20 fun and interesting facts you may not know about Marbella

MARBELLA, a name known throughout the world and synonymous with sun and fun, it’s a place that once you’ve seen you will never forget. Read on to find out 20 fun and interesting facts about Marbella:

Fun facts

• Marbella has several Michelin Star restaurants
• Marbella has its own species of Sea Slug, the Tambja Marbellensis, which green with yellow lines
• Actress Lina Morgan helped a local religious brotherhood financially in the 90s.
• In the 80s an image of the Virgin Mary which was damaged and repaired during the Spanish Civil war was paraded around the local streets with a false eye made from a painted ping-pong ball.
• Marbella has appeared in many films and has its own Film Office
• There are elephants on the beach – well, showers that look like elephants!
• There are mermaids – sculptures in Puerto Banus and at La Pesquera restaurant
• There is a rhino in Puerto Banus – a Dali sculpture
• La Cañada Shopping Centre is one of the most visited places in Spain
• Marbella sells a large percentage of Spain’s luxury goods, beaten only by Barcelona

For decades, the rich and famous have visited the sunny coasts of Marbella and many have decided to stay, investing in huge mansions in some of the most exclusive areas.

Remember the days of the jet-set? The nightlife, the luxury and the parties…?

But Marbella is and always has been much more than that. It has a rich history, having been inhabited by many different cultures over the centuries, shaping it to be what it is today.

Marbella is a city which has so much to offer for everyone, whether you are looking for discos, restaurants, somewhere to relax on the beach, an invigorating walk in the mountains, a place to go with the kids or somewhere to chill-out with some cocktails, everything can be found under the sunny skies of Marbella.

Did you know?

• At one point, Marbella produced 75 per cent of Spain’s iron
• Before becoming a popular tourist destination, it was a fishing village
• The structure visible at sea off El Cable beach is part of the old loading dock
• In Roman times it was called Salduba (salt city)
• There are 17 rivers and streams in Marbella, as well as several waterfalls
• A 15-metres whale was stranded on the beach in San Pedro Alcantara in 2008
• Marbella is the city with the most golf courses in the whole of Spain
• The Iglesia de la Encarnacion has one of the largest organs in Spain
• Marbella is Spain’s greenest city
• Marbella has several beaches which have been awarded blue flags

Just a short trip from Malaga airport, minutes from Fuengirola train station, and with its own bus station with routes to numerous destinations, including Gibraltar and Algeciras, Marbella is well connected to the rest of the Costa del Sol and beyond. It is home to all kinds of accommodation no matter what your budget is; restaurants offering international cuisine of all varieties; bars where you can find out what having tapas is all about; a array of different businesses to meet all your needs; boutiques which range from the eco-friendly goods of local companies to the luxury products of some of the most high-range brands in the world… whatever you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it here, right on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Marbella Fact File

Location: Malaga province, Andalucia, Spain

Inhabitants (2020): 147,633

Area: 116.82km2

Height above sea level: 27

Name of locals: Marbelli, marbellero or marbellense

Postcodes: 29600 – 29604

Mayor: Maria Angeles Muñoz (since 2017)

Patron saints: San Bernabe, Virgen del Carmen

Boundaries: Mediterranean Sea, Estepona, Benahavis, Istan, Ojen, Mijas

Mountains: Sierra Blanca, topped by La Concha (1,215m) and Loma de Puerto Llano, topped by Cerro Atalaya (459m)

Rivers: Guadalmina, Guadaiza, Rio Verde, Rio Real

Average temperature: 18ºC

Average rainfall: 628 litres/m2

Average hours of sunshine: 2,900

Areas: San Pedro Alcantara, Nueva Andalucia, Las Chapas, Marbella (East and West)

Famous people born in Marbella: Rafaela Aparicio (actress), Pepon Nieto (actor), Dani Garcia (chef)

Sister cities: Playa del Carmen (Mexico), Punta del Este (Uruguay), Baler (Philippines), Nevers and Cabourg (France), Nabeul (Tunisia), Miami Beach (USA), Doha (Qatar), Yeda (Saudi Arabia) and Kure (Japan).

If you’ve never had a proper look around Marbella even if you live just along the coast or just up the mountain, now is the time to do so. Have a look through our supplement and see what takes your fancy. We’re sure that once you’ve been, you’ll keep on coming to Marbella and each time you visit, you will find something new to enjoy.

We hope you enjoyed reading these 20 fun and interesting facts about Marbella.