Marbella Old Town

Behind the marinas and the reputation, Marbella keeps a compact old town of narrow whitewashed lanes, wrought-iron balconies and small squares that predates the resort entirely. Its centre is the Plaza de los Naranjos, laid out in 1485 after the Christian conquest and planted with orange trees, framed by the town hall, a chapel and a sixteenth-century house. Stretches of the Moorish castle walls survive along Calle Trinidad and Calle Salvador, and the church of Santa Maria de la Encarnacion dates from the sixteenth century. Beyond the walls the lanes hold small shops, tapas bars and a contemporary engraving museum in a Renaissance hospital building, and the Avenida del Mar leads to the sea past a set of Dali sculptures.

What you actually see

• Plaza de los Naranjos - a 1485 square planted with orange trees.
• The Moorish walls - surviving stretches of the castle enclosure.
• The whitewashed lanes - narrow streets of balconies and flowers.
• The Dali sculptures - bronzes along the Avenida del Mar to the beach.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the most comfortable walking; the square fills with restaurant tables through the evening in summer. Mornings are quiet, and the orange trees flower in spring with a strong scent.

Honest expectations

The Plaza de los Naranjos is entirely given over to restaurant terraces charging tourist prices. The quarter is small and walked in an hour. Parking in the centre is difficult and expensive.

Nearby

Puerto Banus is west along the coast; Mijas Pueblo and Estepona lie either side.