Marbella is a city in the Andalusia province of Spain half an hours drive from Malaga airport. It is known for being the playground for the rich and famous and has become one of the most prominent beach resorts on the Costa del Sol. Marbella sits in the perfect location beside the Mediterranean Sea with the rolling Sierra Bermeja Mountains behind and with an average of 320 days of sunshine a year it attracts visitors all year round.
It’s a city made up of two halves, Modern Marbella and the Old Town or Casco Antiguo. Modern Marbella has sprung up considerably in the last 50 years, mainly down to one man, Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe, who discovered Marbella when his Rolls Royce broke down in the area. At the time it was inhabited by only 900 people but he fell in love with the area and opened the Marbella Club Hotel in 1954 and invited other noble European families to enjoy the luxury location.
Since then, Marbella has never looked back and is now a thriving tourist destination and it’s not hard to see why. In the area there are over 12 Beaches, with Water Sports and Beach Clubs, 50 Golf Courses, Designer Shops, Casinos, Bars, Top-Class Restaurants, Nightclubs, not to mention the First Class Hotels. There’s literally something for everyone. You can wear yourself out or do nothing more than lie by the pool and drop into it once in a while.
Then there is Old Town, which is based in and around Orange Square or ‘La Plaza de los Naranjos’ which is surrounded by three historical buildings: The 16th Century Town Hall, the old Governor’s House and the Chapel of Santiago. Here you’ll find something completely different, tightly knit cobbled streets, small boutiques, art galleries, some excellent restaurants, with local tapas bars and most importantly a true feeling of Old Spain
