resort report - marbella, spain

resort report n marbella, spain

Costa del

soul

Cultured Marbella is the Costa del Sol’s answer to St Tropez but it has plenty of appeal for all. Peter Ellegard is your guide arbella is the Costa del Sol’s most cosmopolitan resort and its high-class hotels, glitzy nightclubs, designer shops and superyacht haven Puerto Banus make it a mecca for the jetset and celebrities.

Yet it is far from just the preserve of millionaires. It embodies the heart and soul of Andalucia with its beautiful Old Town quarter. Tree-shaded squares and cobbled side streets are dotted with historic buildings, bars, bistros, boutiques and galleries, just perfect for kicking back your heels in by day or night.

It has glorious, sandy beaches where you can hire parasols and cabanas, to laze and gaze out over the azure-blue Mediterranean. While for the active, there’s water sports and great golf galore.

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on the beach

n Marbella sunset

Marbella’s coastline spans 25km and encompasses a number of sandy beaches. The palm tree-lined Paseo Maritimo esplanade stretches almost 7km from the centre of Marbella to Puerto Banus and flanks some of the best beaches, with many beach bars, restaurants and cafes along the way.

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

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

The pristine Playa de Nagueles beach, along the city’s Golden Mile, is adjacent to the beach clubs of the swanky Puente Romano and Marbella Club hotels where you may well spot celebs relaxing in the sun.

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

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n Marbella’s Playa Nueva Andalucia

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

The fun beach of Playa Nueva Andalucia is adjacent to Puerto Banus marina and is a short walk from San Pedro de Alcantara, one of the centres within the Marbella municipality, with Playa de Guadalmina just beyond.

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

A reminder of Andalucia’s Arab heritage is evident in the Murallas del Castillo, literally Castle Walls, which are all that remain of a Moorish castle in the historic Old Town. They are not open to the public, but guided tours are available for even older ruins in San Pedro de Alcantara – Roman baths, a Roman villa and the 4th century Basilica Vega del Mar. Marbella’s Old Town is a maze of delightful side streets and has some lovely squares, notably the Plaza de

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resort report n marbella, spain

Los Naranjos (Orange Square) with old buildings including the Town Hall, a 500-year-old fountain and bars and restaurants with outdoor seating shaded by orange trees.

Another typically Spanish square is Plaza Puente de Ronda, 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 Avenida del Mar is lined with copies of Dali sculptures. The fascinating Bonsai Museum has trees hundreds of years old.

But to really push the boat out, head down to Puerto Banus to mingle with the jetsetters and ogle at the floating gin palaces in the harbour.

eating and drinking Gastronomy lovers will be in seventh heaven in Marbella. Fish, particularly pescaito frito (small fried fish), is naturally very popular. But with such a cosmopolitan clientele holidaying here you can find any type

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“Head down to Puerto Banus to mingle with the jetsetters and ogle at the floating gin palaces”

n Plaza de los Naranjos, Marbella

Spanish Tourist Office

Spanish Tourist Office

Spanish Tourist Office

n Gin palaces ahoy at Puerto Banus marina

of cuisine, served up in eateries from beach bars to highclass restaurants.

This being Spain, you will find tapas everywhere. A great place to enjoy it in is plum-coloured La Cuisine (+34 952 82 56 88), on Plaza Puente de Ronda, which has a roof terrace and is open until 2am daily. Some of the best, and cheapest, tapas in Marbella can be had at nearby 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 10 83), an atmospheric bar noted for its Moroccan specialities and milkshakes.

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

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

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in Marbella's Old Town

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 in Marbella Club’s (www.marbellaclub.com) legendary Champagne Room, which reopened after extensive renovations in October. With a glass or two of vintage Krug Champagne, of course.

nightlife

Spanish Tourist Office

n Marbella nightlife

With Marbella and Puerto Banus attracting the rich and famous, there’s no shortage of bars and nightclubs with bling appeal. The Olivia Valere nightclub (www.oliviavalere.com), between Marbella and Puerto Banus, is where you can rub shoulders with the highest of high society clubbers – and the drinks prices are skyhigh to match.

Another exclusive club is La Notte (+34 952 77 61 90), part of Marbella’s La Meridiana restaurant. Also popular with the party set is the stylish Suite in the Golden Mile’s Hotel Puente Romano (www.puenteromano.com), an Asian-inspired blend of restaurant, lounge and nightclub which becomes one of Marbella’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 a rooftop terrace. Yet more glamour can be found at Pangea (www.pangea-club.com), also in Puerto Banus. Famous for its Sintillate Parties and luxury rooftop 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 till early morning in the side streets of Puerto Banus and in central 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 22 heralded the 2012 season, with all-day grooves from

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Peter Ellegard

n Plaza Puente de Ronda

Spanish Tourist Office

resort report n marbella, spain

n Beach at Hotel Marbella Club

DJs, live musicians and entertainers from 11am until 8pm 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 in Marbella. Saunter the streets of its Old Town to pick up curios and souvenirs as well as locally-crafted art works from galleries. Puerto Banus also has art galleries.

