Mediterranean Marbella: From Moorish Medina to Luxury Resort

Once a humble fishing village, Marbella is now one of the most glamorous destinations on the Spanish coast. On this walking tour, you’ll learn how visionary aristocrats and controversial developers transformed the sleepy town into a playground for Hollywood stars, European royalty, and the international jet set.

Starting at the Faro de Marbella lighthouse, you’ll explore the charming old town that still thrives amid the luxury resorts while I tell you about Andalusia’s centuries-long history. As you stroll along the sun-drenched Mediterranean promenade, past Renaissance townhouses, and Moorish remnants, you’ll find out how iron foundries and sugar estates positioned Marbella at the forefront of Spain’s industrialization in the 1800s.

You’ll also see the interplay of cultures that left their imprint on Marbella’s architecture, cuisine, and character, from Phoenician traders and Muslim sultans, to Bourbon kings and Franco. The tour ends at the majestic Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation), where you’ll discover hidden depth beneath the city’s glamorous surface.

On this 90-minute Marbella walking tour, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Stroll through the elegant Avenida del Mar, adorned with bronze sculptures by surrealist artist, Salvador Dalí
• Discover Parque de la Alameda, a genteel 18th-century garden once frequented by aristocratic visitors
• Learn about the royal affectionately known as ”Prince Olé-Olé,” who transformed his family home into the exclusive Marbella Club that attracted Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Jackie Onassis
• Wander through shady squares like Plaza de los Naranjos and Plaza Santo Cristo
• Examine remnants of Castillo de Marbella, the 10th-century Moorish castle whose imposing walls protected residents from North African pirate raids
• Wander past enchanting ”street chapels,” religious shrines that locals built into the walls and windows of the old town to protect them
• Understand how the Costa del Sol earned its darker nickname, ”Costa del Crime,” during the years when an extradition loophole made it a haven for fugitives

By the end of this tour, you’ll have a new appreciation for how centuries of cultural exchange and reinvention have created this jewel of the Costa del Sol.