Marbella
Day Trip
Marbella makes a great day trip from Málaga or any of the resorts on the Costa del Sol. It has a charming old town with flower-filled white-washed streets and a seaside promenade that goes on for miles. Marbella started out as a Phonecian trading post, but in the 10th century the Muslims established a fortress and small walled town. You can still see parts of the old fortress and town walls.
The old town is small, so it’s fairly quick to explore, but our VoiceMap audio tour of Marbella gets under the glossy surface to tell you about the colourful characters who turned a fishing village into an industrial town and then a well-heeled resort. You’ll also hear about some of the shady dealings that made it the capital of the “Costa del Crime”.
Morning
Marbella Old Town
Marbella is known for beaches and glitz, but it’s old town retains a lot of historic charm. Spend the morning exploring the tiny alleyways and browsing the boutiques and cafés. Don’t miss the beautiful orange-tree lined Plaza de los Naranjos, Ermita de Santiago, Ermita del Santo Cristo, the church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación and the remains of the castle. The Contemporary Spanish Engraving Museum is housed in a beautiful former hospital and has some interesting pieces, including prints by Picasso.
Between the old town and the beach, the Avenida del Mar is a kind of open air art gallery with sculptures by Salvador Dalí.
Lunch
Marbella is very cosmopolitan, with restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets. For traditional Spanish food, try Taberna Es Bien opposite the Alameda park, Bar El Estrecho tucked away in Calle San Lazaro or El Gallo, which is a bit away from the hustle and bustle in Calle Lobatas.
Afternoon
Paseo Marítimo and beach
From Marbella, the Paseo Marítimo – seafront promenade – stretches for 8 kilometres down to Puerto Banús, so you can stroll along beside the Mediterranean as far as you like. Alternatively, relax on one of the beaches until it’s time to head off.
On a clear day you can see the Rock of Gibraltar, and even as far as the Rif mountains in Africa.
Related audio tours
Questions and answers
Marbella makes a great day trip to see its pretty old town with flower-filled streets and plenty of boutiques and cafés. There’s also a Paseo Marítimo that stretches for miles towards Puerto Banús and open air sculptures by Salvador Dalí on the Avenida del Mar.
From Málaga there are regular buses to Marbella operated by Avanza that take about an hour (though a few fast services are only 45 minutes). There are also buses in the other direction along the coast towards Estepona, Algeciras and La Linea.
You’ll be dropped off at the bus station, just the other side of the AP-7 motorway, but there are regular local buses (about 10 minutes) to the centre, or it’s a half hour walk.
From Málaga to Marbella, you can either use the toll motorway (AP-7) or the toll-free route (A7). Both can be very busy in high season, but on the A7 you’re likely to get caught up in traffic as you pass through towns on the way.