Where to stay in Marbella

Marbella is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the region; it is also the head of the judicial district that bears its name.

The beaches with its fine sand and the Mediterranean with its clean water are the main attractions of Marbella. A variety of activities, both on land and sea are available, as is shopping, eating and nightlife. The city itself has a long history, being settled by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC. Later on came the Romans and Moors, who have left traces in the city. The Moors called the city Marbil-la, probably derived from an earlier Iberian name. Much of the current old town dates from the 15th and 16th centuries, when Marbella had once again become part of Spain.

One of the major tourist centres on Costa del Sol, in and around Marbella you have plenty of accommodation to choose among, from simple hostels to luxurious resorts.

Getting in

Malaga Airport (AGP), 45 km to the east, is the nearest major airport. It's the major airport of Costa del Sol and serviced by most European regular, budget and charter carriers. From there, your options are bus (one way €6.19 as of May 2024), taxi or rental car. If you're coming from the UK you can fly in to Gibraltar, although this entails a 1½-hour drive. The main coast road (N340, now known as the A7) connects the major towns along the whole southern coast and Marbella is approx 30 minutes drive along the N340 from the provincial capital, Malaga.

Getting around

The centre is fairly compact and you can get around by foot fairly easily if you are moderately fit, just remember to drink water regularly if visiting in the summer when daytime temperatures above +30 °C are the rule rather than the exception. Also sidewalks are often very narrow. The city operates a network of seven local bus lines. Here is information concerning routes, schedules and fares. The Spanish version of the site has an additional route map for each line using Google Maps. Single tickets cost €1.18 when purchased from the driver.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.