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Marbella holidays - Guide, nightlife and pictures

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Marbella

Marbella

Marbella, what yesterday was a small white fishing village, is now one of the most cosmopolitan places of the Costa del Sol, with the most famous marina of the Mediterranean, Puerto Banus, where have anchored the most outstanding and legendary yachts.

The centre of the jet-set, holiday residence or playground of princes, millionaires or members of the show business, is nowadays a spotless city with beautiful boulevards, parks and gardens and a historic centre with Moorish and Andalusian flavor.

Marbella, among other things, has a really beautiful old town. It is as if someone had built an Andalusian village of whitewashed houses within a modern city. The old part of Marbella is a tremendously nice place to go, during the day and especially at night. When night begins to fall, places as the Patio de los Naranjos are filled with terraces and a little later, the bars in the area are great for having a drink.

If we are looking for culture and entertainment in Marbella, we will find Galleries, Cinemas, pubs and discos for everyone in the Marbella nightlife, all kind kinds of activities as Golf Courses and Puerto Banus, a luxury place where spending hours.

Malaga airport transfer to Marbella

When going from Malaga airport to Marbella, you may want a transfer from Malaga airport.

  • Chauffers waiting for you even when your flight is delayed.
  • There is no hidden charges; you know the price from the first moment.
  • Sometimes prices are even cheaper than a taxi!
  • Friendly and bilingual chauffer always willing to help with your luggage.
  • Child seat available if needed. Contact them for other requeriments.
  • Top recommended Malaga airport transfer to Marbella companies.
Malaga airport transfer

Beware of unlicensed drivers!

Marbella airport

The nearest airport to Marbella is the Malaga airport "Pablo Ruiz Picasso", located about 50 km away. This airport connects weekly with 17 Spanish cities and over 60 European capitals and other places in America, Asia and Africa. Another feasible alternative for those who plan to travel by air is through the Gibraltar airport, which is located about 82 kilometers from Marbella. While it is an airport with little air traffic, it receives daily flights from London and also from Morocco and other African cities.

The international airport of Malaga Pablo Ruiz Picasso is eight kilometers from the capital of the Costa del Sol, and five of Torremolinos. Its terminals are easily accessible, fort both private vehicle and public transportation, which connects it with Malaga and other major towns in the province.

Marbella is actually the heart of the Costa del Sol and you can reach the city by train or flight to Malaga airport or private vehicle, bus, taxi, car hire or transfer.

From Malaga airport to Marbella it takes only 40 minutes by car, as there has been built a new highway (AP-7 toll road) which bypasses the coastal highway A-7 / N-340 and goes directly to Marbella. You can also go to Marbella from the airport of Gibraltar, but it takes longer (80 minutes) and as well it requires extra time to cross the border, as there tend to form long queues.

There are many things to do in Marbella like strolling the Marbella Old Town, and many shopping malls for those tourist who want to spend time shopping. We would like to recommend you some of the places to visit in Marbella:

  • Old Town
  • Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz Church
  • Ermita del Calvario
  • Bonsái Museum
  • Ralli Museum
  • Villa romana de Río Verde
  • Termas romanas de Guadalmina
  • Basílica paleocristiana de Vega del Mar
  • Yacimiento fenicio de Río Real
  • Pecho Redondo Caves
  • Nagüeles Caves
  • Bajadilla Beach
  • Fuerte Beach
  • Fontanilla Beach
  • Puerto Banús

Marbella Weather

Marbella is protected by the mountains of Sierra Blanca, where the microclimate caused an annual average temperature of 18 º C. and a sunny weather for almost the 365 days from the year.

Get live, local Marbella BBC Weather conditions in the next site:

Marbella Holidays

Its stable population is very small so it does not reach the 150,000 permanent inhabitants but has a large influx of tourism that annually increases that amount to several hundreds of thousands especially during the summer. Marbella has been positioned properly for the tourism with a really high purchasing power which means it is not uncommon to find some of the most luxurious yachts and cars of the planet.

There is a wide range of activities for making your holidays in Marbella the best ever of your life. In this luxury resort you will see the most expensives yachts, richness and famous people, doing what they do the best, spending their money. But it doesn't mean you have to be loaded to have fun in your vacations to Marbella.