Head for Avenida Ricardo Soriano, Marbella’s main thoroughfare, for a wide selection of shops and boutiques including fashion brands Mango and Zara.

Shopping centres include La Canada, offering a mix of fashion boutiques and other stores in central Marbella.

Spanish department store chain El Corte Ingles has a big branch 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-filled harbour.

Nueva Andalucia’s Centro Plaza has fashion outlet bargains, while a market every Saturday offers leatherware, antiques and general bric-a-brac.

Shops typically open from 9am or 10am until 8pm on weekdays, closing earlier on Saturdays. Most shops close on Sundays, other than those in central Marbella.

days out You don’t have to venture far to get a taste of rural life away from the busy beaches. The village of Istan, only 10km inland, is a peaceful haven with narrow streets that echo to the sound of water flowing from numerous fountains 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 of their traditional architecture. A deep gorge spanned by an ancient bridge pierces Ronda, dividing its historic and

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resort report n marbella, spain

n Ronda is perched above a gorge

marbella facts

getting there Direct, non-stop flights are operated from London airports by British Airways (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 around Driving is the most convenient option. Rent a car from Malaga Airport before you arrive to ensure you get one; they can be in short supply in high summer. Prices may also be much higher if you leave it till you fly out. All the major rental companies have cars there. Use taxis in the evenings, or walk if you are staying centrally.

prices Food and drink prices vary, but expect to pay 5-7 euros for a drink in a bar, more in chic clubs or bars. You can get a filling meal of tapas, with wine, for as little as 10 euros in Marbella Old Town, and a main fish course for 12 euros in small restaurants. The sky’s the limit in upscale restaurants.

Spanish Tourist Office

tour operators Holidays are offered by companies including Classic Collection (www.classic-collection.com), n Arco de Felipe, Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk), First Ronda Choice (www.firstchoice.co.uk), Sovereign (www.sovereign.com), and Cosmos (www.cosmos.co.uk).

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tourist information Spanish Tourist Office: www.spain.info Costa del Sol Tourist Board: www.visitcostadelsol.com.

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Spanish Tourist Office

n Playa del Ancon

The Costa del Sol boasts well over 60 golf courses and even proclaims itself the Costa del Golf on road signs.

All are easily accessible from Marbella, but with the city having the highest concentration of golf courses on the Costa del Sol, there are more than a dozen right on your doorstep. Several are clustered in an area known as Golf Valley.

Among local gems you can play are three by master designer Robert Trent Jones – Las n La Quinta Brisas, which sparked the golf course region’s golfing boom in the 1980s when it hosted the World Cup, Los Naranjos and Marbella Golf & Country Club.

Also nearby are La Quinta, which hosted the 2011 Spanish Ladies’ Open, and Monte Mayor, where you can tee 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-star chic. Pick of the bunch are Leading Hotels of the World duo and near neighbours Hotel Puento Romano and Marbella Club Hotel, both of which offer refined elegance in relaxed environments and attract celebrity guests.

Just outside the city, Los Monteros (www.monteros.com) is another five-star hotel with Alist guests that have included Richard Burton, Sean Connery 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 the heart of Marbella Old Town, as are The Town House (www.townhouse.nu) and, for those on a budget, the Hotel Don Alfredo (www.hoteldonalfredo.com). The Hotel Pyr Marbella (www.hotelpyr.com) offers threestar value in the heart of Puerto Banus.

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Sol Melia Hotels

sporting chance

when to go Not for nothing is the coastal strip where Marbella is situated called the Costa del Sol, or Sun Coast. It is blessed with 325 days of sunshine a year and enjoys warm days year-round, with daytime highs rarely falling below 14°C in winter and tempered by the Mediterranean in summer.

new quarters while buildings perch impossibly on sheer cliffs. Sights include an old bull ring, Arab baths and its ornate town hall and churches.

A tourist route links Ronda with other white villages including Arcos de la Frontera, which possesses one of Spain’s most striking old quarters.

Close to Estepona, the ancient mountain-top village of Casares, the construction of which was ordered by Julius Caesar, has a preserved Arab castle and offers views of the Straits of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean is squeezed by the convergence of Europe and 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 direction you can visit Malaga’s Picasso Museum and the house where he lived, now preserved as a monument.