major rental companies have cars there. Use taxis in theevenings, or walk if you are staying centrally.

pricesFood and drink prices vary, but expect to pay 5-7 euros for a drink in abar, more in chic clubs or bars. You can get a filling meal of tapas, withwine, for as little as 10 euros in Marbella Old Town, and a main fishcourse for 12 euros in small restaurants. The sky’s the limit in upscalerestaurants.

tour operatorsHolidays are offered by companies including Classic

Collection (www.classic-collection.com),Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk), FirstChoice (www.firstchoice.co.uk),Sovereign (www.sovereign.com), andCosmos (www.cosmos.co.uk).

tourist informationSpanish Tourist Office: www.spain.infoCosta del Sol Tourist Board:

www.visitcostadelsol.com.

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