Marbella Destination Guide

Glamorous and Glitzy Marbella - The Real Spain Or a Plastic Paradise?

By Vanessa J Alexander

This page is all about the town of Marbella on the Costa del Sol coast of Spain. It contains useful Marbella tourist information for people intending to visit or holiday in Marbella.

Infamous Marbella on the Costa del Sol on the south coast of Spain with its glitz, incredible nightlife, chic shops and restaurants, and of course showy wealth, what's not to love about it? For over 40 years it's been a fun playground for the rich and famous, where some celebrities love to engage in a little of the sophistication, hoping to be seen (or not) in Puerto Banus with its millionaire yachts or at glamorous Nikki Beach known for its canopied double beds on the sand, live musicians and champagne on tap.

And what of the plastic surgery? In response to visitors to the area, a number of specialised clinics have opened in recent years to satisfy the demand for tummy tucks, face lifts, nose jobs, boob jobs and more. The Molding Clinic, Mills and Mills and the newer Marbella Highcare clinic are just three offering a large array of treatments where 'visitors' can improve their bodies and then recuperate in the sun.

The area's well-documented reputation as an exile for the criminal fraternity, along with corruption in the Town Halls over building licenses, and other tales of greed, has not helped the perception of the Costa del Sol. But do these offerings make Marbella a bad place and a plastic paradise in more than one sense of the word? The cultural aspect of theatre, music and dance is often over-looked and, in fact, Marbella has just opened its doors to the first and only English-speaking University in the south of Spain.

Marbella and some of its neighbouring towns have much to offer, not only on a cultural level, but for the architecture and sport, particularly golf, and not least for the wildlife and flora and fauna including the ubiquitous palm trees, abundant bougainvillea, exotic Bird of Paradise and many varied cacti plants.

Marbella is in Andalusia, an autonomous community. Yet to escape from its glitz and glamour, a place called Juanar is only 20 minutes away. Popular with both the locals and tourists, despite its secluded mountain location, Juanar in Ojen is easily accessible by road. This is an area of great natural beauty and was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1995, in short to protect and sustain the exceptional natural values of the pine forests, wild flowers and rare wildlife, particularly a variety of eagles. So near is it to Marbella that within an hour of leaving the beach where perhaps a minority of beautiful people go to sun themselves, parade around town in flashy cars and drink over-priced cocktails (and why not, if that's your thing?), one can get a spectacular view from on high of the glittering Mediterranean Sea and the city of Marbella below.

The first thing you come across after parking is El Refugio de Juanar. This is a 3* hotel with 26 bedrooms and originally built by Malaga's famous Marquis of Larios as a hunting lodge. Notable guests at the hotel have included King Alfonso XIII and Charles de Gaulle, where today game dishes are a speciality including partridge, venison, pheasant, quail, and during the hunting season, mountain goat and for wine-lovers, a 7,000 bottle Bodega (wine cellar).

Out of the hotel and through an iron gate, installed to prevent cars traveling any further, is a trail between Spanish fir trees (Abies pinsapo) and under the hill known as Cerro Nicolas. On the plain of Juanar many olive trees grow on private farm land. This is a gentle ascent and the path is suitable for all the family, including those with baby buggies or wheelchairs. After a white building, which is the Wildlife Conservation Centre, is the Cruz de Juanar, the summit of which is 1184 metres (3878 ft) above sea level. The Cruz de Juanar has a mounted cross which gives it its name and pilgrimages are often made to the cross.

From the Mirador (viewpoint) is the most stunning view of Marbella, little wonder the name means "beautiful sea". Not only are you up in the mountains where the air is pure but on a clear day you can see the Rock of Gibraltar and the African coast too.

in conclusion, one can argue that Juanar is indeed the real Spain but, in truth, no more so than Marbella. Without its wealthy visitors and foreigners living there, Marbella might perhaps be little more than a fishing village and suffer from even higher unemployment. But its popularity, criticised by some and envied by others, cannot be denied. Juanar is another jewel in the crown for Andalusia because these two areas offer different aspects of Spain not only to the indigenous population but expatriates living on the south coast, and people visiting (both Spanish and foreign). To see one area without the other and to miss out on the apposition would be a loss indeed.

When living and studying in London, I obtained high level qualifications in French from the Sorbonne University in Paris and simultaneously studied Spanish. My language ability proved invaluable when I was appointed International Publicity Co-ordinator on the Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor for film director Bernardo Bertolucci and producer Jeremy Thomas.

In 1999 I moved to Spain to seek business opportunities in the thriving tourist and construction industries on the South Coast. In addition, I focused on bespoke Spanish tuition from beginner to intermediate level, catering for business people one-to-one and tutoring clients online from Scotland to the USA to Gibraltar via the Internet.

Immersed in the culture of Spain itself and the evolving ex-pat community for over 10 years, I was able to fulfill a long-held and rewarding ambition of living and working abroad. Now based in Cheltenham, UK, I continue to teach Spanish both face to face and over the Internet. http://learn-spanish.org.uk

Marbella Guide - Page Summary - This page contains unique content about the resort of Marbella, a popular tourist destination on the Costa del Sol coast of Spain.

Other useful Marbella pages:

Destination Guide To Marbella

Glamorous and Glitzy Marbella - The Real Spain Or a Plastic Paradise?