24 Facts About Marbella

Marbella is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Malaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia.

Marbella is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, between Malaga and the Strait of Gibraltar, in the foothills of the Sierra Blanca.

Marbella municipality occupies a strip of land that extends along forty-four kilometres of coastline of the Penibetico region, sheltered by the slopes of the coastal mountain range, which includes the Bermeja, Palmitera, Royal, White and Alpujata sub-ranges.

Marbella is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Istan and Ojen, on the northwest by Benahavis, on the west by Estepona and on the northeast by Mijas.

Marbella's topography is characterised by extensive coastal plains formed from eroded mountains.

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Marbella has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with humid, very mild winters and warm to hot, dry summers.

Unlike other towns in the Costa del Sol, Marbella had a significant population before the population explosion caused by the tourist boom of the 1960s.

Traditionally the people of Marbella have been called "marbelleros" in the local vernacular and "marbellenses" in more formal registers; these names have appeared in dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Some historians believe that the first settlement on the present site of Marbella was founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC, as they are known to have established several colonies on the coast of Malaga province.

The Fuerte de San Luis de Marbella was built in 1554 by Charles V The main door faced north and was protected by a moat with a drawbridge.

Ricardo Soriano, Marquis of Ivanrey, moved to Marbella and popularised it among his rich and famous friends.

Fugitive financier Marc Rich bought a house in Marbella, renounced his American citizenship and claimed Spanish citizenship during his decades of evading American income taxes, although he spent more time in Switzerland, where he died.

Marbella welcomed his retinue of over a thousand people spending petro-dollars.

Old town of Marbella includes the ancient city walls and the two historical suburbs of the city, the Barrio Alto, which extends north, and the Barrio Nuevo, located to the east.

Maria Angeles Munoz, leader of the People's Party in Marbella, became mayor in 2007, and her party has governed the town ever since.

The electoral roll is composed of all residents registered in Marbella who are over age 18 and a citizen of Spain or one of the other member states of the European Union.

Cities on the coast are accessible by bus from Marbella, including Malaga, Estepona, Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Gibraltar.

Four ports of Marbella are primarily recreational; although both Puerto Banus and the Puerto de la Bajadilla are permitted to dock cruise ships, neither operates regular service to other ports.

Marbella offers residents of the municipality free mobility on its urban bus lines operated by Avanza, thanks to the Tarjeta Municipal de Movilidad.

Marbella is not formally integrated into the Metropolitan Transportation Consortium Malaga area.

Marbella has several local television stations, such as M95 Television, Summer TV, and South Coast Television.

The following year the 2006 extension of the Ateneo de Malaga Marbella opened, dedicated to the development of artistic and cultural activities.

Traditional cuisine of Marbella is that of the Malagueno coast and is based on seafood.

Marbella is particularly noted for the presence of aristocrats, celebrities and wealthy people; it is a popular destination for luxury yachts, and increasingly so for cruise ships, which dock in its harbour.