Last updated: 24th February 2024
Marbella is Spain’s glitzy city for jet setters, the rich and famous and families. It was established in the 1950s as a high end destination for the wealthy on Spain’s Costa del Sol, framed by the Sierra Blanca mountains. In this post we’ll unwind in style with our guide for a weekend in Marbella. We’ll show you the best things to do and see in Marbella and Puerto Banus.
Table of Contents
A Weekend in Marbella & Puerto Banús
About Marbella
Marbella means ‘Beautiful Sea’ and is Spain’s upmarket and fashionable town on the Costa Del Sol, around a 30 minute drive from Malaga Airport. Since the 1950’s Marbella has been a well known destination for the International jet-set and is Spain’s answer to Saint-Tropez or Monaco but with something to suit all budgets. As we drove in to the city on first glance it looks really modern, but the historic Old Town is Marbella’s real gem. If you’ve watched the reality TV show ‘TOWIE’ like us you’ll know the famous catchphrase “No carbs before Marbs”. We must admit we thought ‘Marbs’ might be a little bit trashy especially after seeing the ‘Marbella hen-do’ girls on our flight to Malaga. However we’re pleased to report Marbella is the complete opposite. We enjoyed our visit to Marbella – it’s classy, has year round sunshine, authentic Spanish food and has great people watching!
Upmarket Marbella is a 45 minute drive from Malaga airport
Day 1: Marbella Things To Do
Marbella’s Old Town – Casco Antiguo
The Old Town (Casco Antiguo) comprises 2 neighbourhoods – Barrio Alto and Barrio Nuevo plus the ancient city walls. It’s small and can easily be explored on foot without a map. It’s a delight to wander the labyrinth of small streets passing walls decorated with geranium filled flower pots and balconies overflowing with bougainvillea flowers to the streets below. What really struck us was how spotlessly clean these historic streets are kept. Marbella’s Old Town is traditional Spain and has a romantic feel about the place. It’s chic with alfresco dining, small art galleries and some lovely boutique shops. If you’re lucky you may catch an impromptu flamenco dance.
Casco Antiguo – Marbella’s Old Town
The beautiful Sierra Blanca mountains provide a fabulous backdrop to Marbella
Stumble on small and pretty squares like Plaza Altamirano
Marbella’s pretty Old Town has an upmarket clientele
Flower pot filled balconies and streets in the Old Town
Look up to see many windows with small shrines to the Virgin Mary
We love the bougainvillea flowers tumbling down to the streets
So many old fashioned street lamps add to the charm of Marbella
Tablao Ana Maria on the pretty Plaza Santo Cristo has live Flamenco dancing in the evenings
Restaurant tables spill out onto the streets
Plenty of chic boutique shops in the Old Town
Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square)
At the centre of the Old Town is Orange Square it’s very pretty and a typical Andalucian square full of fragrant orange trees which offer some welcome shade. Grab a glass of wine or cafe con leche like we did in one of the chic cafes here and relax with a spot of people watching.
Surrounding the square are 3 historical buildings – the Town Hall (Casa del Corregidor) with a lovely Gothic and Spanish Renaissance style exterior, Chapel of Santiago (Ermita de Santiago) the oldest parish church in Marbella from the 16th century and the Old Governor’s House. In the middle of the square is a small fountain built in 1504.
Grab a coffee on Orange Square and watch the world go by
A bronze statue of Spanish King Juan Carlos of Spain stands in Orange Square
The fountain in Orange Square dates back to 1504
You’ll find plenty of colourful flower pots decorating walls on small streets like ‘Carmen’
The flower pot walls in Marbella make a perfect Insta worthy photo
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
A short walk from Orange Square is the ‘The Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation’ – it’s Marbella’s historic landmark. The church stands on the site of the former Mosque of Marbella built in 1505. After the Catholic Kings re-conquered this region of Spain from the Islamic Moors it was common to replace mosques with new churches. The interior is impressively ornate and spacious and looks much more like a cathedral with its 3 naves. It also features a large Rococo style door.
