My favourite type of travelling is to mix things up, a good breakfast with an amazing view, followed by some exploring, shopping and photography opportunities, followed by more drinks and tasty treats, and maybe some relaxing and swimming next to the beach. If you are saying “me too”, then Marbella won’t disappoint. There is such an amazing vibe all along the promenade, and in the Summer it’s extra special.
We parked in the underground parking, Indigo – Avda del Mar. They have a sculpture park above so when you surface via the stairwell, you open out onto this amazing garden, filled with sculptures. I would add that these spaces full up quickly in the Summer so parking can become difficult if you are not early. If you head onto the promenade, we went East and had a delicious breakfast at Calma by Kopparberg. After brekkie we enjoyed a walk along the promenade and eventually turned back towards Old Town. Once you have walked up through the sculpture park where you started the day, you cross the road into what feels like a bit of a jungle. This is an amazing green space with water features and tall cascading trees and plants. It gave me a strong feeling of calm and tranquillity walking through here.
Exploring Old Town was like getting lost in a maze. If there is no rush, just take your time and enjoy the experience. There are many boutique stores, handmade crafts, ceramics, cafes, bakeries, a beautiful church, the Town Hall and square and many flower filled balconies in between. A photographers paradise.
The many beaches do get busy after lunch as many people settle in for the day to enjoy the seaside, swim and many water sports on offer. We were there when there was a group of teenagers learning to sail and were heading out from the nearby harbour. There are so many activities happening all around that you can while away the time people watching for hours, while enjoying the sun, a good book and many refreshments on offer from nearby vendors. The one draw back is the public toilets available, however if you plan to support one of the local bars or restaurants then you don’t need to worry.
An ideal stay is 2 to 3 days to fully explore and enjoy the nearby attractions, but by extending your stay you can also include day trips to Ronda, Gibraltar or hiking in the nearby mountains. We were staying nearby so we did a day here and we loved it. The unfortunate part of visiting for the day during the busy summer is the traffic, so be patient if this happens to be you.