27 Jun Marbella – most famous on the entire Costa del Sol

Posted at 15:13h in Costa del Sol by

Marbella is by far the most famous city on the Costa del Sol, yes, maybe in all of Spain! It is located at the foot of the mountain La Concha (1,215 meters above sea level) which forms a spectacular backdrop to the city.

Marbella borders the municipalities of Istán and Ojén to the north, Benahavis to the northwest, Estepona to the west, Mijas to the northeast and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The municipality of Marbella stretches from Cabopino in the east to San Pedro de Alcántara in the west. Elviria, El Rosario, Las Chapas and Nueva Andalucía are some of the most important areas of the municipality.

Among other things, the city is known for being the meeting place for the rich and famous. Over the years, Marbella has attracted famous people from all over the world. Heads of state, First Lady Michelle Obama, artists, actors such as Sean Connery, politicians etcetera have been seen in Marbella over the years. The famous marina of Puerto Banús also belongs to Marbella and has attracted an affluent crowd led by the Saudi royal family. Marbella is also a center for golf enthusiasts, with its 16 golf courses it is the mecca of golf on the Costa del Sol.

But Marbella is much more than just golf. Here is the fantastic old town with its winding alleys, small shops and squares with restaurants. The fine promenade also contributes greatly to Marbella’s popularity. If you need to shop, you will find the El Corte Inglés department store in Puerto Banús and the large La Cañada shopping center just outside Marbella.

Second largest city on the coast

Marbella is the second largest city on the coast after Málaga and the eighth largest in Andalusia. With its 138,670 inhabitants, it is comparable in size to, for example, Uppsala, Sweden’s fourth largest city. Marbella is 114 square kilometers in size and has a coastline of 27.9 kilometers. We also see Marbella’s increasing popularity in the population increase in recent years. In 2000, the city had 98,823 inhabitants, which means an increase to today of 40 percent in just 17 years. But like many of the other cities along the Costa del Sol, Marbella was from the beginning a small village with fishing and agriculture as the only sources of income. In the 1940s, only 900 people lived in Marbella.

The background to Marbella's celebrity status

After World War II, things started to happen in Marbella. It started with the Marquis of Invanrey, Ricardo Soriano, buying a mansion between Marbella and San Pedro called El Rodeo in 1943. The Marquis moved to Marbella and began inviting his rich and famous friends to his luxurious home. Ricardo Soriano’s nephew, Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, was a descendant of a high-ranking aristocratic family, and in 1947 the prince bought the Finca Santa Margarita estate for 150,000 pesetas (900 euros). In 1953 it was rebuilt into a hotel with 16 rooms and in 1954 he opened the new creation, which was named the Marbella Club. The hotel soon became an international watering hole for movie stars, business leaders and the nobility. With this, Marbella turned into a place for the international jet set. Prince Alfonso’s kinship with many royal families in Europe made the hotel quickly popular with vacationing members of Europe’s social elite for its relaxing and understated luxury.

Old town in Marbella

The old town (Casco Antiguo) of Marbella includes the old city wall and the two historic suburbs, Barrio Alto, which extends to the north, and Barrio Nuevo, which lies to the east. The ancient walled city retains almost the same layout as in the 17th century. Here, the Orange Square (Plaza de los Naranjos) in the heart of the old town is a good example of Castilian Renaissance design. Surrounding the square are two famous buildings: the Town Hall, which was built in 1568 in the Renaissance style by the Catholic Monarchs, and the Church of Santiago, the oldest religious building in the city, believed to date from the 16th century. The small, narrow streets are extremely charming and have many small, cozy shops to visit.

The Golden Mile – between Marbella and Puerto Banús

Why is it called the Golden Mile? There may be several explanations. First of all, it is not one mile but four. The 6.4 kilometer long stretch between Marbella town and Puerto Banús has golden sandy beaches, golden sunshine and real estate worth a lot of gold. The Golden Mile is a concentration of luxury, extravagance and opulence, a hangout for the rich and famous. Many celebrities and royalty have met here and that includes Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd (now deceased), who built his summer residence in the middle of The Golden Mile. The property is a replica of the White House and has a mosque right next to it.

Puerto Banús

The harbor with its over 100 berths, bars, nightclubs and fine restaurants as well as shops, with famous brands such as Versace, Dolce Gabbana, Dior and Louis Vuitton, is Marbella’s stronghold for flair and luxury. Puerto Banús is also home to Spain’s largest El Corte Inglés. Puerto Banús is visited by roughly 4,000,000 people every year. The architect José Banús and his family began in 1966, together with Prince Alfonso, to develop the Puerto Banús project. It went faster than normal because the Banús family had very good personal relations with General Franco. The facility opened on a grand scale in 1970 in the presence of a host of famous personalities and celebrities. There was Franco’s designated successor Juan Carlos, Prince Rainier of Monaco and his wife Grace Kelly, the Aga Khan IV, Julio Iglesias and many, many, more.

Nueva Andalucía or “Valley of Golf”

Nueva Andalucía is located just west of Marbella inland from the marina in Puerto Banús. The bullring below the Centro Plaza marks the entrance to Nueva Andalucía, where villas and apartments are based on traditional Andalusian architecture and design. Nueva Andalucía is one of the most popular parts of the municipality of Marbella and – together with Fuengirola – the area along the Costa del Sol where most Swedes have settled and bought their homes. One of the many reasons for the popularity is of course the many golf courses. The area also often goes by the name “golf valley” where some of the most prestigious courses are located: Aloha, Las Brisas, La Quinta and Los Naranjos.

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