Making Time In Marbella
Discover The Charms Of This Wealthy Costa Del Sol Resort
A haven for golf, this resort on the coast of Andalusia is also a Mediterranean retreat for the well-heeled. Here, a few ideas on where to stay, dine and shop.
With the highest per capita income in Europe, Marbella is the ritziest resort of the Costa del Sol as well as a magnet for golf aficionados.
What Brigitte Bardot did for St. Tropez and John Huston did for Puerto Vallarta, Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe did for Marbella in 1946, when he bought what was then Finca Santa Margarita, now the Marbella Club: He turned it almost overnight from a quiet Andalusian town of orange groves to a must-stop on the jet-set circuit.
The Plaza de los Naranjos is still a testament to the days when the area was suffused with the aroma of oranges. In the Casco Antiguo, or Old Town, tiny winding streets and small squares still abound, punctuated by the grand Iglesia de la Encarnación and full of bustling shops and restaurants.
Juxtaposed with this Old Andalucía is the evidence of the boom of the 1970s, culminating in today’s Puerto Banús with its swanky shops, pricy real estate developments and gourmet dining at every turn.
Where to Stay
Opting for any hotel along the Milla de Oro (Golden Mile) ensures a luxurious beachfront experience. Once the private residence of Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, Marbella Club Hotel sits on ten acres of sculpted gardens and offers 121 rooms and several villas that can be as large as five bedrooms. With its own beach club, thalassic spa, tennis courts and golf course, the resort offers the luxury experience on all six cylinders.
Other top-rated hotels on the beach include the
Gran Meliá Don Pepe, part of the Sol Meliá group and rated the very exclusive “Gran Deluxe;” and the five-star Gran Hotel Guadalpín with its cavernous rooms decorated in Art Deco style and onsite spa.
One of the Platinum terrace sea view rooms at the 14-story Hotel Don Carlos, which is surrounded by pine forests and lush gardens, comes with the added benefit of one of the best beaches in Marbella just outside. Just on the other side of the Don Carlos is Nikki Beach, where yachts dock in time to enjoy the early evening festivities around the beach fire while camping in one of the four-poster beds.
Where to Shop
Not that you’d come all this way to shop at a mall, but the Plaza Marina Banús is worth a look simply for its futuristic airport terminal design; it’s open 24 hours in case you need a last-minute ensemble from Zara.
The neighboring town of Puerto Banús also offers an Ekseption that sells Moschino Couture and Cheap & Chic, Dolce & Gabbana and numerous young, chic and quite expensive clothing and shoe designers; an Emporio Armani; and a Gianfranco Ferré . Hermès has an outpost in Marbella proper.
Where to Dine
Nearly every possible type of cuisine is available in Marbella, from the traditional dishes of Malaga to Thai to Scandinavian to Hindu to Lebanese. Best is to simply find a restaurant guide and dig in.
A sampling of restaurants with magnificent views includes La Torre, a five-star Mediterranean restaurant with an extensive wine list, located in a stone tower; and Casa de la Era, with Málaga cuisine like ensalada Malagueña, made with cod, potatoes and oranges, and oxtail with red wine sauce, served in a hacienda with a view of the Sierra Blanca mountains. Balcón de la Virgen literally has a lighted statue of the Virgin Mary on the balcony and specializes in fried fish and mariscos.
