Things to do in Marbella
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Marbella
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best all round months, warm, open and below August prices. Early June adds Feria week.
Shoulder season, golf and hiking at their best, sea still cool in spring and warm in October.
Peak crowds, traffic and prices. Starlite runs mid July to late August and the sea is warmest.
Mild, local and much cheaper, with the year's rain and some beach clubs closed. Worst for a beach holiday.
What's on
- Feria de San Bernabé The week of 11 June
Marbella's fair for its patron saint, daytime fair in the centre and a night fairground, with a pilgrimage and procession.
- Semana Santa Holy Week, March or April
Solemn processions through the Old Town, Andalusia's great religious week at intimate scale.
- Noche de San Juan 23 June
Beach bonfires and midnight swimming along the coast to mark midsummer.
- Starlite Festival Mid July to late August
International headline concerts in the Nagüeles quarry amphitheatre above the Golden Mile, plus a charity gala.
- Feria de San Pedro de Alcántara Mid October
San Pedro's own feria week, at the western end of the municipality.
Best things to do in Marbella
Plaza de los Naranjos
The heart of the Old Town since 1485, with orange trees, the Town Hall and cafes made for people watching.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación
A Baroque church on the old mosque site, plain outside and richly gilded inside, with a vast organ.
Avenida del Mar
A marble avenue from Alameda Park to the sea, lined with ten large Dali bronzes in the open air.
Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo
A serious print museum in a Renaissance hospital, with Picasso, Miro and Dali among 4,000 works.
Puerto Banús Marina
Europe's most famous marina for superyachts, supercars and people watching. One drink, then eat elsewhere.
Paseo Marítimo de Marbella
A flat seafront walk from Marbella port past the Golden Mile hotels to Puerto Banús, best late afternoon.
Dunas de Artola o Cabopino
Protected dunes and boardwalks behind Marbella's softest, least built up beach, naturist friendly at one end.
Playa de la Fontanilla
The central town beach on the promenade, fully serviced and lively, chosen for ease over beauty.
Where to stay in Marbella
Old Town and Centre
first trip, car free, food first
Orange Square, tapas bars, the church, Alameda and central beaches all inside a 15 minute walk.
Golden Mile
resort luxury, couples, tennis
Garden resorts, beach clubs and the best hotel restaurants, between the centre and Puerto Banús.
Puerto Banús and Nueva Andalucía
nightlife groups, golfers, villas
The marina and clubs on foot in Banús, quieter villa streets and the Golf Valley behind it.
East Marbella, Elviria and El Rosario
beach first families with a car
The best sand at Cabopino and Real de Zaragoza, more space and lower rates than the Golden Mile.
La Quinta and the Golf Valley
golf trips with non golfing partners
Courses at the door and resort spas, with beach and town reached by shuttle, taxi or car.
Think twice about
- Puerto Banús marina front
Club noise until dawn in season, stag party volume, inflated prices, and pickpocket risk around drunk crowds after 02:00. Visit at night, sleep uphill.
- Carretera de Cádiz highway strip
Hotels sold as Marbella that front a fast dual carriageway, with nothing walkable nearby. They isolate car free travellers between bus stops.
- Gated hill urbanisations, Sierra Blanca and La Zagaleta
Secure and superb villa country, but entirely car dependent with no walkable centre. A poor base for a sightseeing trip.
Best restaurants in Marbella
Restaurante Skina
A tiny starred Old Town room cooking Andalusian tradition with modern technique. Book weeks ahead.
Messina Restaurante
A starred tasting menu built on Marbella coast fish and local produce, elegant and unshowy.
Restaurante El Lago
A long held starred table on a lake terrace in Elviria, the romantic special occasion pick.
Leña Marbella
Dani Garcia's wood fire steakhouse at Puente Romano, built around charcoal, smoke and sharing cuts.
NOBU Marbella
The Matsuhisa classics in Puente Romano's gardens, glamorous and reliably excellent.
Ta-Kumi
The Japanese restaurant Marbella's own food crowd chooses, precise nigiri in a room about the food.
Restaurante Casa Eladio
A third generation Old Town institution, acclaimed, strong on seasonal fish and tuna.
