Marbella, Province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain

Geography : Topography : Hydrography | Economy | Transport | Marine shipping | Transport : Rail | Urban bus | Intercity bus | Taxis | Media | Culture | Museums | Education | Tourist Industry

🇪🇸 Marbella is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the region; it is also the head of the judicial district that bears its name.

Marbella is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, between Málaga and the Strait of Gibraltar, in the foothills of the Sierra Blanca. The municipality covers an area of 117 square km (45 sq mi) crossed by highways on the coast, which are its main entrances.

IIt is the second most populous municipality in the province of Málaga and the seventh in Andalusia. It is one of the most important tourist cities of the Costa del Sol and throughout most of the year is an international tourist attraction, due mainly to its climate and tourist infrastructure.

The city also has a significant archaeological heritage, several museums and performance spaces, and a cultural calendar with events ranging from reggae concerts to opera performances.

Geography The Marbella municipality occupies a strip of land that extends along forty-four km (27 miles) of coastline of the Penibético region, sheltered by the slopes of the coastal mountain range, which includes the Bermeja, Palmitera, Royal, White and Alpujata sub-ranges. Due to the proximity of the mountains to the coast, the city has a large gap between its north and south sides, thus providing views of the sea and mountain vistas from almost every part of the city. The coastline is heavily urbanised; most of the land not built up with golf courses has been developed with small residential areas. Marbella is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Istán and Ojén, on the north-west by Benahavís, on the west by Estepona and on the north-east by Mijas. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south.

Geography: Topography There are five geomorphological units: the Sierra Blanca, the Sierra Blanca piedmont (foothills), the lower hill country, the plains and the coastal dunes. The Sierra Blanca is most centrally located in the province, looming over the old village. This mountain range has three peaks: La Concha, located further west at 1,215 m (3,986 feet) above sea level, Juanar Cross, located eastward (within the municipality of Ojen) at 1,178 m (3,865 feet) above sea level, and the highest, Mount Lastonar, located between the two at 1,270 m (4,170 feet). Marbella's topography is characterised by extensive coastal plains formed from eroded mountains. North of the plain, is an area of elevations from 100 and 400 m (330 and 1,300 feet), occupied by low hills, with foothills and steeper slopes of the mountains behind. The coast is generally low and has sandy beaches that are more extensive further east, between the fishing port and Cabopino. Despite the intense urbanisation of the coast, it still retains a natural area of dunes, the Artola Dunes (Dunas de Artola), at the eastern end of town.

Geography: Hydrography The entire region lies within the Andalusian Mediterranean Basin. The rivers are short and have very steep banks, so that flash floods are common. These include the Guadalmina, the Guadaiza, the Verde and the Rio Real, which provide most of the water supply. The irregularity of rainfall has resulted in intermittent rivers that often run dry in summer; most of the many streams that cross the city have been bridged. The La Concepción reservoir supplies the population with drinking water; apart from this there are other reservoirs like El Viejo and El Nuevo (the Old and the New) that irrigated the old agricultural colony of El Ángel, and Las Medranas and Llano de la Leche that watered the plantations of the colony of San Pedro de Alcántara.

Economy According to 2003 data, Marbella is amongst the municipalities ranking highest in household disposable income per capita in Andalusia, second to Mojácar and matched by four other municipalities, including its neighbour, Benahavís.

Its business sector consisted of 17,647 establishments in 2005, representing a total of 14.7% of the businesses in Malaga province, and showed greater dynamism than the provincial capital itself for growth over the period 1998–2004, when it grew 9% compared to the 2.4% growth rate of Málaga. Compared to the rest of Andalusia, the volume of production in Marbella is higher than that of most other municipalities with similar population, ranking even above the capitals of Almería, Huelva and Jaén.

As in most cities of the Andalusian coast, Marbella's economy revolves around tertiary activities. The service sector accounts for 60% of employment, while trade accounts for almost 20%. The main branches of the service sector are hospitality, real estate, and business services, which underscores the importance of tourism in Marbella's economy. Employment in construction, industry, and agriculture is 14.2%, 3.8%, and 2.4% respectively.

The number of business establishments in the service sector accounts for 87.5% of the total. Businesses in construction account for 9.6% and, in industry, 2.9%. Of these companies, 89.5% have fewer than 5 employees and only 2.3% have a staff of at least 20 employees.

In 2008, a study by the Institute of Statistics of Andalusia (IEA) based on 14 variables (income, equipment, training, etc.), found Marbella was the Andalusian city with the most developed general welfare and the highest quality of life. According to the study's results, Marbella ranks highest in the number of private clinics, sports facilities, and private schools.

In December 2016, an investment fund based in Hong Kong announced that it had acquired 170,000 square metres (1,800,000 square feet) of land near Elviria and planned to invest €300 million to develop a five-star luxury hotel and 120 villas. According to its developer, the future resort "is to be the most luxurious in the country" and will be run by an international hotel chain.

Transport Cities on the coast are accessible by bus from Marbella, including Málaga, Estepona, Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Gibraltar. The area is also served by the A7 motorway; the closest airport is Málaga-Costa Del Sol.

Marine shipping The four ports of Marbella are primarily recreational; although both Puerto Banús and the Puerto de la Bajadilla are permitted to dock cruise ships, neither operates regular service to other ports. The port of Bajadilla is home to the Marbella fishermen's guild and is used to transport goods.

