Marbella Tourist Information and Marbella Holiday Guide

MARBELLA TOURIST INFORMATION

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.

In this tourist guide to the city of Marbella on the Costa del Sol in Spain we help visitors who are planning a trip with useful and practical advice on many tourism related subjects such as car hire, accommodation, hotels, hostels, apartments to rent, map, sightseeing, Marbella weather, where to go, where to stay, travel information and what to see and do in Marbella.

To make the best of your visit and holiday we cover everything you need to know about Marbella. We also have photos, picture galleries, views, videos and Marbella webcams.

Marbella on the Costa del Sol is one of the most luxurious and famous resorts in Spain. Its reputation as a tourist destination for the rich and famous began in the 1950's and 60's with the opening of the Marbella Club by the aristocratic Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe of Liechenstein.

Marbella attracted celebrities such as Sophia Loren and royalty such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Luxury hotels such as the Pez Espada were built setting a trend that resulted in many marinas, luxury hotels and golf course developments springing up.

To this day Marbella continues to attract wealthy Spanish and northern Europeans. Today Marbella is a mix of old and new. Marbella retains a delightful old town known as Casco Antiguo which centres around Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square). This area is full of old cobbled streets and plazas with many bars, restaurants and shops many of them designer boutiques with brand names such as Cartier and Bulgari.

In this old town area is the Town Hall which dates from the 16th century and the church of Iglesia de la Encarnacion, which also dates from the 16th century but was later remodeled in a Baroque style.

Malaga is a better place for history and museums but Marbella does have two museums worth mentioning; the Museo del Grabada Espanol Contemporaneo with of engravings by the Picasso, Dali and Miro, while the quirky Museo de Bonsai has a collection of the miniature Japanese trees. This is located in the Parque de la Represa.

For families visiting Marbella consider a trip to the Natura Aventura adventure park in San Pedro de la Alcantara, 7 km outside Marbella. It is suitable for all ages but especially teenagers who will love the rock climbing, kayaking and paintball.

BEACHES IN MARBELLA

Marbella's best beaches can be found to the west of the town centre in an area known as the 'Golden Mile'. This section of coastline is home to some glamorous beachfront properties, luxury hotels such as Puente Romano, the famous Marbella Club and the marina of Marbella. The Saudi Royal family have a palace here.

The Playa de Venus east of the port (Puerto Deportivo) is good. The Playa de la Fontanilla is less crowded as is Playa de Casablanca.

GOLF IN MARBELLA

Marbella is particularly renowned for the great golf courses surrounding the resort. These include Los Naranjos, La Quinta and Las Brisas, the latter having been the venue for the 2008 Andalucian Open. Also close by is the 9-hole La Dama de Noche, the first floodlit course in the whole of Spain. The landscape is dominated by the impressive La Concha mountain (and Sierrra Blanco mountain) range which offers winter protection for the town from the cold northerly winds.

SHOPPING IN MARBELLA

Shopping is an important part of the Marbella scene. There are some lovely boutique-style shops within the Casco Antiguo, while designer labels can be sourced from the main avenue running through the town, Avenida Ramon y Cajal which leads into the Avenida de Ricardo Soriano. On the outskirts of the town is the La Canada commercial centre the largest indoor shopping mall on the Costa del Sol which contains shops, fast-food outlets, a multiplex cinema, healthclub and bowling alley.

GETTING TO MARBELLA

Marbella is situated 28 km west of Fuengirola. Marbella bus station is situated next to the bypass, about a mile from the town centre. There is a regular express service from here to Malaga airport which takes about 45 minutes. There are also buses from Marbella to many of the resorts along the Costa del Sol, as well as inland to the popular tourist destination of Ronda. Long distance services to Cadiz, Jerez, Granada and Almeria are also available.

FIESTAS IN MARBELLA

There is a week long fair usually around the second week in June.

MAP OF MARBELLA

Our handy interactive tourist map of Marbella is best used as a tourist information guide as it shows some of the best sights, attractions, tourist spots, famous landmarks and places of interest in Marbella. Alternatively use it as a street map to help you with driving directions and travel information, to and from Marbella. You can use it from your place of origin such as Malaga Airport. It will help you get to Marbella and also help you get around Marbella when you are here on your trip or holiday.

On the map of Marbella we show the locations of Marbella's best-known tourist attractions, sights, famous buildings, museums, galleries, parks, beaches, golf courses, tourist offices, markets, hotels, apartments and restaurants within Marbella.

As you can see from the map Marbella is very spread out along the coast. Heading west towards Puerto Banus you come across Guadalpin La Venta, Golf La Dama de Noche and then Nueva Andalucia. Heading east you come across Hacienda Cortes, Albarizas, Lomas de Pozuelo, Incosol, Marbella Golf, Los Monteros, Las Chapas, Costabella and then Elviria.

9 MUST-DO TOURIST EXCURSIONS FROM MARBELLA

If you are going to a holiday to Marbella, here are some of our ideas for excursions so you make the most of your trip to the Costa del Sol:

1. Trip to the neighbouring smaller tourist resort of Puerto Banus known for its rich and famous residents and visitors.
2. Mijas is a lovely white-washed village in the mountains.
3. Malaga is the main city on the Costa del Sol but it does have the Picasso museum.
4. Granada to visit the Moorish Alhambra Palace or to ski!
5. Take a trip over the Mediterranean across to Morocco!
6. Daytrip to the hustle and bustle tourist resort of Fuengirola.
7. Daytrip to the lively tourist resort of Torremolinos.
8. Go inland to the pretty town of Ronda.
9. Go east to the former fishing village of Nerja.

WORKING IN MARBELLA

If you are considering living in this area and coming to the Marbella area to search for work, then this jobs in Spain will help you.

MOVING TO MARBELLA - LIVING IN MARBELLA

If you have found this guide on Marbella because you are thinking moving to the Marbella area you may also find our moving to Spain section with expat interviews and accounts of how they found their move to Marbella Spain, useful and informative, as well as our living in Spain section which has more tips and advice.

OFFICIAL MARBELLA TOURIST OFFICES

Plaza Los Naranjos
Telephone: +34 952 823550

The Arch
Telephone: +34 952 822818

USEFUL MARBELLA TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Marbella Bus Station
Telephone: +34 952 78 13 96

Marbella Tourist Information - Page Summary - This page contains unique content about the resort of Marbella, a popular tourist destination on the Costa del Sol coast of Spain. For more tourist information on Marbella try our Marbella destination guide.

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