Marbella area guide: sophisticated and stylish
Whether it's scenes from a sun-soaked gangster flick, a warts 'n' all exposé of the moneyed ladies that call the town home, or an 'EXCLUSIVE' – and obviously staged – topless beach shot of the latest flavour of the month Z-list celebrity as she frolics in the surf with her synthetically-augmented pal plastered across two pages of Saturday's Daily Star, Marbella's name certainly packs some punch when it comes to impressing the Brits.
The town has become a byword for playboys, Essex girls, wideboys and even wider vehicles; a place where money doesn't just talk, it shouts; and a destination for thousands of hen and stag parties to descend upon all year round in pursuit of memorable and ostensibly 'classier' celebrations than those found in Magaluf or Faliraki. Yet, at the same time, Marbella remains a place that draws admiring glances from other resorts; a town that can be both hedonistic and decadent at once, an exclusive place for the rich and famous that also affords the Average Joe his chance to hob-nob with the elite in a way that just couldn't happen in Monte Carlo or St. Tropez.
Marbella is fresh yet classy, laid-back yet open-all-hours, and easily accessible yet a world away from the dreary grey of home. Marbella is an enigma. Marbella is Spain's centrepiece destination. At least, this is what we have been led to believe...
One of the most glorious ways to experience Marbella is to take an early morning or late evening stroll along its delightful Paseo Marítimo – a sweeping stretch that takes in the entire length of the main town area, where palm trees guard beautiful terracotta villas, lavish hotels elegantly creep towards the beach and only impose in the most discreet manner, people of all ages stroll, run, skate, cycle and chatter their way along as charming cafes, traditional tapas bars and chilled-out chiringuitos serve all manner of delights for the hungry and the thirsty.
This is Marbella at its best. Forget the international reputation for glitz and glamour – for now at least – and enjoy the town as it was meant to be enjoyed. The warm sunshine acts as both orchestrator and timekeeper, beckoning children into the water, dictating restaurant's opening hours and al fresco settings, and generally deciding on the mood of the inhabitants. Invariably, the mood is one of contented relaxation, particularly on the beach or in the cool of the Alameda Park.
There are shops, bars and clubs aplenty, sure, but Marbella was and still is a very Spanish town, albeit one with a tangible and complementary international edge. Locals, expats and tourists co-exist alongside one another in the most harmonious way, with seemingly nowhere off limits for anybody, and a warm welcome awaiting all.
This is simple. Between the months of June and September, Marbella in the daytime can be split into two distinct entities – the beach and the Old Town. The in-between areas – while pleasant – offer few opportunities to shade from the sun and cool off. Sure, the serene and sophisticated stores and boutiques that line the main commercial thoroughfare that is Ricardo Soriano provide welcome, air-conditioned relief from the heat, but you can't stay in there all day, for two reasons: siesta hours are strictly observed in Marbella, so between the hours of 14.00-17.00, pretty much all shops close. Even at the height of the tourist season. 'What about profit and convenience?' you might think. 'What about lunch and sleep?' is what the local Spaniards will retort.
The second reason you couldn't spend all your time in these stores is a financial one. Marbella is not a cheap place to visit, and certainly not a cheap place to shop in. Aside from the main Zara store and a Pull and Bear (Spain's 'hippest' urban outfitter and fashion bellweather for approximately 80% of all Spaniards under 25), Marbella's stores are seemingly all designer, bespoke, and beautifully out of most people's price range.
Thankfully, the same cannot be said for Marbella's numerous bars, cafes and restaurants. There are plenty dotted along the promenade, ranging from classy seafood joints to cheap and cheerful expat bars and your more traditional tapas places. All are invariably well-priced and deliver fantastically fresh food for all the family. Alternatively, the Old Town's tight narrow streets harbour a fair smattering of delightful establishments just waiting to be discovered. While you'll likely pay more here, the setting makes it worthwhile...if you can find a table in the shade, that is. It is here, too, that much of Marbella's splendid feria takes place each June. Mixing together locals and tourists, the feria is well-lubricated with copious amounts of fresh sangria, cool beer, traditional song and dance and a kaleidoscope of colour, where everybody strolls around with a grin or a smile plastered permanently on their face.
Out of season, Marbella during the day is still a fantastically vibrant and enduring place. In the week, it's very much a case of 'business as usual', as Spaniards go to work and the streets are filled with smartly dressed gentleman (business uniform for a Spanish hombre seems to be crisply-ironed slacks, leather loafers and smart, vibrantly-coloured knitwear) and dressed-to-kill women, interspersed with your typical helping of skater teens, moped-riding youngsters and, even in December, beachwear-clad holidaymakers looking a bit lost and/or cold.
With – amongst many others - a bullring, a football stadium, a cinema complex, a BBQ park and a huge shopping mall on the outskirts of town, Marbella has it all. A little more living space for the town's inhabitants would be a welcome addition, but such additions would run the risk of altering the very soul of what makes Marbella so special.
'Right, here we go! Time for the good stuff!' you might be thinking. Well, hold your horses. Marbella's reputation as the hedonistic home of all-night partying and the epicentre of boozed-up Brits abroad is something of a misnomer – for that, you have to travel the 3kms west to Puerto Banús (yes, while it's still Marbella, it's not Marbella Marbella). For Spaniards especially, Marbella represents everything they want in a night out, which is something that is likely to tally nicely with the majority of holidaymakers and expats.
A typical night out in Marbella is most likely to constitute the following: an affordable sit-down meal that begins at 10pm and is accompanied with wine and beer, followed by a few pints at the nearest Irish bar before moving on to a dance club in the Old Town that stays open until 7am. No Sky One cameras recording the fallout, no police presence and no vomiting in the street, just a memorable evening surrounded 80% by Spaniards out to have a good time, a good dance and a couple of San Miguels.
For something more serene, the Alameda Park has the occasional open-air concert, while the sports stadium hosts a number of music, dance, theatre and sports events throughout the year – delivering the perfect opportunity to soak up some traditional Spanish culture.