Marbella Spain Luxury Travel

Marbella embodies culture, leisure, and glamour; it is one of the most exclusive cities in the Mediterranean and the pride of the Costa del Sol. Twenty-eight kilometres of coastline, four sports marinas, fourteen golf courses, and an exceptional climate come together to create a destination that can’t be matched.

Visiting Marbella is a unique experience. From shopping in its luxurious boutiques to dining in its distinguished restaurants, having fun in its beach clubs, and doing any kind of sport, the possibilities are endless. If relaxation is your priority, the city has many health and beauty centres, as well as a wide and exclusive range of hotels in its three main centres: Marbella, San Pedro de Alcantara, and Nueva Andalucía-Puerto Banus.

Puerto Banus

NOT TO BE MISSED IN MARBELLA

MONUMENTS

The Plaza de los Naranjos: located in the heart of the old town and belonging to the end of the 15th century, it is one of the first Christian designs created after the Reconquest. It was built in accordance with the existing tradition in Spanish cities, but without arcades. Here, you can find the Casa del Corregidor, the Town Hall, and the Hermitage of Santiago.

You can also find the Capilla de San Juan de Dios and the Hermitage of Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz, both from the 16th century, and the Iglesia de la Encarnación, dated the 17th to 18th century, close by. The latter has a basilica plan structure that consists of three naves and a front door, carved in Rococo-style ochre stone, a true masterpiece. Inside, you can find the Major Sun Organ, from 1975, which is considered to be one of the most important organs built in Spain in the 20th century.

The historical centre still preserves the remains of the city wall, which enclosed the city during the Muslim period, and the Moorish Castle. You can see Roman columns embedded into one of the towers, located in Calle Trinidad, which reveals that construction materials from even older buildings were being recycled and re-purposed to create a defence structure.

The Hospital Bazán, located in the vicinity, is home to the Contemporary Spanish Engraving Museum which exhibits works by Picasso, Miró, Tapies, and Chillida, among others.

An unmissable stop on the cultural tour through Marbella is the Cortijo Miraflores Cultural Centre. This manor was built in 1704 and was fitted with the appropriate facilities to install a sugar cane mill and an animal-drawn oil mill shortly after. The Oil Museum, the archaeological exhibition, the Municipal Archives’ historical collection, and different exhibition halls are also highlights of this manor. Behind the building, remains of ovens and a cave hermitage, dated between the 8th and 10th centuries, were discovered.

The Ralli Museum, dedicated to sharing contemporary Latin American and European art, and the Avenida del Mar, where you can view a collection of bronze sculptures by Bonvicini and designed by Salvador Dalí, are also worth a visit, this arterial road also connects the Marbella Seafront Promenade to the Paseo de La Alameda, designed in the 19th century and which could be called the “city’s historical green area”.

Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo

The archaeological sites, like the Basílica Paleocristiana de Vega del Mar in San Pedro de Alcantara, the remains of the Río Verde roman villa in Nueva Andalucía, Las Bóvedas Roman Baths in Guadalmina, or the six Beacon Towers located along the Marbellan coast are also worth visiting.

Visiting Marbella is a unique experience. From shopping in its luxurious boutiques to dining in its distinguished restaurants or having fun at their beach clubs, the possibilities are endless. But if the priority is relaxation, the city has twenty thalassotherapy centres and spas, alongside a first class selection of hotels in its three main centres: Marbella, San Pedro de Alcantara and Puerto Banus-Nueva Andalucía.

All of this has led to almost 4,000 Britons choosing Marbella as their place of residence.

NOT TO BE MISSED IN MARBELLA

MONUMENTS

Marbella is a destination that will not fail to surprise you. Even today its historical centre preserves the remaining fortress walls that surrounded the city in the Moorish period, and the Moorish castle. In one tower you can see built-in Roman capitals, revealing that even older construction materials were used to build the defensive enclosure.

An unmissable stop on the cultural route through the city is Cortijo Miraflores centre of culture. This 1704 mansion was a sugar cane press and mill. Today it houses the Museo del Aceite, rooms for temporary exhibitions, a library and a municipal art gallery. Behind the building, remnants of ovens and a rupestrian chapel from between the eighth and tenth centuries were found.

Also worth a visit is the Colección Municipal Arqueológica and the Museo Ralli, dedicated to the promotion of European and Latin American contemporary art. Furthermore, in the Avenida del Mar you can admire a collection of bronze sculptures by Salvador Dalí. This artery connects Marbella Marina with the Paseo de La Alameda, designed in the nineteenth century.

In the Plaza de los Naranjos, designed after the Christian conquest of Marbella, you have a view of the Hermitage of Santiago, the Town Hall and the Casa del Corregidor, built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They are in the heart historic centre of the town, with its white houses and balconies bedecked with flowers.

Near the square are the Capilla of San Juan de Dios and the sixteenth century Hermitage of Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz, and the seventeenth century Iglesia de la Encarnación. The latter consists of three naves and its front door, carved in Rococo-style ochre stone; it is truly wonderful.

The Hospital Bazán, located in the vicinity, houses the headquarters of the Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo, with works by Picasso, Miró, Tapies or Chillida.

Marbella has interesting archaeological sites, like the Basílica Paleocristiana de Vega del Mar, in San Pedro de Alcántara. The remnants of the Roman town of Río Verde or those of the hot springs near Guadalmina also have some historical interest.