Marbella has been a dream of mine for a good few years. At the end of last year I even created a Pinterest board for the future, where I’ve pinned all the beautiful white- washed streets, charming cafes and chic boutiques. I had a plan to visit this city but had no idea the opportunity will come so quick! When Klaudia from Carmelatte asked me to join her on the trip to Marbella I literally couldn’t believe it! Felt like it was meant to be! I booked my tickets straight away and counted the days down like crazy, haha!
Where is Marbella?
Marbella is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Blanca, on the Costa del Sol, in the province of Malaga.
How to get to Marbella?
The closest airport is Malaga airport. Gibraltar International airport is also another option. At Malaga airport, we’ve rented a car from Goldcar. Marbella was around 40 mins drive. What a drive that was though! The mountains views on our way were absolutely gorgeous.
First glance at Marbella
I fallen in love with Marbella at first sight. It felt like a mix of places I absolutely adore- my beloved Mykonos with all its charming white streets, my dream LA (all the roads where full of palms on each side. Also all the incredible mountains views, wow!) tropical Bali with all its lush gardens and banana plants everywhere, vibrant Morocco with all colourful buildings and tiles. Ah, what else I could ask for from one place? Marbella has this incredible cosmopolitan atmosphere. I’ve also had a chance to stroll around few neighbourhoods and it felt like walking around Beverly Hills. Absolutely stunning! I am not going to lie I felt like I could live there!
Where I stayed
During my little break in Marbella I had a chance to stay at Marbella Club Hotel. From the moment I walked in, I fallen in love. This place is so elegant, luxurious and charming surrounded by lush gardens and with stunning views over the sea. Marbella Club Hotel offers different accommodation types : rooms, suites, grand suites, villas and grand villas. There were two villas that absolutely stolen my heart.
Let me show you around Casabel– my love at first sight. I loved the beautiful pool, rattan outdoor furnitures, bohemian feel and its most perfect patio, decorated with hand-painted ceramic murals. Also the villa has a beautiful, private garden lined up with lemon, orange, avocado and olive trees. Ohhh, could I please move in?
Another villa I absolutely fallen in love with was Bel Air with a huge private Balinese style pool and absolutely insane boho decor. This villa looked like taken from my Pinterest board! Take a peek!
Restaurants
There’s plenty of restaurant choices at Marbella Club Hotel. I personally enjoyed dining at Beach Club the most- as it doesn’t get better than delicious meal in the sunshine with the Seaview, right? I also loved The Grill. Such a romantic scenery for the evening and plenty of sea food options so I was in heaven. There’s also a beautiful cafe located right by the beach that was my favourite spot. Perfect place to relax and have a cup of tea with a view.
What to do in Marbella?
Marbella has so much to offer- from beautiful beaches, mountains, golf courses, lush gardens, charming restaurants, cafes, chic boutiques. Here’s my top recommendations.
Visit Marbella Old Town
I could be strolling these beautiful, white-washed streets for hours. It’s so nice to actually get lost and admire the beauty of them. What I loved the most were the cute, colourful flower pots on every single corner- it’s a very characteristic thing in this region. There’s lots of stylish restaurants and beautiful shops- real paradise for flamingos life myself! I treated myself to another bohemian style bag, yay!
Shop at Puerto Banus
For shopping lovers- you can’t skip the visit to Puerto Banus- luxury marina and shopping complex. This is where you can shop at the luxury fashion boutiques : Gucci, Dolce Gabbana, Prada or sip a cocktail at the fancy bar or beach club watching the super rich on their luxury yachts and the Ferraris passing by. Insane!
Watch sunset at Belvue Rooftop Bar
If you’re looking for a chilled spot for a cocktail or a glass of a lovely Spanish wine or Sangria and watch sunset over the city Belvue is a perfect choice. They also had the live music playing the night we went and it was so lovely! May I add that for two glasses of local red wine we’ve paid only 9 euro? Wow! And you get this view!
Have a lunch at Organic Market & Food
We discovered this place while searching for a healthy lunch spot. Organic Market & Food was a perfect choice! We actually went there twice as we loved it- once for late lunch and once for cakes. It’s such a beautiful place and the staff working there was super friendly! Not even mentioning my favourite boho decor and such a great food choices- healthy salads, veggies, juices, smoothies etc. They also do a takeaway, so if you’re heading to the beach and would like to take some healthy food with you, look no further. Just a little tip here- if you’re looking to come for lunch and would love to sit outside, it’s better to book a table as they get quite busy and there’s only few tables outdoors.
Chill at the Beach Clubs
In Marbella you can find so many stylish beach clubs with great food and music for either a chilled afternoon on the sun-bed or a crazy night out. If you love beach clubs write these names down : Nikki Beach Club, Ocean Club, Amare Beach, La Sala by the Sea, Funky Buddha Beach, Puro Beach and Max Beach.
Tours around
There’s also lots of places around Marbella that are worth visiting. As we’ve only been there for 4 days we haven’t managed to do that, but that means I have to come back soon!) From Marbella you can go for a day trip to either Gibraltar, Malaga, Mijas Pueblo, Serrania De Ronda or even Tangier in Morocco!
What to pack?
Post in collaboration with Marbella Club Hotel