La Fonda Heritage Hotel is tucked deep within the colourful labyrinth of cobbled lanes, lively tapas bars and bougainvillaea-strewn balconies that is Marbella’s old town, a 10-minute stroll from the nearest beach.
Planes
Malaga Airport is 30 miles and around 40 minutes from the hotel. Transfers can be arranged for around €150 each way.
Trains
Málaga María Zambrano is the nearest station with connections from Barcelona: the hotel can arrange transfers from €75 each way.
Automobiles
A car gives you the freedom to fill your boots with as many Costa del Sol beaches and whitewashed hill towns as your heart desires – heck, you could even tick a few off on the short drive along the AP-7 from Malaga Airport to Marbella old town. There are plentiful rental options at the airport and secure underground parking with a shuttle service pick-up for hotel guests 200 metres from La Fonda.
Other
Marbella has its own helipad: give the hotel the nod if you wish to arrive like an A-lister.
Worth getting out of bed for
You don’t need to amble far from La Fonda’s tranquilo courtyards to get a flavour of Marbella’s mediaeval old-town magic. Palm-flanked Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz is among the city’s oldest and most photogenic churches, and sits just across the plaza from La Fonda Heritage Hotel, its whitewashed lime stucco façade as eye-catching as the blue and white ceramic tiles that cap its square belltower. Wander the bougainvillaea-scented maze of streets to tiny squares where tourists devour churros y chocolate beneath orange trees and cats stretch out on the warm cobbles. The Iglesia de la Encarnación is another holy highlight of the old town, with its impressive rococo door, lofty belltower and bling-tastic gold-leaf altar.
If La Fonda’s plant-filled corridors and courtyards have you hankering for more of the green stuff, head just south of the old town for the frenzy of tropical foliage that is Alameda Park: park yourself on one of the azulejo-clad stone benches to watch the world go by, and don’t miss the evening light show at the ornate central fountain.
Art lovers and beach bums alike should continue south towards sandy Playa de Venus, making sure to take in the 10 Salvador Dalí sculptures along Avenida del Mar en route. And no, you’re not suffering from acute sunstroke; these huge hallucinatory bronze statues really do depict fantastical feats such as Perseus holding Medusa’s decapitated head aloft and a man surfing on a dolphin.
The stretch of coastline that runs west from popular Playa de Venus to hard-partying Puerto Banús is known as the Golden Mile for its ostentatious displays of wealth. Expect jet-set fashions, gleaming sports cars and liner-like superyachts. Bring yourself back to (sur)reality with a bump by seeking out Dalí’s 3.6-tonne Rhinoceros Dressed in Lace lurking coquettishly on a roundabout at the resort’s eastern end. Or escape the madness altogether on a road trip to Playa de Cala Sardina, a remote sandy cove backed by tumbledown whitewashed hilltop houses, about 45 minutes south of central Marbella.
Local restaurants
The antique wooden beams, tiled floors and old stone walls just ooze history at Casanis Bistrot in Marbella’s old town. Climbing plants and vibrant modern murals breathe new life into this characterful 150-year-old building (where there’s outdoor seating in summer)., A refined menu of French and Mediterranean dishes includes smoked burrata salad and suckling pig with gratin dauphinois and green beans; the wine list stars a broad selection of French and Spanish vintages, and cocktail lovers can go wild with the Japanese Mule’s fiery kick or skip dessert and go straight for the sugar-kick of a bourbon-fuelled Snickers Old Fashioned.
In-the-know Marbella foodies make a beeline for Zozoï on Plaza Altamirano, with its bright airy interiors, eye-catching geometric tiling, sociable outdoor spaces, and traditional Andalusian courtyard. Dine tapas-style with friends and tear into a long list of nibbles and starters that includes kalamata olives, osetra caviar, butterfish ceviche and Burgundy snails. The steak-heavy mains menu and crispy wood-fired pizzas are your not-for-sharing options. We’re backing the Galician beef entrecote with fries and the pil pil pizza with chilli prawns and garlic for the win.
Local cafés
Occupying a lively little spot right on the edge of Alameda Park, La Canasta is a stalwart of the Marbella brunch scene. Drop by for a long, lazy breakfast, or grab an espresso and cram a paper bag full of freshly made cakes, tarts and pastries, then take your sweet quarry to enjoy beneath rustling palms on one of the park’s azulejo-tiled benches.
Sweet tooth still not satisfied? The gelateria just across the street from La Canasta has your back. There’s a veritable kaleidoscope of flavours to choose from inside Gioelia Cremeria, such as creamy, crunchy Sicilian cannolo, dark orange chocolate and moreish mango sorbet.
Local bars
Maybe it’s the Costa del Sol sunshine, but Marbellans know a thing or two about fiesta, so you never have to stumble far to find a candlelit tapas bar or polished cocktail den. Located on the edge of Puerto Banús, Air is very firmly in the latter camp; a rooftop bar with La Concha views, a jungle’s worth of lush vegetation, a signature cocktail list as long as your arm and the opportunity to scope out what a superyacht owner orders during happy hour. Take note: a bar as exclusive as Air requires pre-booking and a minimum spend of €50 each. Just west of the Parque de la Constitución, Gauguin offers an altogether more pocket-friendly cocktail experience, mixing up martini masterpieces and artful zombies that more than live up to their name. What this has to do with the absinthe-guzzling French Impressionist is anyone’s guess.