Transport: Rail Marbella is the most populous municipality in the Iberian Peninsula without a railway station in its territory, and is the only Spanish city of over 100,000 inhabitants not served by rail.

A project is underway to construct a railway (Costa del Sol railway) to connect Nerja, Málaga, and Algeciras. It may be a high speed railway with several stops in Marbella. Until then, the nearest station is near Fuengirola, 27 km (17 miles) distant. Further away is Málaga Maria Zambrano, in Málaga city, 57 km (35 miles) away, and Ronda railway station, also 57 km (35 miles).

Urban bus Marbella offers residents of the municipality free mobility on its urban bus lines (Urbanos de Marbella) operated by Avanza, thanks to the Tarjeta Municipal de Movilidad. There are currently 14 urban bus lines, spanning from San Pedro de Alcántara to Cabopino, including the seasonal Starlite line available during summers and the L11 available only on October 31st and November 1st. The lines are the following: • L1: C.C. La Cañada - Marbella Centro - Puerto Banús. • L2: C.C. La Cañada - Miraflores - El Mirador. • L3. C.C. La Cañada - Nagüeles - Puerto Banús - El Ángel. • L4: Puerto Banús - (El Ángel) - Nueva Andalucía - San Pedro. • L5: Puerto Banús - El Ángel - Nueva Andalucía - San Pedro - El Salto. • L6: Cabopino - Las Chapas - Marbella Centro - Estación de Autobuses - C.C. La Cañada. • L6B: Bello Horizonte - Miraflores - C.C. La Cañada. • L7 (circular): San Pedro - Centro de Salud. • L8 (night bus): C.C. La Cañada - Marbella Centro - Puerto Banús - San Pedro. • L9 (night bus): Cabopino - Las Chapas - Marbella Centro. • L10 (seasonal, only during summers): Marbella Centro - Starlite. • L11 (seasonal, only on October 31st and November 1st): Marbella Centro - Divina Pastora - Cementerio Nuevo. • L12: Hospital Costa del Sol - Marbella Centro - Nueva Andalucía. • L13: Hospital Costa del Sol - Marbella Centro - San Pedro.

Intercity bus Most intercity bus services are operated by CTSA-Portillo. They connect Marbella to other urban centres, such as Málaga and its airport, nearby towns in the interior (Benahavis, Ojen, Ronda), the Campo, including Gibraltar (La Linea and Algeciras), some major cities in Andalusia (Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Jerez, Granada, Jaen, Seville, and Úbeda), and Mérida in Extremadura. The central bus station has connections to other domestic destinations, such as Madrid and Barcelona.

Taxis There are plenty of taxis to Marbella from the airports at Malaga and Gibraltar and from the taxi ranks along the Costa del Sol. Most are clean and non-smoking, as well as being the most comfortable way to travel to local vacation destinations.

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

Media Due to the city's ethnic diversity, Marbella's newspapers and magazines are published in several European languages, among which are La Tribuna de Marbella (in Spanish) and Costa del Sol Nachrichten (in German). In addition, Diario Sur (Spanish) or Southern Journal (English) and La Opinión de Málaga (Spanish) have editorial offices in the city. Among the English language magazines with the largest circulation are those dedicated to fashion and lifestyle, such as Essential Magazine and Society Marbella Magazine.

Marbella has several local television stations, such as M95 Television, Summer TV, and South Coast Television. It also has several digital news dailies, including the Voice of Marbella and Journal of Marbella.

Culture Besides the typical Andalusian cultural events, a variety of annual festivals are held in Marbella, mainly between June and October; other events are held sporadically. Festivals dedicated to music include the Marbella International Opera Festival held in August since 2001, the Marbella Reggae Festival in July, and the Marbella International Film Festival in June at different locations around the city—amongst them the beach, aboard a boat or in Old Town. It also hosts the Marbella International Film Festival, the Spanish Film Festival and the Festival of Independent Theatre.

To provide venues for these and other events, the city has cultural facilities both publicly and privately managed, such as the Auditorium of Constitution Park, the Ingenio Cultural Centre, the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella or Black Box Theatre, among others. In addition, there is a music conservatory, a cinema club and several cinemas showing foreign films dubbed into Castilian.

The International Contemporary Art Fair I, also known as MARB ART, was held in Marbella in 2005, exhibiting works of photography, painting, sculpture and graphic design by over 500 artists; it has been held annually since at the Palace of Congresses. The following year the 2006 extension of the Ateneo de Málaga Marbella (Atheneum of Málaga Marbella) opened, dedicated to the development of artistic and cultural activities.

Amongst local cultural associations is the Cilniana Association, an organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting the heritage of Marbella and neighbouring towns, which publishes its own magazine. Since 2009 the city has been home to Marbella University, the first private university in the province of Málaga. In 2013, the city welcomed the opening of Marbella International University Centre (MIUC), an international higher-education institution focused on Business, Politics and Media, and the only university in Andalusia where courses are taught in both English and Spanish.

Museums • Contemporary Spanish Engraving Museum: created in 1992, contains a collection of prints by 20th century artists such as Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Tàpies, Chillida and the El Paso Group (Rafael Canogar, Manolo Millares, