Marbella

Marbella represents the refined side of Spain's southern coast. Framed by the Sierra Blanca mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, it combines elegant residential neighbourhoods, championship golf, Puerto Banus and a relaxed rhythm that defines sophisticated coastal living.

Marbella lies on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga, about forty-five minutes from the city’s airport. The Sierra Blanca, crowned by La Concha, rises directly behind the town and shelters it from the north. The old quarter keeps its whitewashed lanes, orange trees and the Plaza de los Naranjos, laid out in the fifteenth century after the Christian conquest.

Modern Marbella began in 1954, when Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe turned a family property into the Marbella Club. The Golden Mile followed along the coast to the west, then Puerto Banús in 1970, a marina of yachts and boutiques. Inland, Nueva Andalucía and Benahavís hold the cluster of courses known as Golf Valley.

Marbella is a year-round destination. July and August are hot and sociable, with the beach clubs, the Starlite concerts in a former quarry above the town and the marina at its busiest. June, with the Feria de San Bernabé honouring the town’s patron saint, and September offer warm sea with fewer crowds.

Spring and autumn are the seasons for golf, walking in the Sierra Blanca and day trips to Ronda, Granada or Seville. Winter is mild and often sunny, with daytime temperatures in the mid-teens — one of the gentlest climates in mainland Europe. Holy Week brings processions through the old town.

Two historic resorts face each other on the Golden Mile: Marbella Club Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, the founding address of the town’s social life, and Puente Romano Beach Resort, laid out as an Andalusian village around tropical gardens and a Roman bridge. In the hills of Benahavís, Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort is styled as a Tuscan villa above its golf courses.

LVXVRY books Villa Padierna through Anantara Journeys — at the official hotel rate, with the privileges the programme attaches to the stay. For Marbella Club and Puente Romano, LVXVRY advises on rooms and villas and arranges the stay directly with the resort. Villas with private pools are limited and are best requested early for summer and Easter.