Guide to the area
Our own recommendations: golf and padel, restaurants, culture, day trips, markets and things to do for the whole family.
Driving times are approximate and measured from the villa. Please check opening hours before you go, and book tickets where needed.
Golf
More than 10 golf courses within a 30-minute drive – the closest is 5 minutes from the house.
La Cala has 3 eighteen-hole courses and a par 3 course
Being redeveloped as Higuerón Marbella Golf Resort
Padel
Padel is Spain's big sport. Here are the nearest places with courts.
Floodlit for evening play
Restaurants
From La Mairena and down along the coast. It is a good idea to book a table, especially in summer.
Popular spot in La Mairena with a terrace and great views. Known for curry, salmon and ribs. Book ahead.
Bar and restaurant by the El Soto golf course. Open to everyone, with live music during the year.
Fine dining by a lake in Elviria Hills using Andalusian produce. Has held a Michelin star.
Restaurant in tropical gardens at the Don Carlos Resort.
Famous all-white beach club with music and an international crowd.
Beachfront restaurant with Mediterranean food and sea views.
Classic beach restaurant with fish and seafood.
Highly rated restaurant with international cuisine.
Stylish beach club on Las Chapas beach with Asian-Mediterranean food.
Beach restaurant and lounge with sunbeds and music.
Relaxed beach bar with espetos (grilled sardines) and a good wine list.
Restaurant right on the sand with seafood and sea views.
Andalusian food in Ojén with generous portions. Known for its fish stew.
Hilltop restaurant in Ojén with valley views.
Cosy mountain restaurant with homely Andalusian food. A scenic drive up into the hills.
Culture
Most of these places are free to enter.
The village church from the 1400s with a fine Mudéjar wooden ceiling from the 1500–1600s.
18th-century water mill with original olive oil machinery. Upstairs: museum of Ojén's famous aguardiente brandy.
Marbella's white old town with Plaza de los Naranjos, narrow streets and the Iglesia de la Encarnación.
Always openSpain's first museum of printmaking, about 2,000 works incl. Picasso, Miró and Dalí, in a 17th-century hospital. Free.
Mon–Sat 10–20, Sun 10–14Archaeological finds from the area, incl. Roman villas, in a 16th-century building. Free.
Mon–Fri 9–14Historic farmhouse with an olive oil museum and archaeology exhibitions. Free.
Daily 9–20:30One of Europe's key collections of Latin American art, 50 m from the beach. Free.
Tue–Fri 10–17, Sat 10–15 (closed 21 Dec–14 Feb)Roman villa from the 1st–3rd century with unusual black-and-white mosaics. Free.
Fri–Sun 10:30–13:30Mountain village with churches, the Virgen de la Peña chapel, an oval bullring from 1900 and a miniature museum.
12th-century Moorish castle on the coast with great views. Free.
Tue–Fri 10–14, weekends 10–18Day trips
Longer trips to towns and sights in Andalusia.
The Picasso Museum, the cathedral, the Alcazaba fortress and good shopping.
The clifftop town with the famous Puente Nuevo bridge over the gorge.
Walkway along the cliff high above a gorge. Book tickets in advance.
The Rock with its monkeys, views to Africa and a British feel. Bring your passport.
Charming coastal town with the Balcón de Europa viewpoint and huge caves.
The Moorish Alhambra palace. Book tickets well ahead.
For children
Modern zoo with rainforest animals in natural settings.
Aquarium by the marina with sharks and turtles.
Nature and walking
Tennis academy in La Mairena with clay and hard courts, open to everyone.
Starting point for walks in the pine forest, e.g. up to the Mirador del Macho Montés viewpoint.
National park with mountains, forests and white villages. Many marked trails.
Marbella's own mountain. A hard hike with fantastic views. Start early in summer.
Small mountain village by a lake with walks along the Río Verde river.
Markets
Weekly markets in the area. They are usually closed on public holidays and during the town's feria.
Small local market with fruit, veg, clothes and household goods. The nearest market.
Friday · 9–14Organic vegetables, bread, cheese, olive oil and honey from local producers.
1st and 3rd Saturday of the month · 9–14The town's big weekly market with over 300 stalls: fruit, clothes, shoes, bags and more.
Monday · 9–14One of Andalusia's largest markets with over 450 stalls. Worth a whole morning.
Tuesday · 9–14Large local market with fruit, veg, clothes and shoes.
Thursday · 9–14Second-hand goods, antiques, crafts and a bit of everything. Fun to browse.
Saturday · 9–14Over 300 stalls with antiques, second-hand goods and crafts.
Saturday · 9–14Leather goods, shoes, textiles and crafts. One of the few Sunday markets.
Sunday · 9–14Summer market with jewellery, art and handmade goods by the marina.
Daily in June–August · EveningsFestivals and events
Exact dates change from year to year.
Cabalgata de Reyes: the Three Wise Men parade and throw sweets to the children.
Costumes, music and parades in the streets.
Grand processions with ornate floats. Málaga's are among Spain's most famous.
Pilgrimage with horses and carts up into the mountains to the Juanar cross, close to the house.
Marbella's big week-long fair with rides, music, flamenco and partying at night.
Midsummer on the beach with bonfires, music and partying late into the night.
Small, friendly music festival in Ojén with Spanish bands.
The fishermen's fiesta with a procession to the sea and boats on the water.
Concerts with big international names in an old quarry. Book tickets early.
Local fair in Elviria, the nearest feria to the house.
One of Andalusia's biggest fiestas: dancing and music in the streets by day and at the fairground by night.
The village fiesta for its patron saint San Dionisio, with music, dancing and stalls for five days.
The last big feria of the season on the coast.
Families gather in the countryside to roast chestnuts over a fire.
Christmas lights, markets and atmosphere in Marbella's old town and on Calle Larios in Málaga.
Plan your stay
Check available dates in the calendar, or send us an enquiry – we usually reply within a few hours.
