Marbella Old Town
Marbella Old Town
4.5
About
Marbella's Old Town, known locally as Casco Antiguo, is a fascinating contrast to the town's luxurious beach resorts. travelers are drawn to the area's quaint cobblestone streets and its colorful and diverse history. Take a walk along the former Moorish city walls, originally built to keep out intruders, or head to Plaza de los Naranjos, a picturesque square lined with orange trees and home to the Town Hall. A walking tour is a great way to see the top sights in the area, including the Hermitage of Santiago. For a quieter experience, plan to visit between October and March, outside of peak tourist season. – Tripadvisor
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- Kevin B16 contributionsPublic Toilets on Marbella BeachesWe always love coming to Marbella in May and September. This is the first our holiday extended into October. And that's when we found out, to our complete surprise, that the Counci close down the Public Toilets on the beach because 'it's the end of the season'. The Council said they would open them again at Easter. Whow. If that happened in Ireland we'd be the laughing stock of the tourists (and rightly so). Have to go now and find a place to spend a penny.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 October 2023
- Ira LJakarta, Indonesia47 contributionsBest Vibe in MarbellaLove the vibes in this area, love being here day and night. Great restaurants, cafes and shops and just to stroll around. Prices are higher than other areas because it is very popular with the tourist. Would not recommend to come during summer, usually is too packed.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 11 October 2023
- wksumpterOmaha, Nebraska131 contributionsDelightful start to our Spain vacationFor our first full day in Spain, strolling the Old Town plazas and alleys was a delightful introduction to our vacation. Casual, relaxed, little surprises to be uncovered. Look for blue P parking signs for underground garages.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 11 November 2023
- Suri JUtrecht, The Netherlands46 contributionsAdd Marbella to your bucket listBeautiful city with old and modern. Long Beach walks enough restaurants to choose from. Can cycle through the long beaches or through the natural parks. There is no such a cycle road specified but can do with good care. Restaurants are more than enough to choose. And the weather is perfect during the April month.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 2 December 2023
- Louise Masin SattlerLos Angeles, California1,547 contributionsMarbella Old Town is Simply CharmingThere is something very magical about Marbella Old Town. The streets are filled with families bustling from place to place. The shops are quaint and the restaurants are some of the best in Spain. It is simply charming and worth spending quality and quantity time here.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 21 December 2023
- beverleyzellerDublin, Ireland8 contributionsPicturesque little townBeen to old town a few times and I love it. Very cute little roads and the orange trees and flowers are picture perfect. Lots of souvenir shops and local products available. Lovely Italian restaurants and gelato shops around. Very quaint and worth tge visit.Visited May 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 22 May 2024
- Kevin RAbergavenny, United Kingdom279 contributionsTake a trip back in timeThis had been earmarked as a must see when planning our trip to Marbella and we loved it, strolling around the narrow streets, window-shopping and taking appropriate pit-stops for churros, tapas and beer. Found the castle ruins and explored for a few hours. When we left, the more modern beach front did not have the same charm.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 July 2024
- JackLiverpool, United Kingdom20 contributionsReally worth seeingVery nice town. Really picturesque architecture with narrow streets, very colourful with nice atmosphere. Really worth seeing in daylight and at night. Feels very natural and relaxing with hundreds of small cafes and restaurantsVisited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 1 September 2024
- David KUnited Kingdom558 contributionsMarbella old townI arrived from Gibraltar (La linea bus station) to Marbella, Only took 55mins. I found the tourist information centre and got myself a self guided tour around the old town, Lovely side streets and plenty of the old buildings still in situe, The best part was seeing the Moorish Castle. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in the old town I found Timonel Restaurant and I highly recommend it. The beach front was lovely with plenty of restaurants to eat and drink, Not much seating on the promenade and not much shade, Toliets were on the beach as well bit free.Visited September 2024Travelled soloWritten 9 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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FranM
Toronto, Canada148 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
My husband found this on Trip Advisor. It was my least favourite “hotel” in this trip. I can’t really call it a hotel as there is no reception and no staff when you arrive. There are three rooms. You need to scan your passport on your cell phone before you arrive on an app they send you. When you arrive you have to call the number that was sent. It didn’t work at first. Finally we got through and were given instructions on how to get in. We had a two bedroom apartment and it was nice enough but the second bedroom has no privacy as it opens onto the living room kitchen. There was no soap or toiletries in one of the bathrooms. They did leave water, a bottle of cava, some beer and pop which was a nice touch. The wifi does not work so don’t expect it to. The hot water kept going off while we showered so we had cold showers at times. It was also very noisy and this was January. We heard the garbage, bottles rattling and people talking loudly outside until late into the night and very early in the morning. Also be prepared to carry your luggage up a lot of stairs.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ivo Carneiro De Sousa
Macau, China146 contributions
Aug 2019
Don't visit the old Marbella center in August. It is too crowded, too noisy, and the restaurants in the area will abuse your excessive demand for a lack of places. Everything is excessively expensive, including countless souvenirs made in China. One cannot appreciate the beauty of the area, the old churches and walls, the narrow streets, and traditional squares. You don't understand and feel the historical legacy of the place, and almost everything turns into a commodity for tourists. We were with our children, and they felt tired, unable to enjoy the cultural diversity of the place. Perhaps we will return on another date in Winter or Fall.
