Marbella is world renowned for its endless hours of sunshine, its beaches, its exclusivity and luxury. All these and more help create Marbellas tourism and leisure image basing itself on coastal relaxation, restaurants, nightclubs, boutiques, etc… Marbella is not only known for its summer hedonistic tourism, but offers a range of alternative activities that many European capitals cannot offer in the summer. The combination of sea, mountain and an unbeatable climate is ideal for outdoor sports activities. In addition, its location with many small artistic or bohemian areas of the town makes every visit to Marbella a new adventure. Marbella Unique Properties is pleased to show you some of the most wonderful activities and places of interest that the city offers, so pay attention!
Firstly, one of the areas that should be visited in Marbella and sometimes is forgotten is the old part of the town with its traditional roots. Due to its present ranking as a cosmopolitan city and luxury capital, its small Andalusian finishing town roots can go unnoticed. Just behind the main avenue of Ricardo Soriano there lies a classical Andalusian village full of winding cobbled streets, orange trees, squares and fountains. The winding streets are made up of typical white washed houses, all stuck together at the foot of a medieval wall. The history of Marbella is quite unique as it has been a key point for several empires settlements before becoming what it represents today. In the first half of the 20th century the tourist boom and construction changed the towns’ surroundings, keeping the old town hidden and intact. The city is extremely well balanced by incorporating the traditional Andalusian style with gastronomy including trendy restaurants and bars, shops and boutiques, art and culture and most importantly the National Engraving Museum (Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo).
As an emblem on the Costa del Sol the climate gives us the opportunity to enjoy a multitude of outdoor sports. As previously mentioned, football is one of the most practiced, as well as paddle tennis, tennis, beach volleyball, and golf. The Mediterranean Sea offers far more than fish, the residents and tourists that visit the southern Spanish coast have a variety of water activities available including jet skis, hydro speed, water skiing, surfing, fishing trips etc… Two of the big stars of the area are located only a few kilometres away from the city. Tarifa offers a wonderful balance between man and nature by being one of the European meccas for surf. The pristine beaches with fine white sand and large dunes are perfect for escaping busy modern lifestyles. Tarifa also offers trips for dolphin, whale and killer whale watching during the summer months, a wonderful experience coming in contact with the marine environment and the beautiful species that live amongst it.
The La Concha Mountain is one of Marbellas emblems and as we have mentioned on several occasions is the cause for this unique microclimate that Marbella enjoys year round. In addition to various hiking trails that finish enjoying spectacular views down to the coast, the mountains offer some of the most peculiar activities, eg: one of the most demanded things to do is a Buggy excursion where speed and extreme natural landscapes give that adrenaline rush. One of the most surprising activities that you can find in the Marbella hills is the Marbella Gun and Country Club, an old hunting ground that now is adapted for entertainment with a shorting range for air guns, archery and clay pigeon shooting. Horse riding, quad bike and hiking trails can be enjoyed from this fantastic natural environment that also includes a hostel, restaurant and swimming pool.
Continuing with the natural environment theme that the Costa del Sol boasts, we find a unique wolf park not far from Marbella. The Lobo Park in Antequera is a great feature to the province of Malaga and is a centre for the research and conservation of the Iberian wolf, amongst a few other similar species. For people who love howling under the moonlight, this is a unique experience. You can see these animals and enjoy a guided tour, go to seminars for dog owners, study programs, visit the wolf museum, farm and much more. One of the best times to go is on one specific night named: ‘La Noche de los Aullidos’ (The howling night) on full moon nights.
Art and Culture also is important when visiting Marbella. Along The Golden Mile, we can discover the “Ralli Museum” another of the cities secrets and unusual places of interest. It forms part of a group of museums located in Israel, Chile, Uruguay and Spain that are free to visit. They were created to be able to showcase Latin American and Spanish artists’ works of art. The city also offers several art exhibitions throughout the year, alongside Marbella, the city of Malaga has heavily invested in exhibitions and cultural events becoming a cultural centre in its own right by transforming one of its neighbourhoods into a “Soho” style area, with graffiti on the facades of the buildings in that area, with works of art over 15 meters high by several international graffiti artists. All this along with the long list of museums such as the car museum, The Carmen Thyssem Museum, The Picasso Museum or The Pompidou Centre (the first artistic centre outside France that houses Parisian works of art, a rare and privileged honour for Malaga city), A Collection from the Russian Museum of San Petersburg, The CAC Málaga, La Termica,…
Without a doubt, after reading our blog you will have a better idea of the magnitude of Marbella and can imagine the hours that you can spend discovering new activities and adventures. It may take more than a few days to visit and discover all that Marbella has to offer and you may even consider returning. If so do not hesitate to contact Marbella Unique Properties to be able to make the most of your time on the Costa del Sol.