Finally at beach
I’ve been several times in Marbella, always passing by.
This time I spent there two weeks, and got many things to write.
Let’s go!
Avenida del Mar
Right in the heart of Marbella a short but large walkway connects the old quarter to the beach.
Displaying in the centre a dense line of statues created by Salvador Dali, it is flanked by gardened shades, easing the mandatory visit under the strong sun.
Old quarter
Andalucian look
Marbella is a new big city totally devoted to tourism, however, it keeps a small “island” of tradition, where the image of Andaluzia was well preserved and maintained.
Though at small scale, than what we may see in Seville, Granada, or any other traditional city of the province, strolling in the shaded narrow streets of the old quarter is a real pleasure, with many cafés offering their esplanades or air-conditioned rooms to a break and a drink.
At night, respecting the Spanish use of getting out by the cool evening, the streets become even more lively, with commerce opening doors till late.
Pateo de los Naranjos
The historic centre of Marbella is a small square, whose name came from orange trees.
This detail may suggest a Muslim origin, but the Renaissance style of the square shows more recent conception.
Surrounded by classical buildings, it is as everything else in town a very touristy point, covered with esplanades full of tourists.
City Hall
Castle
Corregidor House
Encarnation church
Plaza de la Victoria
Ermita del Santo Cristo
Beaches
Venus beach
Centrally located, Venus beach is the place where “everything happens”.
By day, is is just one of the several artificial beaches in line, by night the promenade where everybody goes. I read that it is the most beautiful beach, and… I may concede.
There are a few details making the difference.
Faro beach
Squeezed between Venus and Fontanila beach, and facing the lighthouse (thus the name) there’s a very small and secluded beach. The curious thing is that we were unlucky, and had cold water during all our stay, but checking the weather they always announce two more degrees in Faro beach than in its neighbors, Venus and Fontanilla.
One day, I decided to check it out and… yes, there was a small difference.
Maybe the size and shape of the seclude bay will help to retain and heat the water!
Fontanilla beach
One beach like all the other, but with a great difference – it was “our beach”, only a few meters distant from our beds and pool.
It´s a long beach, but a couple of hundred meters west of the start, near the tourist office, the sand changes and many rocks and pebbles appear, confirming that we were lucky, renting the apartment facing its best section.
Constitution Park
Puerto Banus
Top area
A few kilometers west of town, a marina was the pretext to build the most sophisticated urbanization of Marbella, where prices are high (sometimes not so high as expected). The idea that it is the land of a special and privileged fauna turned it in a touristy point to visit, walk around, and save your euros, heading back home or to common people’s area.
Sporty visitors walk along the coast, others take the cheap bus that connects the two ends in minutes, however, I don’t know if it’s “possible” to take a holiday in Marbella without the inevitable visit to count the Ferraris and Porsches parked next to the yachts.
Website: Puerto Banus
Los Tres Pepes
Los Tres Pepes
On the beach
Right on the beach, with a large esplanade working only at dinner, this restaurant was always full, what uses to be a good sign.
We had a good dinner there, but the price was a little higher than in the neighbors with equivalent service.
Site: Pepes
Sombrero
One more on the beach
During a week we passed by this restaurant, easily accessed from the Paseo Maritimo, right on the beach, with the appealing smell of grilling fish. One day, we didn’t resist, and went down to taste their sardines. The were different (not better) than the usual recipe, far from the Portuguese fabulous taste, but the image of a skewer with 8 lined small sardines was something new.
Fun as experience, acceptable as meal, reasonably priced.
It matched our expectations, and the sangria was delicious.
Address: Playa La Fontanilla, 8
Mas que tapas
Yes, more than tapas
Located in the Paseo Marítimo, this is a place to sit and… go on eating. More than 80 different “tapas” with prices as reduced as the dishes, this is a good place to discover the Spanish cuisine, without great risk or expenses.
We were with a small kid, needing a more conventional meal, and had no problem to satisfy that need.
A very good experience.
Address: Av Miguel Cano
Piave
Piave
Good Ice cream
If the women in our group had the right to decide, Piave should be “the best ice cream in town”.
Located in Paseo Marítimo, we had to pass there each day and night, and that meant several stops. I try to skip sugar, and don’t allow myself to eat sweets, but I agree that Fernanda’s different choices were all delicious.
Yes, I tasted all of them…
Constitucion cafe
Constitucion cafe
Da Bruno
Da Bruno
Hestia – Calm ambience
They announce the place as “lounge bar and international cuisine”, but we only visited it for a drink in family. It was calm, the service was efficient and quick, the cocktails were good, at a regular price.
It’s location, in the marina, is perfect for a break in the “mandatory” night strolls, and that’s how we used it.
Skoll – Perfect location
Skoll – Perfect location 
The apartment in Marbella was not big, but we could easily install 6 adults and a baby in acceptable comfort, except for those sleeping in the sofa, that was old, with a bad mattress.
Everything was near, but parking was so expensive there that we decided to move our cars to another place, a few hundred meters inland, at a third of the price. No problem, with distance because in a week we only used the car for a trip to Ronda.
Address: Av. Arias Maldonado, 16
Hestia – Calm ambience
They announce the place as “lounge bar and international cuisine”, but we only visited it for a drink in family. It was calm, the service was efficient and quick, the cocktails were good, at a regular price.
It’s location, in the marina, is perfect for a break in the “mandatory” night strolls, and that’s how we used it.
Driving and parking
Driving in Marbella it’s easy, but parking is a nightmare.
There are a few paid parking lots near the sea, but they cost a fortune, so, the solution is to find a cheaper parking inland, and skipping the use of the car, what is not difficult if beach is your purpose.
Salvador Dali
I’ve been in Figueres, visiting Dali’s museum, with some frustration, because I expected more. In Marbella I saw a group of statues, bigger than in the museum, lined in a pedestrian avenue called Avenida del Mar, in the centre of the touristy area of the city.They must be reproductions, for sure (they are not big enough to stop criminal temptations, and don’t seem so carefully guarded as the originals would justify), but they show all the creativity of the crazy master, being possible to watch the whole as an artistic composition, or each statue individually as a single work.
Address: Avenida del Mar
Sardines
Portugal is perhaps the best place in the world to eat sardines.
In Spain they also have them, and I’ve eaten them there with great pleasure, however, it would never be possible in Portugal for a restaurant to serve what we’ve seen grilled here – a skewer of small sardines.
We didn’t try it, and I confess that I’m not sorry.
Marina
As usual in Spain, at night everybody goes out, filling the streets, esplanades, everything. Marbella is no exception, and the marina is the point of convergence, and the largest sort of pleasant places for a last drink.
Strolling night and day
Jellyfish