Apart from the door the exterior is simple in appearance. The bell tower used to be the mosque’s minaret
The lavish interior certainly has a wow factor
Inside you’ll notice the saints are dressed in real clothes, a characteristic of Spanish churches
Old Town Eating Out Recommendations
Our favourite place to eat in the Old Town was The Farm hidden away on the small and pretty Plaza Altamirano. It’s cosy, quirky and unpretentious. They use only the freshest organic ingredients sourced locally in Marbella. The Farm also have flamenco shows on some evenings. We loved the food here washed down with a glass or two of sangria.
The cosy Farm Restaurant on the intimate Plaza Altamirano
Delicious chargrilled vegetables and cheeses at The Farm
Fabulous tapas selection of Spanish meats too
Our other Other Old Town eating out recommendation is Organic Market & Food. They offer alternative healthy versions of Spanish dishes, and is the perfect place for lunch. For our full guide to Spanish tapas dishes check out the bottom of this post.
Old Town Moorish Fort & Castle Walls – Muralla urbana de Marbella
The Moors gave the original name to Marbella calling it ‘Marbil-la’ in Arabic. As with many towns in this region of Spain the Moors built huge forts and walls. In Marbella during the 11th century they built a fort and the defensive walls were laid on top of the original Roman walls. Today it’s all gone apart from some remains of the original wall and a watchtower. You can find them at the south west of Represa Park.
The remains of the Moorish city walls and fort can be seen next to Represa Park
A tree full of juicy oranges next to the Moorish wall
Tropical Alameda Park
South of the Old Town is the small La Alameda Park with distinctive benches decorated with ‘azulejos’ – ceramic hand painted tiles (perfect photo op!) It’s a lovely tranquil place full of tropical plants and huge pine trees. The park’s centrepiece is a huge 17th century fountain called Fuente Virgen del Rocío. If you visit on the first Saturday of the month there is a food market.
Phil and Garth at Alameda Park, Marbella
The small and tropical Alameda Park in Marbella
The Fuente Virgen del Rocío fountain dates from 1792 and the tiles tell the history of Marbella
Salvador Dalí sculptures on Avenida del Mar
As you exit the park towards the beach walk along Avenida Del Mar, a wide boulevard where you’ll find 10 bizarre bronze sculptures by the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. They depict mythological gods and Dalí’s wife. It’s like an outdoor art gallery. The only connection Dalí had to Marbella was that he used to holiday here! If you’re a big fan of Dalí, you can see another of his sculptures – a bronze rhinoceros situated on the Cristamar roundabout if you drive into Puerto Banús.
We stopped here for another cafe con leche and had some lovely freshly sliced ibérico ham and chorizo bites. Avenida del Mar is also a good place to start your day if you are driving to Marbella as there’s an underground car park located here.
Statues by the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí along Avenida del Mar
The only connection Dalí had to Marbella was that he used to holiday here
Avenida del Mar offers a rare opportunity to see so many Dalí sculptures in one place
The perfect snack food – meaty chorizo bites on Avenida Del Mar
About Puerto Banús – Home Of The Rich & Famous
Puerto Banús is where the rich and famous mix with Middle East royalty. It’s glitzy, it’s glamorous, It’s ostentatious!
The rich bring their luxury super yachts to the Puerto Banús marina to party. It’s considered by some people to be the best marina in the whole of Spain. The fashionable beach here is also really nice and has a good view over to the rock of Gibraltar. We saw lots of high end SUVs and a couple of Ferraris cruising along the marina’s roads. People watching is fun too, we saw so many guys carrying YSL bags – must be a thing here.
Day 2: Puerto Banús Things To Do
Walk the Golden Mile from Marbella to Puerto Banús
Paseo Maritimo is Marbella’s seafront promenade and stretches for 5 miles between Marbella’s marina and Puerto Banús. It’s lined with tapas bars, shops and palm trees. You can walk all the way to Puerto Banús and it will take a leisurely 2 hours depending on how many breaks you take. It’s also known as the ‘Golden Mile’ because of the grand villas and 5-star luxury hotels like Marbella Club and Puente Romano that line the route. On the way you can stop off at the free Ralli Museum for artworks by Miró and Dalí. Once you’re done visiting Puerto Banús you can take the regular catamaran ferry back to Marbella’s marina. The promenade is busiest on Sundays when all the locals come out for a stroll.
