Tour of the towns around Marbella

Why dedicate a day to visiting the towns around Marbella? For example, to discover towns with typical white architecture, stroll along picturesque streets, delve into long seafront avenues or find spectacular natural surroundings.

We recommend you do the tour by car, because your journeys won’t be more than an hour and a half in length. As regards the order, a good option is to start with Estepona in the west, and then head towards the mountains and Antequera. To finish off, we suggest you enjoy a sunset with the sea in the background.

Estepona

Estepona is barely 30 kilometres from Marbella, on the seafront. We recommend you take a morning stroll along La Rada beach, walk around the narrow streets in the centre and enjoy an attractive view. These are views from the Punta Doncella Lighthouse, from where you can pick out the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa and the Strait of Gibraltar.

If you want to prolong your stay, remember that Estepona has the Selwo Aventura nature park, eight golf courses and a spa.

Antequera

Antequera is an inland town about 100 kilometres from Marbella. It’s about an hour and a half from Estepona.

Here you can see 6,000 year-old prehistoric dolmens, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016. A walk around town will also reveal mansions, churches, and an Islamic fortress. About 15 kilometres away, we recommend you visit El Torcal, an extraordinary landscape of strange rock formations over 200 million years old.

Nerja

Nerja is about 100 kilometres from Antequera. A must-visit is Nerja Cave, about 4 kilometres from the town. It has interesting cave paintings and is simply beautiful inside. Nerja may also be a good place to stop for lunch, for example in one of its streets with their typical houses of southern Spain, or to enjoy views of the sea. If you’re one of those people who feels captivated by the blue of the coastline, take the opportunity to climb up to its well-known 'Balcony of Europe' vantage point.

Frigiliana and Vélez-Málaga

These are two towns which hark back to Arab times. The first is just seven kilometres from Nerja and is one of the prettiest in the region. You’ll love strolling through its narrow streets and alleys which recall its Moorish past.

Vélez-Málaga reached its era of greatest importance in Arab times and still preserves the former fortress and its keep (Torre del Homenaje). Meanwhile, its former mosque is today the Mudejar-style church of Santa María la Mayor.

Mijas

Mijas is 70 kilometres from Vélez-Málaga and is a picturesque town with white houses, typical of Andalusia. Its appearance is that of the Arab era: it spreads along the slope of the mountain range like a balcony, creating a vivid contrast between the green of the pines and the white of the houses.

Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola

These towns are very famous for their beach areas and are packed with restaurants, businesses and shops. For this reason we recommend any of these to finish off the day by enjoying a stroll, a bit of shopping and a pleasant dinner. The three of them are less than 20 kilometres from Mijas. In addition, at Benalmádena you can see the Arabic-style Castle of Bil-Bil, located on the seafront.

Remember that nearby there are many well-known golf courses and entertaining leisure parks, such as Tivoli World amusement park, Bioparc Fuengirola and Selwo Marina Benalmádena zoos or Aquapark Torremolinos water park. Perfect plans if you’re thinking of prolonging your stay or going with the family.