Bar Altamirano
The Old Town's benchmark fish bar, gambas al pil pil and the day's catch cooked plainly and priced fairly.
Outdoor things to do in Marbella
Los Naranjos Golf Club
The Golf Valley's consensus visitor course, a Robert Trent Jones design praised for conditioning and service.
La Quinta Golf & Country Club
Twenty seven holes above Nueva Andalucía, kinder to mixed abilities and priced below the trophy courses.
Cabopino Golf Marbella
A shorter, hillier, pine lined course above Cabopino beach, and the honest value round in Marbella.
Real Club Valderrama
The 1997 Ryder Cup course, often ranked first in continental Europe, with very limited visitor tee times.
Pico de la Concha
Marbella's shell shaped peak, a serious ridge hike from Juanar with views to Gibraltar and Morocco.
Guadalmina Canyon
Guided canyoning near Benahavís with swims, slides and optional jumps, so families rate it highly.
Caminito del Rey
A walkway pinned to the Gaitanes gorge walls, about an hour from Marbella. Timed tickets, no walk ups.
Puente Nuevo
Ronda's great bridge over the El Tajo gorge, the essential inland day trip from Marbella.
Best hotels in Marbella
Puente Romano Marbella
A garden beach resort that is also a dining and tennis hub, and the Golden Mile's social centre.
Marbella Club Hotel
The 1954 original that invented Marbella luxury, calm gardens, a beach club pier and an old money feel.
Nobu Hotel Marbella
Adults focused luxury inside Puente Romano, arranged around the plaza with Nobu downstairs.
La Fonda Heritage Hotel
The Old Town's luxury boutique, in a heritage building with a rooftop over the lanes.
El Fuerte Marbella
A rebuilt five star on the centre promenade, five minutes from Orange Square, with full resort facilities.
Boho Club Marbella
A small design led hotel in gardens at the town end of the Golden Mile, below Puente Romano money.
Amàre Beach Hotel Marbella - Adults Only
An adults only promenade hotel with its own beach club, walkable to the Old Town for dinner.
Hotel Lima - Adults Recommended
A reliable modern four star near Venus beach, the mid range default for a car free stay.
Is Marbella expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €205 a person |
| Splurge | €550 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Bono Beach Marbella: a few days ahead
- Ocean Club Marbella: weeks ahead
- Los Naranjos Golf Club: weeks ahead
- La Quinta Golf & Country Club: a few days ahead
- Cabopino Golf Marbella: a few days ahead
- Real Club Valderrama: months ahead
- Guadalmina Canyon: a few days ahead
- Caminito del Rey: weeks ahead
- July, August and Feria week accommodation sells out months ahead.
- Skina seats about 14, so book weeks ahead. Messina, El Lago, Leña and Nobu also need booking in season.
- Caminito del Rey tickets are timed and regulated, with no sales at the entrance.
- Starlite headline nights, Ocean Club event days and Valderrama tee times all sell out early.
Is Marbella safe?
- Watch bags and drinks around Puerto Banús club streets in the small hours, and use licensed taxis or ride hailing.
- Do not leave valuables visible in cars at beach and trailhead car parks such as Cabopino and Juanar.
- Swim at lifeguarded beaches and respect currents east of Cabopino. Emergency number 112.
Marbella travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Eating a full meal on the Puerto Banús front line, where prices are highest and kitchens ordinary.
- Trusting Marbella in a property name without checking the map pin. The municipality runs 27 km.
- Full meals on Orange Square terraces, which charge for the view. Coffee there, dinner in the lanes.
- Beach club bed prices that exclude further minimum spends on peak days. Agree the group budget at booking.
Getting around Marbella: public transport and more
- Walk the centre, Old Town, Alameda and promenade. Bus, taxi or the catamaran ferry for Puerto Banús.
- No train serves Marbella. The rail line ends at Fuengirola, then bus or taxi.
- Rent a car by the day for Ronda, Caminito del Rey, golf and Cabopino. August parking in the centre and Banús is close to impossible.
Who Marbella suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Marbella your trip
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