If you don’t walk to Puerto Banús via the promenade then it’s just a 15 minute drive from the centre of Marbella.
Walk from Marbella’s city centre to Puerto Banús along the ‘Golden Mile’
Puerto Banús Marina
Designer shops like Gucci and Prada surround the marina. There’s also a big El Corte Inglés – Spain’s upmarket department store chain which we love, it’s like Selfridges.
Bling, Bling Puerto Banús oozes luxury and sophistication
Some of the big yachts look more like cruise ships
Stylish restaurants line the waterfront and offer some of the finest dining. Don’t worry there’s still plenty of choice if you’re not loaded to grab reasonably priced pizza or ice creams at one of the nice Gelaterias. We grabbed a marina side table at Jacks Smokehouse it’s a great place for people watching whilst you eat.
Marbella even has its own heliport for the super-rich
Flashy cars galore in Puerto Banus
Does Phil looks like a billionaire? Famous Marbs residents include Sir Alan Sugar & Antonio Banderas
Marbella & Puerto Banús Beaches
Marbella has plenty of beaches and just like Barcelona it even has a beach right in the city centre – Playa de Venus. It’s the busiest beach because it’s also within easy walking distance from the Old Town. However there’s lots more to choose from – 24 beaches across 16 miles of coastline. You could spot someone famous on the celebrity hot-spot beach of Playa Nagüeles. Whilst Cabopino Beach offers lots of ‘chiringuitos’ – low frill beachside snack bars serving omelettes and other reasonably priced food and drink.
Phil exploring Playa de Venus, Marbella’s city centre beach
The sandy beach at Puerto Banús right next to the marina
Best Beach Clubs In Marbella
Marbs is also well know for it’s glamorous beach clubs with just as many to rival Ibiza. They are the playground for the beautiful people that want to party all day and night. However they are expensive! prices to rent a bed for the day start from 100 Euros going up to 3,000 Euros! Some of the best beach clubs in Marbella include:
Marbella Practical Information & Useful Advice
Phil and Garth’s Top 5 Marbella Tips
Phil and Garth’s Top 5 Marbella Tips
- Tip #1: Marbella has a sunny and hot micro-climate year round, so don’t get sunburnt and apply suncream.
- Tip #2: April to August is peak season. September to October is the best time to visit – less tourists and the sea is still warm.
- Tip #3: For tipping in restaurants leave between 5% to 10% of your bill’s total value.
- Tip #4: Beach clubs are only open from March to October. Most are closed in the winter.
- Tip #5: Every Saturday in Puerto Banús there is a street market next to the Banus Bullring. Open from 9am to 2pm.
Other Marbella Attractions & Things To Do
- Museo del Grabado Espanol Contemporáneo – Includes prints by Picasso, Miró, Tàpies and Barceló
- Museo del Grabado Español – A small art museum in the Old Town with art by Picasso, Miró and Dalí.
- Museo del Bonsai for the best collection of Bonsai and olive trees in Europe some over 500 years old.
- Love water activities? there’s lots on offer at the hip Playa del Cable. Also called Bounty Beach.
- Shop at La Cañada – A big shopping centre with high street brands including Zara.
- Take the 30 minute catamaran ferry from Puerto Banus to Marbella’s marina with Fly-Blue.
- If you fancy a round of golf? there are 30+ golf courses close to Marbella.
- Hike La Cocha – Marbella’s most famous peak, take a guide as some parts are tricky.
- For some duty free shopping take a day trip to the tiny British overseas territory of Gibraltar.
- Drive to a traditional Andalusian white-washed village like Ronda or Setenil de las Bodegas.
How We Did It
- We visited in May, it was warm and not crazy hot, a comfortable 25ºC (77ºF)
- We drove from Estepona to Marbella. It’s easy with your Google Maps app, however you’ll need cash for the motorway tolls. We parked at the Indigo underground car park on Avenida del Mar. It’s a perfect central location for exploring Marbella.
- We stayed in a private villa in Sotogrande near Estepona.
