Tag: Travel

Every region has a city whose historic inheritance has shaped it into a centre of great beauty and interest. In the case of Andalusia, the crown in the jewel is most certainly Seville. Situated a little over two hours from the coastal resorts of Marbella, Seville is both historical and cultural, modern and dynamic. A city that traces its origins to the earliest of civilisations on the Iberian Peninsula, it marks a spot on the map where indigenous Iberian tribes traded with Phoenician seafarers from the far end of the Mediterranean. By the time the Romans named it Hispalis, this town on the banks of the Guadalquivir River was an important entrepot of trade, culture and communications.

Lacking the more obvious charms of Granada’s fabulous Alhambra, Seville’s monumental cathedral, Córdoba’s eccentric mosque or Jerez’s famous horses, Málaga is regarded by some travel guides as less important than its more glamorous counterparts.

This is unfortunate, because Málaga has plenty to offer everyone, from excellent shopping opportunities, beautiful parks and exciting historical sites to some of the hottest nightlife on the Costa del Sol. Its location means that, once you’re exhausted from all that shopping, dining and sightseeing, you’ll be able to spend some time chilling out on the beach.

When it was ‘discovered’ as an idyllic spot on the European map back in the 1950s and subsequently became the darling of well-to-do visitors from around the world, Marbella was little more than a humble little fishing village on Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast. The good fortune of being located in a particularly attractive part of this sunny coastline has gradually transformed Marbella into the lively modern resort town it is today.

The name ‘Marbella’ carries a certain flair with it. Like Cannes, St Tropéz and San Remo, it is one of a select group of places on the European map that conjures up images of wealth, glamour and good living. Marbella is certainly associated with all these things, and its climate, ambience and luxury residential areas have made it one of the playgrounds of the rich and famous; a place that people from all over the world are irresistibly drawn to.