For Mediterranean charm, Marbella holds its own with the French Riviera and has all the best things to do in Marbella. It also satisfies all the travellers want from a luxury beach destination. There are Michelin-starred restaurants, marinas filled with high-end boats, golf courses, designer boutiques and a long chain of sandy beaches. People also admire that celebrities and millionaires have been coming here for decades. For interested people, there are lots of little discoveries to be made around the resort. It can be the Renaissance palaces in the old town or the remains of Roman villas hidden between the luxury developments. Let us discuss the best things to do in Marbella, Spain below.
Top 10 Things to Do in Marbella
Marbella has a big Spanish population, a charming old town, lots of cultures, fantastic cuisine and wonderful year-round weather. Furthermore, let us explore the best things to do in Marbella:
- Old Town
- Alameda Park
- Resort Beaches
- Avenida del Mar
- Puerto Banús
- Iglesia de la Encarnación
- Museum of Spanish Contemporary Engraving
- Golf
- Water sports activities
- Beaches for day-trips
1. Old Town
The oldest part of Marbella is a real gem. It is a maze of pedestrian streets that are designed with red tiles and crazy pavement. The buildings are all whitewashed and topped with terracotta rooftops. Also, many buildings date back to the renaissance. Some are wrapped in bougainvillaea. People can see the whole old town bright with flowers. The old quarter is also kept clean to the point where the floorings shine in the sun. Also, one of the main reasons, you will find this to be the best things to do in Marbella.
2. Alameda Park
Just a few steps south of the old town you will find a park that gives you a feel like a private garden. Below a thick canopy of tropical foliage, visitors can find marble-paved walkways, fountains and benches. Here, people can hide from the sun in the afternoon or sip a cup of coffee in the morning. Many of the benches are covered with “azulejos”. These are classic Andalusian hand-painted tiles that show the city’s monuments and history.
3. Resort beaches
There are around 20 soaring tides along the front of Marbella. Most of them are filled with sand that has a darkish tint, and all are served with facilities like beach bars. Lifeguards are on duty at nearly all of them during the peak season. You should also definitely pay a visit to El Faro. El Faro at 200 metres has been awarded the Blue Flag in 2016 and has an arc of sand washed by knee-high waters, great for children to splash around water to their heart’s content. This is one of the best things to do in Marbella with your family.
4. Avenida del Mar
This impressive walkway stretches from the Alameda Park to Playa de la Venus next to Marbella’s marina. People can witness this broad pedestrian avenue with palm trees, meticulously-trimmed hedges and several pieces of great public art. Shops and bars fill the walkway. If you are visiting Marbella by car then you can find a handy car park underneath this esplanade, with convenient access to Marbella’s old town and beaches.
5. Puerto Banús
A few kilometres east of old Marbella is the most ornate part of the resort. If Marbella draws similarities with the French Riviera, this place has got everything. Right from boutiques, super yachts and luxury sports cars that meet your gaze everywhere, you look in Puerto Banús. The area deserves some of your time just to see the displays of wealth. You should also check out the large Rhinoceros sculpture, by Salvador Dalí, which weighs 3.6 tonnes.
6. Iglesia de la Encarnación
Marbella’s foremost historic landmark is a great renaissance and baroque church completed in the mid-18th century. This former mosque was blessed straight away and became a Christian place of worship centuries before work was completed. So some of the building’s design has simply been adapted for Christian use.
7. Museum of Spanish Contemporary Engraving
Hidden down a lane in the oldest part of Marbella, you will find the only museum devoted to engraving in Spain. The venue should definitely be part of your experience. A 16th-century Moorish-style palace constructed for the naval commander Alonso de Bazán, which he gave to the city as a hospital for the poor. The collection holds some 4,000 illustrations, etchings, aquatints, xylographs, lithographs and other pieces of graphic design by some of Spain’s most renowned artists.
8. Golf
Marbella has plenty of golf courses especially for the wealthy. There are almost 32 within half an hour of the resort, including very posh, invitation-only clubs, plush resorts with eye-watering green fees and also a more affordable no-frills option that will suit novices and rusty players. If you are amateur to the sport then visit Monte Paraiso.
9. Water sports activities
At Marbella’s seafront, the Mediterranean has all kinds of ways to get out there. If you are a thrill-seeker you have got a couple of companies based around the sea providing jet-skis, parasailing, wake-boarding and white-knuckle powerboat rides. Few travellers do not like the idea of rough water sports activities then you could always charter a luxury yacht to experience the lifestyle of Marbella’s ultra-wealthy.
10. Beaches for day-trips
The Costa del Sol is filled with Blue Flag beaches, and you will only be scratching the surface in Marbella. Perhaps you will want a change of scenery, or to find a less touristy place by the sea. Do not worry, you will never have to go far. Just go past the western edge of the Marbella municipality, you can visit Estepona where you will find a beach called El Padrón. The place also has great cafes, restaurants, the Puro Beach Club and a large shopping precinct close by.
Hopefully, this list of best things to do in Marbella will help you to arrange a trip to Spain in the coming months. So, book your Spain tour package with Pickyourtrail and have a great time with your loved ones. Also, check out our guides page or leave a Whatsapp inquiry for more options!