Written 11 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doug
East Kilbride, UK56 contributions
Feb 2020
Fantastic to wander around and some great eating places. Drinks and food are reasonably priced. At Easter the Semina Santa is a fantastic spectacle even if you are not religious. Great streets for pictures.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill F
Manchester, UK36 contributions
June 2022 • Couples
If you enjoy live music, dancing and local traditions then Marbella and it's Old Town is a great destination for the festival of San Barnabe which always falls in the week of 11th June.
It only lasts for a week after which Marbella returns to its normal steady pace with long hot days and an absolutely spotless old town with its narrow streets, central Orange Square and myriad of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes.
Marbella also has a bustling marina for from where you can indulge in water sports late night dancing and music and catch the 45min ferry to Puerto Banus on a one way or return basis. Tip. Marbella marina is not Puerto Banus marina where you will find the spectacular yachts and designer shops.
For walkers, you can walk or hire a bike to follow the promenade all the way from Marbella to Puerto Banus safely.
There is no shortage of accomodation types from hostels and old town houses with roof terraces through to apartments and hotels.
If you enjoy simply walking when on holiday I would suggest the best of Marbella sits between the old town and the sultan club hotel. Just behind the main road between those two you will also find a largish public park where they play Pelotta.
All in all Marbella is a great self contained destination where you can easily spend a couple of weeks without feeling you have seen everything in a couple of days like some other resorts.
It only lasts for a week after which Marbella returns to its normal steady pace with long hot days and an absolutely spotless old town with its narrow streets, central Orange Square and myriad of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes.
Marbella also has a bustling marina for from where you can indulge in water sports late night dancing and music and catch the 45min ferry to Puerto Banus on a one way or return basis. Tip. Marbella marina is not Puerto Banus marina where you will find the spectacular yachts and designer shops.
For walkers, you can walk or hire a bike to follow the promenade all the way from Marbella to Puerto Banus safely.
There is no shortage of accomodation types from hostels and old town houses with roof terraces through to apartments and hotels.
If you enjoy simply walking when on holiday I would suggest the best of Marbella sits between the old town and the sultan club hotel. Just behind the main road between those two you will also find a largish public park where they play Pelotta.
All in all Marbella is a great self contained destination where you can easily spend a couple of weeks without feeling you have seen everything in a couple of days like some other resorts.
Written 27 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PMV
Dubai, United Arab Emirates2,068 contributions
Oct 2020 • Friends
The old town is the only part of Marbella which is really nice to visit, it has a lot of charm with its typical architecture, narrow pedestrian streets with cafes, restaurants, boutiques and monuments. It is quite small, so it can be visited in a couple of hours. It is the upper part of the town.
Written 13 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PFTraveller62
Eastleigh, UK848 contributions
Sept 2021 • Couples
Park in The Avicenna De Mar Parking (underground) and walk across the road into another world. The old town is simply fabulous but explore the streets away from the Orange square and enjoy the sights. The small shops in the alleyways tend to close between 3-5pm. Don’t forget to visit the Olive Oil shop near the main square. Simply a gorgeous place to walk around.
Written 24 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tripsandfood55
London, UK4,681 contributions
Nov 2021
Marbella Old Town (Casco Antiguo). We stayed in Old Town for four days and three nights to site see around the area in Nov21. We also returned back briefly while travelling through to Ronda (From Estapona on local busses) and enjoyed further tapas. The Old Town is full of much history, close to the local busses and has many good tapas restaurants to enjoy. People are very friendly and we felt very safe during the day and night. There are a few churches to see, some still active and open during worship times and therefore free to enter. Three days was long enough for us and we would return to enjoy more tapas and further explore at some stage in the coming years. We would have no hesitation in recommending and look forward to returning back. Included are a few maps of what you may expect to see if visiting.
