MARBELLA

I have been travelling to Marbella in the summer months for several years now. This time around I thought of making a post on my website based on how I spend my time there. But, as always, let me start you off with a snapshot of its history.

Andalusia was ruled by Moorish tribes from North Africa from as early as the 8^th century up until the late 15^th century i.e. for close to 800 hundred years.

FROM VILLAGE TO VIP DESTINATION

After WWII, Marbella was little more than a village with some 900 inhabitants up until the Marquis of Ivanrey moved to the area bringing with him the rich and famous. Later, his nephew, Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg opened a luxury resort for movie stars, nobility and the wealthy elevating Marbella to an international VIP destination. At one point, Sean Connery was Marbella’s international spokesperson.

In the 1970’s, Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia chose Marbella as his holiday destination. His entourage of over 1000 people loaded with oil-money were very welcomed and contributed greatly to the development of the area.

Marbella is situated on the Costa del Sol i.e. the Mediterranean Sea between Malaga and the Strait of Gibraltar . It has some 135,000 (2011) permanent residents, however during high season in summer the population rises to over 800,000.

It is the second largest municipality of the province of Malaga and one of the most important tourist cities of the area throughout most of the year as it has a very pleasant Mediterranean climate. So much so that several varieties of palm trees grow here together with tropical fruits such as Mango, Maracuja and papaya grow.

Marbella is known to be among the most stylish Mediterranean destination. It offers 16 golf courses, four marinas, spas, a considerable number of haute cuisine restaurants, nightclubs for every taste and purse and over 20 fancy beach clubs.

OLD TOWN OF MARBELLA

PLAZA DE LOS NARANJOS

The Old Town of Marbella has maintained the same lay out since the 16^th century. The main square is Plaza de los Naranjos built around the 15^th century. It is now surrounded by a number of restaurants.

CITY HALL

The Plaza de los Naranjos square really is the center of the old town. Everything seems to revolve around it. It hosts the city hall, the mayors house, the Chapel of Santiago, the tourist office, and a 17^th century fountain.

SANTA MARIA DE LA ENCARNACION

Nearby is the Church of Santa Maria de la Encarnacion.

Searching hard, the remains of the Arabic castle and its defensive walls built during the 10^th century can be found. They have unfortunately nearly disappeared with time.

The Old Town is so charming with its narrow streets and history emanating from the aged buildings.

It is inhabited mainly by locals. Observing this elderly lady sitting in her accommodation I wondered what her opinion was of all these tourists in front of her house door.

The small boutique like shops sell pretty much everything imaginable. Prices are geared towards tourists however still cheaper than buying something from the flying salespersons on the beach.

It is a great place to have an early dinner. Restaurants in Marbella and surroundings open after 8:00PM and only fill up at 9:30 or 10:00 PM.

One thing to keep in mind is that in Spain siesta time is rigorously observed. So the best time to visit the Old Town is after 6:00PM or, of course, in the morning hours but they are probably better spent on the beach.

PROMENADE

Walking from the Old Town through Avenida del Mar I passed by a square with fountains and ten sculptures of Salvador Dali.

Stairs lead to the pedestrian promenade of Marbella. It reaches all the way to Puerto Banus. There are many restaurants, chiringuitos, beach clubs on this stretch. It is also possible to rent seaways and bicycles.

GOLDEN MILE

This 4km long motorway takes you from Marbella all the way to Puerto Banus. It is a rather exclusive area and home to a number of luxurious villas, the Palace of King Fadh, businesses, golf courses and 5-star landmark hotels including the Hotel Puente Romano. It was developed in the 1960s during the tourist boom.

MY STAY IN MARBELLA

I stayed at this fabolous villa in Sierra Blanca just above the Golden Mile. It is available for rent through Stay One Degree, a website with very exclusive villas for rent throughout the world.

AMAZING VIEW ONTO MAROCCO

From the vast pool terrace, I took this picture of Morocco across the sea. I do have to state that this was an extraordinary view as normally you cannot see Morocco as clear as that.