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Where is Marbella located?
- Situated on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol in the Andalusia region, Marbella is a beautiful seaside resort town and one of the country’s most popular holiday destinations.
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What natural features make Marbella special?
- Nestled at the foot of the Sierra Blanca Mountains, Marbella boasts over 16 miles of sandy Mediterranean beaches, elegant villas, luxury hotels, and pristine golf courses.
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What historical attractions can visitors explore in Marbella?
- The historic Old Town takes visitors on a journey back in time.
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What is the Golden Mile known for?
- The Golden Mile features the Puerto Banús marina, filled with luxury yachts, upmarket boutiques, chic beach bars, and stylish nightclubs.
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What cultural and recreational activities does Marbella offer?
- From prestigious art galleries showcasing the works of Spanish artist Salvador Dalí to green urban parks and world-class shopping, Marbella has something for everyone.
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1. Fontanilla Beach
Fontanilla Beach is a 1.6-mile sandy beach just a short walk from the Old Town and one of the town’s most popular spots for sunbathing and swimming. Extending from the Marbella Marina to the promenade, the beach is lined with casual cafés, restaurants, and bars that overlook the beach and sea, as well as facilities such as showers and toilets. There are also plenty of tourist shops selling beachwear and souvenirs; the beach is popular for water-based activities such as jet-skiing, stand-up paddling, and parasailing.
Playa de la Fontanilla, Marbella, Spain, Phone: +34-952-82-35-50
2. Bajadilla Beach
Situated next to the old fishing port in the heart of Marbella, Playa de la Bajadilla is an 850-meter long, family-friendly beach that offers a wealth of fun in the sun. Popular with both locals and tourists due to its proximity to the center of the town, Playa de la Bajadilla is a short walk from the glamorous shopping street of Avenida Ricardo Soriano. The calm, shallow waters of the beach are ideal for young children to play safely, and there are plenty of shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants, as well as modern facilities such as showers and toilets.
Playa de la Bajadilla, Marbella, Spain
3. Old Town (Casco Antiguo)
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Marbella’s historic and picturesque Old Town (Casco Antiguo) is a hidden gem with a maze of narrow cobbled streets lined with beautiful old buildings, trendy art galleries, boutique shops, buzzing bars, and casual sidewalk cafés. The labyrinth of little corridor-like streets is walled in by whitewashed buildings draped with bright bougainvillea and topped by terracotta roofs, some dating back to the Renaissance. The picturesque Andalucian-style Plaza de Los Naranjos rests at the center of the Old Town and is full of fragrant orange trees and tropical plants, making it an ideal spot for tucking into traditional Spanish tapas and sipping sangria while watching the world go by.
Casco Antiguo, Marbella, Spain
4. Plaza de los Naranjos
Situated in the heart of Marbella's charming Old Town (Casco Antiguo), the Plaza de los Naranjos is a beautiful town square that was built after the Christian Reconquest and became the center of urban life. Today, the pretty plaza is lined with cafés and restaurants with outdoor eating beneath the fragrant orange trees in the square, after which it named. The plaza is home to two important historic landmarks – the Consistorial House (Town Hall) that was built in 1572 in the Spanish style, and the 16th-century Ermita de Santiago (Santiago Hermitage). The small, simple whitewashed church is the oldest parish church in Marbella and houses an iconic sculpture of Saint James the Apostle.
Plaza De Los Naranjos, Marbella, Spain
5. Parroquia de la Divina Pastora
The Parroquia de la Divina Pastora is a small church in the working-class neighborhood of the same name that offers services for the local parish. The church features beautiful biblical murals and images, including a wooden carving of a Crucified over the altar, a picture of the Immaculate, and paintings of the Ten Commandments, the Christ of Peace, and the Baptism of the Lord. Other features of the small church include tile murals showing scenes of devotion, exquisite stained-glass windows symbolizing the journey of the sun from sunrise to sunset, and a bell tower topped with the figure of a rotating angel.
Av. Europa, 19, 29601 Marbella, Málaga, Spain, Phone: +34-952-77-45-48
6. Miraflores
Tucked between Marbella and Fuengirola in the southern coastal province of Malaga, Miraflores is a beautiful seaside town that is known for its breathtakingly beautiful gardens. Situated a short drive from Marbella, the little village offers spectacular beaches without the crowd of Marbella, plenty of cafés, restaurants, and bars serving traditional Spanish tapas and other cuisine, and a pristine golf course. Recreational activities in and around the town include horseback riding, lawn bowls, golf, tennis, and a variety of beach and water-based fun such as sailing, scuba diving, jet-skiing, and windsurfing.
Miraflores, Málaga, Spain
7. Avenida del Mar and the Salvador Dali Sculptures
Avenida del Mar and the Salvador Dali Sculptures is a lovely pedestrianized avenue and green park that stretches from the Paseo Maritimo (seafront promenade) to Parque Alameda and is adorned with fountains, pergolas, and an exceptional collection of sculptures by world-renowned Spanish artist, Salvador Dalí. The collection consists of ten sculptures cast in bronze by Veronian Bonvicini that are on a par with a world-class museum collection. The square in which the statues are based is shaded by large trees and dotted with fountains and ponds and lined with cafés, bars, and restaurants.
Avenue del Mar, Avenida, 14, 29602 Marbella, Málaga, Spain
8. Contemporary Engravings Museum
Tucked away in a small alley in the heart of Marbella’s Old Town is the Contemporary Engravings Museum, the only museum devoted to engraving in Spain. The museum is based in a beautifully preserved 16th-century Moorish-style palace that was built for the naval commander and mayor of Marbella, Alonso de Bazán, and later bequeathed to the city as a hospital for the poor. The museum is devoted to the preservation and exhibition of Spanish engravings and graphic artwork from the 20th and 21st centuries. It houses an impressive collection of over 4,000 etchings, prints, lithographs, etchings, aquatints, and xylographs by famous artists, including Dalí, Chillida, Goya, Miró, and Picasso.
Calle Hospital Bazán s/n 29600 Marbella, Spain, Phone: +34-952-76-57-41
9. Puerto Banus
Puerto Banus is a famous and fashionable marina about five miles outside of Marbella that features a waterfront lined with upscale boutiques and stylish restaurants with outdoor terraces overlooking the water. The marina has 915 berths for boats and yachts and offers a wealth of nautical services and water sports facilities for jet-skiing, water-skiing, sailing, and stand-up paddling. Puerto Banús is surrounded by stunning beaches lined with chic beach clubs that attract a jet-setting crowd.
Puerto José Banús, Muelle de Honor, Marbella, Spain
10. Parque La Alameda (Alameda Park)
Parque La Alameda (Alameda Park) is a small park near the Old Town with a magnificent central fountain built in 1792 and decorated in traditional Andalucian tiles. The square in which the park is set is lined with cafés, bars, and restaurants, and has stone benches and lush tropical plants, making it a lovely spot for relaxing over sangria and watching the world go by. The park is popular with both locals and tourists alike as a tranquil spot to take a break, and horse-and-carriage trips around Marbella can be booked from here.
Parque La Alameda, Marbella, Spain
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