Is Marbella the most delicious place on the Costa del Sol?

Marbella is perhaps the most beautiful place on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.

Marbella on the Costa del Sol is the place where everyone enjoys sun, beach, tapas and probably also golf. Good people meet rich people, maybe not as many Russians right now, but otherwise from all over the world as the wealthy Arabs with their own helicopter landing place on the yacht in Puerto Banus, the famous port of Marbella. Here is a mix of holiday-loving people from all over the world. A lot of English people (the neighboring town of Benalmadena is almost an English (holiday) colony, Germans, Japanese the rest of Eastern Europe, Chinese and then us from the Nordics, we are there too. Everyone can join. There is something for everyone, as long as you can like sun, beach and the Mediterranean, and probably also good food and wine and maybe golf. Torremolinos and Fuengirola or Benalmadena, but not so much snobbery.We're all here for the good time.Let's take a look around?

If it has to be really delicious a la the Cote d'Azur, then Marbella can easily join in. In fact, it can also be extremely exclusive, discreet and not for the first group: good people, but that does not bother us.

Where do the rich live in Marbella?

As a foreigner, you can easily buy real estate in Spain, and you can rent from 3000 kr per week for a house to 500.000 kr per day or more. Most things are possible, many can join. The discreet Marbella is actually located in the hinterland. You have to go up some winding roads in the moderately mountainous hinterland, and there you will meet a number of beautiful gates, often with guards, and you have arrived. But you are unlikely to get in unless you are invited.

The Golden Mile in Marbella

The most famous and exclusive area is the Golden Mile. This is the stretch between Puerto Banus and Marbella city where you will find Hollywood-like mansions and penthouses and villas by the beach for anyone who appreciates unobstructed views of the Mediterranean. This area is home to some of the most exclusive beach clubs and resort hotels on the Costa del Sol such as Marbella Club og Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) and if there is time in the feet then it is Ocean club. If you are allergic to sand, shown quite rarely, then it is not for you. If, on the other hand, you like sand, sea, good bass beat and foam, then this is just you.

The old town of Marbella, one of the most beautiful in Spain.

The oldest part of Marbella is a real find. It is a labyrinth of pedestrian streets, laid with red tiles and beautiful paving according to the fine Spanish old patterns. The city has a 600 year old history, and here you will find the authentic Marbella.

The buildings are all whitewashed and topped with terracotta roofs, and many date back to the Renaissance. Some are wrapped in bougainvillea; in fact the whole area is awash with flowers. The square above in the photo serves the best Sangria I've ever had, and right there, it takes a lot to beat the others when you've travelled a lot in Spain. Maybe it was the total experience with the many ripe oranges that could be hand-picked. The houses are all arranged on corridor-like streets that emerge into small squares like Plaza de los Naranjos, where the square's restaurants place their seating in a small formal garden surrounded by orange trees. The old quarter is also kept spotlessly clean, to the point where the tiles shine in the sun. There's a lot of beauty and originality here. A must-see.

Puerto Banus, for the jet set and the rest of us, in short tubes after a day at the golf course

There is room for everyone in Puerto Banus. We should just have some really good food in the harbor, which has an impressive range of restaurants in a fairly limited area right down in the zenith of the harbor and just enjoy the atmosphere. Watch the latest Rolls Royce and Aston Martin slip past, if it's in Puerto Banus they've paid tolls to drive through the harbor. There is a little or a lot of bling bling here. It's pretty fun. It is Puerto Banus a few km east of the center of Marbella. But it's also for you who just want a pizza and a cold beer, or hang out on the waterfront until the late hours before the nightclubs open and before the golf courses open.

Where to eat in Puerto Banus?

We have a few tribal places, hate to give them away, no it's fine what we're here for.

Los bandidos, front line in the harbor with incredible views, small restaurant for almost 30 years. Go for their steaks, e.g. the famous ChateauBriand with Salsa Bearnaise for two. A little pricey, the price, but the best in town.Do you want to acquire real estate in Spain?Are you ready for the sunny life in Spain? Whether you are looking for a holiday home, an investment in real estate, including letting, or simply want to live in a warm climate full time, Spain is hard to beat. And in the Super League, Costa del Sol is still No. 1…

Marbella and the French Riviera

If Marbella draws comparisons to the French Riviera, it's here in Puerto Banús, the shops, superyachts and luxury sports cars that meet your eye everywhere you look in Puerto Banús. There's more show-of-money here than in the South of France, but it's all very relaxed. The area deserves some of your time just to see the vulgar and ostentatious displays of wealth, from Rolls to cosmetic surgery results that don't give much away to Hollywood, but you should also pat the large rhino sculpture, made by the brilliant surrealist Salvador Dalí, which weighs 3,6 tons. No, the statue.

Take a few hours on the sandy beach or dress casually, casual you know, to one of the better restaurants this evening - if you can book a table, do so, but the options are really many: food from Spain and many other countries.

Golf in Marbella and surroundings

It's no secret that golf is a huge industry on the sunny coast, and of course Marbella is close to some of the best courses. Among other things, some of Spain's top courses such as Valderrama are at a reasonable distance. Valderrama is not just around the corner, but the course we all want to try our hand at, despite a golf fee of over 300 Euro plus maybe a caddy, super investment in general, delicious food, souvenirs, transport. 

Golf courses near Marbella:La Alcaidesa, Costa del Sol, Spain, lovely golf course and incredible views of the Mediterranean and GibraltarLa Quinta, classic Marbella golf course and lifestyle, top restaurantCabopino Marbella, where the World Cup for amateurs was held in 2022Marbella Golf Club, Robert Trent Jones course, everything is in orderWe made two articles about the South Coast's best golf courses, which are the two here:Golf on the Sun Coast and the rest of SpainCosta del Sol's best golf coursesDo you want to acquire real estate in Spain?Mallorca is more delicious than ever

Travel to Southern Spain