Marla enjoys dinner and sunset from the terrace of our apartment rental in Marbella. We walked literally non-stop for 3 days touring beautiful Granada so we were ready for some much-needed R & R and beach downtime. Marbella is a jewel on Spain’s Costa del Sol with lovely beaches, international restaurants galore, an enchanting old town, and October weather in the mid-seventies. We traveled from Granada by a car service for the 2-hour drive. It is somewhat expensive but an easy and efficient travel option.

Renting an apartment with VRBO or AIRBNB is a great accommodation option but does require a mix of research and a little luck. I always read the reviews but sometimes they leave off important information. We loved the location of our Marbella apartment. What we didn’t know was that it was…ON TOP OF A NIGHTCLUB AND THE BED WAS TERRIBLE! My advice is to read everything and ask questions before committing.

Fontanilla Beach is our favorite location. We stayed away from the glitz of nearby “Puerto Banus” as fancy cars, luxury boutiques, and mega-yachts, are ubiquitous throughout the Mediterranean.

The video above gives a good overview of where Marbella is located and a look at the town. Marbella is only 55 minutes from Malaga airport, Spain’s 4th largest. There are many side trip options like Gibraltar, ferries to Tangier Morocco, and Ronda.

My morning ritual included stopping by two different bakeries and bringing back cappuccinos.

“Ah,…beach time!” The sea was warm even in early October.

Marbella has many beachside restaurants.

We walked through “Parque de la Constitucion” on our way to explore Marbella’s Old Town.

“Parc de la Alameda” is beautiful and has many exotic trees and flowers.

Marbella’s Old Town is full of narrow lanes, shops and restaurants, bougainvillea, and orange trees.

We stopped for lunch in Plaza de los Naranjos.

The peak tourist season is from June to August. September & October is the shoulder season and is less crowded and still warm. Marbella is especially popular with British & German tourists.

You can still glimpse at what is left of the 10th century Moorish walls.

My wonderful traveling companion!

Marla bought a few postcards while exploring in Old Town.

Love these lanes!

We grabbed an outdoor table at Le Cuisine.

We loved lunch!

I really like “Fugaro” and ended up buying a few things. I loved their vibrant and colorful men’s apparel!

We walked back to our apartment via the Avenida Del Mar. There are a number of fascinating Salvatore Dali sculptures on the walkway.

Marbella lulls you into a slower, and more restful mood. Of course, the sounds of the waves and the feel of the warm winds definitely helps.

Beach “regulars” have built a personal card playing encampment shielded from the wind.

I was able to practice my German at Restaurante Kristin on the boardwalk.

I’ll raise a glass to fabulous Marbella! Except for our terribly uncomfortable mattress, and the occasional vibrating walls from the bass speakers in the nightclub below, Marbella really grew on me and I would love to return someday! This apartment from VRBO has my name written all over it for a future visit:

https://www.vrbo.com/1351067?noDates=true

Our next stop on last fall’s travel adventure is to the beautiful Isle of Guernsey. Stay tuned!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.