Feel free to explore our Marbella hotels reviews if you are planning to visit the Costa del Sol or find cheap Marbella apartments for self catering.

Marbella shopping

Visitors of Marbella won´t have no shortage of all kinds of exclusive shopping malls, designer boutiques, arts and crafts, gift shops and luxurious interior design.

A great majority of these shops can be found around the city centre and thatfore a good way of exploring Marbella's offer is by strolling through the streets, where are also located many cafés and restaurants.

Marbella's main roads, the Avenida Ricardo Soriano and the Avenida Ramon y Cajal , are a major shopping area in Marbella where can be found some of the best shops, brands and top fashion boutiques. For more traditional shopping and local shops, head of the Old Town area of Marbella, where you'll find a good selection of art galleries, craft shops and gift ideas.

Luxurious boutiques and noble designer brands can be found along the leisure marina of Puerto Banus, together with magnificent crafts and arts galleries.

Exclusive commercial centres in and around Marbella are the Centro Commercial Benabola in Puerto Banús, with designer stores and fashion boutiques; the elegant commercial centre Marina Banús in the Avenida Ramón Areces; the El Corte Ingles with a number of floors and goods ranging from high-street fashion and perfumes, to furniture and homewares and a popular supermarket.

Every Saturday morning is held a street market in Nueva Andalucia.

Nightlife in Marbella

Marbella´s glittering nightlife is with no question outstanding and very different to the rest of the also very bustling resorts along the Costa el Sol.

Start the evening with a leisurely walk alongside the dazzling Golden Mile, with many chic cafes, bars and international restaurants or the charming Old Town of Marbella with many tapas bars in whitewashed back streets and squares. Both venues are bustling with life at night. In Puerto Banus you will find a wide range of top quality restaurants, bars and discotheques and as well the leisure marina, casino and cinemas.

Puerto Banus is relatively quiet during the winter months but is buzzing with nightlife in peak season. Other hot spots along the Golden Mile and in Puerto Banús are the Buddha Beach, Charleys, Desvan, Dreamers Night Club, Glam, Linekers Bar, News Café, Olivia Valere, Polo House, Portside Bar, Seven, Studio 10 TIBU, Vanity Marbella, Lola Lounge, Oh Marbella and Mansion Club.

Restaurants in Marbella

Eating out properly in Marbella can be really expensive. But not everything in the environment of Marbella are restaurants and luxury hotels. You can also use the luxury refreshment stall. Marbella beach bars are looking to eat out to sea on an informal basis and without too much of the heavy label of the big luxury (though some of the beach bars belong to these hotels and they even count on indoor pool). In these more informal restaurants you can see famous and beautiful people who also want to participate in a more relaxed atmosphere based snacks and meals more popular and typical of the area. The prices? ... There is everything. There are good views, crowded bar and sometimes lying on the seashore. Other are only beach bars at noon and when night comes they're  transformed into restaurants.

More information about restaurants in Marbella.

Marbella Jobs

If you are interested in jobs in Marbella, you should know this holiday resort offers you a wide range of possibilities for working.

While the summer season might be the busiest time for the tourist sector with its corresponding wave of vacances as waiter / waitress, bar work, house keeping, tours guide, and in general anything related to the Hotel Industry,but don't even think it won't be easy if you want a job for the winter season. However the more languages you speak the most easier will be for you to find a job not only in Marbella but on the Costa del Sol.

You cand find out more about working in Marbella using this link of Marbella Job Centre.

Malaga airport to Marbella

Marbella is the choice of the rich and famous, mixture of old and new with long beaches and historical places to visit. Maybe those are some of the reasons many tourist make their choice to Marbella, which center is located 54 km west from Malaga airport.

  • Taking a bus from Malaga airport to Marbella may not be the most convenient method of transportation if you have a lot of luggage;the bus has a main stop at the bus station in Marbella, and can take much longer to arrive that going by car.
  • You can take a Taxi at Malaga airport to Marbell, with an aproximate cost of 50 Euro which is expensive if you think you can rent a car a whole week for a little more..
  • Currently there is no link by train to Marbella.
  • Car hire at Malaga airport may be a nice and cheap option if you also plan to visit Malaga and Marbella surroundings.
  • Transfers from Malaga airport to Marbella is a fast and confortable way if you don´t need to hire a car.

