Marbella is an important beach resort of the Costa del Sol. The town is famous for being a favourite destination for wealthy tourists from Northern Europe. The area around Marbella is particularly popular with those who like Golf.

It is easy to reach other places, like Malaga and Algeciras, by bus. The area is also served by the A7 autovia, and the closest airport is at Malaga.

History of Marbella

Archaeological excavations have been made in the mountains around Marbella, which point at human habitation in Paleolithic and Neolithic times. There are also remains of Phoenician and later Carthaginensian settlements in the area of Rio Real. In Roman times, the city was called Salduba

During Islamic rule, Muslims built a castle in this city, and they surrounded it by walls. The name Marbella, which is derived from Marbil-la, dates from this Islamic era. In 1485, the Spaniards reconquered the city, and during the centuries that followed, the city grew.

Marbella was featured in the popular political thriller, "Syriana". Marbella was where an Arabian Emir hosted a private party, in which Marbella was portrayed to be extremely affluent with most cars at the entrance of the palace being very expensive.

Many other movies & TV programmes such as Nip/Tuck portray it as a playground for the rich.