Written 20 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kingdom_warrior98
Ireland242 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
A little slice of tranquillity! The old town in Marbella is gorgoeus. There is the heart of the town is the Orange Square which is stunning with the old churches and lovely cobbled streets. Quaint tapas bars and restaurants all of exceptional quality. Well worth a visit to just amble about the dainty streets which sends the mind back to old time Spain!
Best time to wander about was early morning as the streets are empty and you can be at peace with yourself to take in how stunning it is. You can also find the old fashioned coffee places the locals use for a rest with the locals and watch the world go by!
Best time to wander about was early morning as the streets are empty and you can be at peace with yourself to take in how stunning it is. You can also find the old fashioned coffee places the locals use for a rest with the locals and watch the world go by!
Written 24 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David K
United Kingdom558 contributions
Sept 2024 • Solo
I arrived from Gibraltar (La linea bus station) to Marbella, Only took 55mins.
I found the tourist information centre and got myself a self guided tour around the old town, Lovely side streets and plenty of the old buildings still in situe, The best part was seeing the Moorish Castle. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in the old town I found Timonel Restaurant and I highly recommend it. The beach front was lovely with plenty of restaurants to eat and drink, Not much seating on the promenade and not much shade, Toliets were on the beach as well bit free.
I found the tourist information centre and got myself a self guided tour around the old town, Lovely side streets and plenty of the old buildings still in situe, The best part was seeing the Moorish Castle. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in the old town I found Timonel Restaurant and I highly recommend it. The beach front was lovely with plenty of restaurants to eat and drink, Not much seating on the promenade and not much shade, Toliets were on the beach as well bit free.
Written 9 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard G
Centennial, CO384 contributions
Oct 2019
Old Town in Marbella is a great place to explore, shop, and dine while in Marbella. There is a warren of little lanes but the area is very easy to navigate. There will be crowds especially in the peak holiday season but we really enjoyed wandering around and having lunch.
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gustavo Pelcast... G
Oskarshamn, Sweden
¿Por qué se recomienda pasear por Marbella Old Town a primera o última hora? ¿Porque hace mucho calor?
Written 6 June 2022
Hi,
Thinking of booking for Marbella when the restrictions are lifted in June. Just reading some reviews saying a lot of shops were closed due to COVID. Does anyone know if they’re permanently closed as in gone out of business or just closed due to no tourism? Feel so sorry for these tourist destinations, I hope they can all open up again in the near future.
Written 28 April 2021
Hi
We are travelling to marbesa for a hen party in May. We are trying to see various different parts of the area.
Does anyone have any recommendations for restaurants/bars for 17 ladies, aged 30-60 for one of our evenings in Marbella old town? Any cuisine, tapas may be nice. Ideally with nice bars in walking distance.
I’ve read about orange square - would this area’s be nice?
Thanks in advance,
Lisa
Written 31 January 2020
There are loads of great restaurants in the orange square area. There were 10 of us there in January, and we ate in a fantastic restaurant call The Orange Tree. Lovely food, great service. You’d definitely need to book beforehand, but it’s a lovely wee place.
Written 31 January 2020
Buona sera Vorrei passare con bambini piccoli 7 giorno nella zona di marbelli Qualquno mi po suggerire la zona migliore a marbellia o nei dontorni grazie
Written 25 November 2019
Penso che la zona migliore sia marbella stessa. Senza spostarsi tanto.
Written 3 December 2019
Hello, any bar suggestions in to watch the euro qualifiers? Thanks in advance.
Written 5 September 2019
Plenty along the seafront, like banana tree for example or by a road called Arias Maldonado where there are a few Irish pubs
Hope you find them!
Written 5 September 2019
Morning!
What are the prices for food and drink like? Travelling on a budget and would like to know how much to take.
Thanks
Mo Conlan
Written 24 July 2019
Main course only and soft drinks for 4 was around 70 euros in old town
Written 24 July 2019
Здравствуйте,как добраться от автобусной станции в Марбелья до отеля Сан Кристобаль?
Written 25 May 2019
Здравствуйте,как добраться от автобусной станции в Марбелье до отеля Сан Кристобаль?
Written 25 May 2019
Hi, the old town is it to much to walk as i m travelling with my old mom and would like to visit this place but she has knee issue and afraid she may not be able to walk to much... !! please suggest
Written 5 April 2019
Hi It is better to get there by taxi and walk through the lanes but yes, there are lots of lanes but plenty of places to sit and rest including all the lovely little eating places. The square is quite a way from the main road but accessible.
Written 27 April 2019
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