We go to Marbella quite often – at least a couple of times a year, and we’ve found some pretty lovely places to eat and drink and hang out there. Only 2.5 hours from Gatwick, it’s the perfect weekend destination if you want to get some good food and some sunshine. We keep mostly away from the very touristy times of year and any really touristy hang-outs, and we’ve got to know some great places to go.
Malaga to Marbella
We used to hire a car, but realised that it spent most of its time parked up in the hotel car park, so since last year we now always get the bus from the airport straight to the bus terminal at Marbella. A bargain at around €6 each way (a taxi is about €100), the bus departs from right outside the arrivals hall and runs regularly. The ‘directo’ bus uses the toll road, rather than the slower coastal road and takes about 40 minutes. You can either walk into town from the bus station or grab a cab from the rank to where you are staying. Buy your ticket online or at the ticket office in the arrival hall. There’s often a queue, so we found buying it in advance online the best option.
Accommodation
There are tons of hotels, villas and Airbnb places to stay, as you would expect. If you’re looking for reasonable priced without too many frills then the NH Marbella is a good shout. They have a small pool with a bar that’s open in high-season and an excellent buffet breakfast for the price. It’s also a good location, within strolling distance of Central Marbella and a nice longer walk along the beach to Puerto Banús (about 5km). It’s also handy for the beach and local buses along the coast.
Bars
My favourite stretch of beach is Copacabana – and the Trocadero Playa is a great bar for a cocktail at sunset or to while away an afternoon. It’s a bit pricier than other bars, but it has a perfect location so sometimes you have to pay a little extra for that!
My hidden gem is a sports bar called Boca Seca. It’s on the side of the road between the NH Hotel and the Puente Romano hotel and it’s a real locals place. The food is good, cheap and plentiful, they play the MotoGP race on a Sunday and are open late. It gets busy, but it’s worth waiting for a spot outside. The ensalada rusa, jamon croquettas and the pig cheek are all highly recommended!
Food
Wow – where to start? Well, my all time favourite is a Dani Garcia restaurant called Lobito Del Mar. A beautiful Hamptons Coastal inspired decor with a fantastic bar and a fantastic bar menu to go with it. I recommend sitting at the bar, chatting with the excellent bar staff and sampling a range of fishy delights over a long and lingering lunch. The martini’s are huge, and the clams are delicious.
There’s a newly-ish open organic restaurant opposite the Marbella Club Hotel called the Organic Market and Food and it serves amazing fresh ingredients, lots of veggie and vegan dishes, with a fresh modern decor and some outside seating. The food is excellent, but I have always (3 trips) found the service lacking. It’s worth going for the food, but don’t expect the service to be particularly friendly.
If you’re looking for tasty snacks in a busy buzzy environment then LeKune Bar de Pinxos in Marbella is the perfect place. Pinxo‘s are small snacks, usually served on bread with a drink. It gets packed, which all adds to the atmosphere and it’s a great place to pop into to fill up on tasty morsels. It’s quieter at breakfast time and it’s lovely to sit outside with a cafe con leche and a glass of fresh orange and watch the world go by on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
Plus ++
A trip out of Marbella about 30 mins along the coast by bus to Laguna Village has two benefits – firstly the gorgeous Purobeach Beach Club. My idea of a perfect heavenly day is to arrive there at 11 and stay all day, hanging out, listening to great music and drinking cocktails. I’ve never had a bad time there. But a few doors down from PuroBeach is Camuri, where we always go for lunch if we are there. A Mediterranean-Asian fusion restaurant serving fresh quality ingredients. Ask for a table down the side of the restaurant. The service is better there and the view is ace.
There are tons more places to go, this list only scratches the surface, but if you’re looking for more ideas:
- Italian food and people watching in Puerto Banús. Go at lunchtime when it’s not full of partying youngsters. They do a mean escalope milanese (ask for it with spaghetti pomadoro).
- Drinks at the bar by the pool at the Marbella Club Hotel.
- Sunday morning coffee in Plaza de los Naranjos in Marbella. Go to the cathedral and watch the well-dressed locals arrive for mass then get coffee in the square.
- Hire a bike at the Marbella Bike Club and have an early morning cycle.
- Dress up for lunch on the terrace at the Villa Padierna hotel.
- Take a trip out of town, up into the hills of Ronda.
- If you have all-day Sunday then a trip out to The Beach House is worth the journey for good food and daytime entertainment
Basically, 48 hours isn’t long enough, but that’s why we keep going back 🙂
