{"id":366413,"date":"2025-08-23T04:43:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T04:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/366413\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T04:43:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T04:43:36","slug":"i-discovered-another-side-to-marbella-with-charming-streets-and-fascinating-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/366413\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I discovered another side to Marbella with charming streets and fascinating history’"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re dreaming of a long weekend of luxury, right on the beach and within walking distance of shops and restaurants, Marbella in southern Spain is perfect. And if you thought it was all about TOWIE<\/a>, then think again.<\/p>\n

Upon arrival at the El Fuerte Marbella<\/a> hotel, you can easily imagine it having been the place to be when it was built in the 1950s. It still retains that air of elegance \u2013 and it was five-star luxury from the moment we stepped in. We were welcomed by friendly staff who were only too happy to assist us, and there’s a wall of fame featuring the celebrities who have stayed there, including film producer Walt Disney and actress Diana Dors.<\/p>\n

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The recently-renovated El Fuerte is one of Marbella’s oldest hotels -Credit:El Fuerte Marbella<\/p>\n

Rich in history, El Fuerte is built on the grounds of a fortress dating back to 1554. It is one of Marbella’s oldest hotels, and is perfectly situated for exploring the picturesque Old Town. The hotel has recently undergone a significant refurbishment and now boasts a Clarins Spa, six restaurants and three pools, reports the Mirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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We stayed in a beachfront room with a spacious balcony, complete with a stunning view of the sea. With a super comfy bed and a fabulous freestanding bath to lie in while admiring the vista, we had everything we needed for a wonderfully relaxed break. There was even a heated seat on our toilet!<\/p>\n

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The rooms are spacious and stylish -Credit:Manolo Yllera<\/p>\n

The food at El Fuerte Marbella<\/p>\n

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the buffet-style Le Marche\u0301 restaurant, which has so many stations, it’s hard to know where to start. For breakfast, I skipped the nine-course tasting menu and instead opted for fresh pancakes with fruit and maple syrup.<\/p>\n

In the summer months, the rooftop restaurant Edge is open, run by Michelin-starred Spanish chef Paco Pere\u0301z. For a more laid-back vibe, we enjoyed lunch at the beach restaurant, Soleo. It’s a charming, casual eatery (known as a ‘chiringuito’ in Spain), and the seafood was simply divine. For an iced coffee by the pool, we headed to Qahwa, which offers specialty coffee and pastries.<\/p>\n

Sign up for the Selected package to receive special services such as VIP areas and table service at breakfast, as well as access to a private lounge with free-flowing food and drinks between 11am and 9pm.<\/p>\n

\"food<\/p>\n

Just some of the delicious food we enjoyed at El Fuerte -Credit:Abby Wells<\/p>\n

What to do at El Fuerte Marbella<\/p>\n

At El Fuerte, the beach is right on your doorstep but if you’d rather not get sand everywhere, there’s a heated garden pool which is family friendly and open all year, a second garden pool for all ages and an adult-only infinity rooftop pool \u2013 the perfect choice when you want to avoid the busy beach during the high season and hotter months.<\/p>\n

For those looking to work off that nine-course breakfast, there’s a gym on the sixth floor where you can enjoy panoramic views while you exercise, a rooftop yoga area, and a personal trainer on hand should you wish to book a one-to-one workout.<\/p>\n

The spa at El Fuerte Marbella<\/p>\n

Tucked away in the hotel’s basement, the Clarins Spa is a tranquil oasis, with six treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, a sauna and a steam room. I indulged in the Beauty Sleep treatment \u2013 a soothing face and body experience designed to enhance your sleep quality and give your skin a radiant glow \u2013 and it was 50 minutes of pure heaven.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The hotel’s new Clarins Spa -Credit:Manolo Yllera<\/p>\n

Marbella’s Old Town<\/p>\n

El Fuerte is just a five-minute stroll from Marbella’s enchanting Old Town \u2013 a maze of eateries, bars and boutique shops where shopping enthusiasts like me can find something unique to wear.<\/p>\n

Take a break for a coffee in the Plaza de los Naranjos, where you can indulge in some people watching while you sit back and absorb the vibrant atmosphere. We also arranged a walking tour around the Old Town and along the Avenida del Mar promenade, where you can admire some stunning Salvador Dali sculptures.<\/p>\n

For a more energetic day out, rent a bike from the hotel and pedal along the beachfront avenue, the Paseo Maritimo. It’s a fantastic way to appreciate Marbella’s stunning surroundings.<\/p>\n

\"Flower<\/p>\n

Make time to explore Marbella’s charming Old Town -Credit:Getty Images<\/p>\n

How much does it cost to stay at El Fuerte Marbella?<\/p>\n

Double rooms at El Fuerte Marbella<\/a> start from \u20ac390 on a room only basis. Breakfast is an additional \u20ac45 per person per day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you’re dreaming of a long weekend of luxury, right on the beach and within walking distance of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366414,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[128303,2000,299,18103,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-366413","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-el-fuerte","9":"tag-eu","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-marbella","12":"tag-spain"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115076257148121732","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}