MARBELLA stands in considerable contrast, after another sequence of apartment-villa urbanizaciones , to most of what's come before. It is undisputedly the "quality resort" of the Costa del Sol, where restaurants and bars are more stylish and everything costs considerably more. It has the highest per capita income in Europe and more Rolls Royces than any European city apart from London (although many of the classy cars here are rumoured to have been stolen elsewhere and re-registered in Spain). Recently the Spanish government and local police have been exercised by the arrival in Marbella of Russian and Italian mafia bosses who have been buying up property and using Marbella as a base to control their criminal empires, while in an ironic twist of history, there's been a massive return of Arabs to the area, especially since King Fahd of Saudi Arabia built a White House lookalike, complete with adjacent mosque, on the town's outskirts.

Marbella also retains the greater part of its old town - set back a little from the sea and the new development. Centred on the Plaza de los Naranjos and still partially walled, the old town is hidden from the main road and easy to miss. Slowly, this original quarter is being bought up and turned into "quaint" clothes boutiques and restaurants, but this process isn't that far advanced. You can still sit in an ordinary bar in a small old square and look up beyond the whitewashed alleyways to the mountains of Ronda.

The truly rich don't stay in Marbella itself. They secrete themselves away in villas in the surrounding hills or lie around on phenomenally large and luxurious yachts at the marina and casino complex of Puerto Banús , 6km out of town towards San Pedro. If you're impoverished, this fact is worth noting as it's sometimes possible to find work scrubbing and repairing said yachts - and the pay can be very reasonable. As you'd expect, Puerto Banús has more than its complement of cocktail bars and seafood restaurants, most of them very pricey.

You dont have to be part of the jet set to enjoy staying in Marbella. It offers accommodation to suit all pockets from luxurious to great value smaller hotels and hostels. Some of the best rated hotels include:

For pure luxury try the Guadalpin Puerto Banus This hotel has direct beach access and is a 15-minute walk from the centre of Puerto Banus. It offers free Wi-Fi internet and large rooms with a plasma TV.There is a beach club and a sunbathing terrace surrounding the large outdoor swimming pool. For children there is a kid's club. You can also enjoy a free sauna. And the Vasari Resort which offers luxury apartments, all with a private terrace and a hydromassage bath. The marina and beaches of Puerto Banus are just 1 km away. A beautiful 4 start establishment is the Fuerte Miramar which overlooks the beach in central Marbella, 7km from Puerto Banús. It has a spa and free use of the fitness facilities at the Club Fuerte Sport, 300 metres away.

For more modest budgets but still great value must include the 3 star Marbella Inn a comfortable hotel ideally situated in the heart of Marbella, close to the charming old town and tourist attractions. And the 2 Star Hotel Don Alfredo Situated in the heart of Marbella’s charming old town, the hotel is just a 5 to 10 minute walk away from the beach. The comfortable hotel is ideally located in a quiet corner of the historical Marbella, right by the Moorish castle walls.

If you are looking for Property or Holiday rentals in the Marbella area you might like to visit the DDGWorld website, a local company offering a good selection of holiday homes to suit all pockets.

Other Web sites of Interest

http://www.marbellavillaforrent.com Rent a boutique villa for your perfect holiday.


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