Continue reading in how to get to Marbella ,it could be of help if you are looking for the road route, and if you still have questions don´t hesitate in contacting us in the Malaga transportation forum.

Marbella beaches

When summer finally arrives to the Costa del Sol, hot weather also do and everybody head for the beaches, especially if you're on vacation. In the province of Malaga there are more than 160 kilometers of beaches for all tastes; in this article we will focus on the most popular beaches in Marbella, one of the most striking cities of the Costa del Sol. Here are some of the beaches of Marbella and its features:

  • Rio Verde beach: It is situated in Puerto Banus and has a length of 900 meters, tiny but lovely. The sand is golden with gravel and here you can find many services such as parking, hammocks, parasols, toilets and bars.
  • Puerto Banus beach: It is situated in the port, with fine gray sand. It has hammocks, parasols, showers, bus stop, bars, restaurants and you can practice several water sports.
  • El Pinillo beach: This is an urban beach of 2,500 metres length and grey, not very fine sand.  There are usually many people and there are available parking, toilets, beach umbrellas and hammocks.
  • La Fontanilla beach: This beach has not very fine golden sand and is 900 meters long. It has parking, hammocks, parasols, toilets, bars and bus stop.
  • Nagülles beach: It is situated in the Marbella Club and has an area of 2,500 mts. It is not very fine gray sand and among its services we find parking, hammocks, umbrellas, kiosks and restaurants.
  • Los Monteros beach: It is situated in the Hotel Los Monteros and is 2,000 metres long. It is an urban beach with not very fine grey sand and plenty of facilities such as parking, bus, toilets, hammocks, umbrellas, restaurants and kiosks.
  • La Bajadilla beach: This beach is relatively small with just 700 metres length, thick grey sand and high occupation. It has all kinds of facilities such as bus stop, kiosks, hammocks, umbrellas, parking, toilets, water sports or restaurants.
  • Guadalmina beach: It is situated close to the urbanization of Guadalmina; it is 1,700 metres long, with grey thick sand. The area has parking and bus stop.
  • Artola-Cabo Pino beach: This beach is 1.250 metres long with fine golden sand and nudist areas: Among its services there are water sports, parking, bus stop, toilets, restaurants, hammocks and umbrellas.
  • San Pedro de Alcantara beach: This is one of the smallest beaches with a little more than 400 metres length and grey not very fine sand. It has parking, water sports, kiosks, umbrellas and hammocks, among other services.

The best way to reach these beaches is as always by car, unless it is an urban beach near our hotel. The coastal road N-340 connects all the popular resorts of the Costa del Sol and Malaga airport where you can find economic car rental in Malaga.

Marbella holiday events

The Festivities in honor of the city's patron, Saint Barnabas, take place in the week around the 11th of June and commemorate the recapture of the city by Ferdinand and Isabella in the year 1485. By day, the Old Town and the La Alameda Park are the main places of action for a multitude (many of them dressed in costume) who roam the streets eating tapas, drinking, singing and dancing nonstop. When night falls, the fun continues at the fairground until the wee hours of the morning.

The festivity of Virgen del Carmen on the 16th of July is a celebration of seafaring tradition with a sea procession of the fishermen´s patron saint. The Fiesta del Tostón the 1st of November is a very traditional celebration in Marbella and consists in going to the country side with friends and family. Fundamental is carrying chestnuts which will be roasted later.

Alternative events in Marbella are the International Opera Festival, the Marbella Reggae Festival, the International Jazz Festival, the International Cinema Festival and the Festival of Independent Theatre.

Marbella pictures

  • Pictures below are some of the latest images you can find in our Marbella pictures.

Guadalmina - January 13, 2012 Guadalmina Sales and Rentals sign - January 13, 2012 Guadalmina promenade - January 13, 2012

Marbella information:

More information about Marbella:

Goverment María Ángeles Muñoz Uriol (PP)
Area 114.3 km² (44.1 sq mi)
Population 138,662
Time Zone (UTC+1)
Web Site www.marbella.es
tourist tips

Marbella is the most cosmopolitan of the Costa del Sol's resorts, with many establishments having staff or menus in several languages. When using a credit card you will be asked for photo identification. Driving license with photo, national identification card or a passport are all acceptable.