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Old Town

Marbella was called Salduba in the time of the Romans and re-named Marbil-la under the Muslim rule, and walking through the Historical District is like taking a small trip through the past, where the Arab roots and traces of Christianity come together. For example, the iglesia de la Encarnación (Church of the Incarnation) was raised just a few metres from the murallas (walls) of the Caliph's castle. The streets wind through cobblestones, immaculate façades, and balconies decorated with flower-boxes full of geraniums and carnations. There are priceless tiny, typically-Andalusian squares and nooks and crannies, such as the Balcón de la Virgen (Balcony of the Virgin Mary), set in the window of an old white-washed house that today houses a restaurant. The hub-bub of daily life—work, business, shopping, and the coming and goings of people—begins in the Avenida Ricardo Soriano and extends throughout the entire downtown area. But calm reigns again once you reach the Paseo Marítimo (promenade), where tranquility, the ocean breeze, hammocks, and tanned bodies are the star of the show.