Marbella.

Marbella in its current form is the choice destination for the rich and famous but also the ideal place for anyone wanting grab their own slice of what has been described as Spain's answer to St Tropez. Boasting a year round average temperature of 18 degrees and over 320 days of sunshine, Marbella enjoys an enviable microclimate.

Marbella itself is steeped in history from it's beginnings as a Roman settlement in the third century BC, the Romans gave the town it's first name of ‘Salduba'. This name stood until the town was conquered from the kingdom of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs in 1485 who renamed the town Marbilha.

There are many of these ancient ruins to be seen as you take a stroll around the narrow streets of the old town and of course many other wonderful sites spanning its long colourful development into what we can enjoy today. One such site is the unforgettable ‘La Plaza de los Naranjos' or ‘Orange Square', surrounded by the stately buildings of the old government but nowadays home to Shops, Galleries, Bars and Restaurants. The square is a centre of activity night and day and depending on the time of year, the vibrant colours of the blossom, tropical plants and white buildings set against a deep blue sky can be quite breathtaking.

Be sure to explore the maze of narrow streets that make up the town. The blend of homes, shops, bistros and bars give it the atmosphere of a small village rather than the cosmopolitan town that it truly is.

For beach lovers, explorers or indulgers of all things fine, Marbella has something to offer everyone. Walking down from the old town, towards the sea through the intermingled streets bursting with restaurants boasting some of the finest international and local cuisine on offer we come to the fabled ‘Parque de la Alameda'. Dedicated to the artist Salvador Dali, these gardens make an ideal place to sit, relax and read a book or just watch the world go by. The promenade leading down from here to the beach front has copies of Dali's sculptures along its length and is lined with fountains and Palm trees making a pleasant stroll day or night.

Marbella's marina is by no means as glamorous or famous as its younger sister, Puerto Banus, but it's the place to find fresh fish and its live fish market supplies many of the areas restaurants with their daily catch.

The sunny beaches of Marbella stretch along 26 kilometres from Guadalalmina to Cabopino and being bathed by the Mediterranean they offer sun worshipers the chance to choose between the popular beach bar sun beds or the quiet, long stretches of undeveloped golden sands.

Heading west from Marbella, a mere five kilometres from the town centre we arrive at the luxury marina Puerto Banus.

Puerto Banus

Conceived by Spanish businessman Jose Banus back in 1970 with the backdrop of the spectacular mountain of ‘la Concha', the port has steadily grown to be the place to be seen by the pampered few. For the rest of us it is the place to go and marvel at the fabulous luxury yachts while sipping a drink at one of the dozens of open air restaurants and bars.

Puerto Banus boasts a large commercial selection featuring a Casino, Cinema, Shopping Mall, a Corte Ingles department store and countless designer boutiques and galleries.

Nightlife in Puerto Banus positively buzzes with a huge choice of places to eat, drink and dance right through until dawn. For the diehard shoppers out there, you will be pleased to know that many shops here stay open well into the night.

This vibrant resort, built around a marina, has grown into a truly world renowned celebration of all things luxurious with something to offer everyone whether visiting for a day or staying for a week, indulging yourself or simply spectating, it's a sight that must be seen.

Sited directly behind Puerto Banus across the N340 road is the residential area of Nueva Andalucia.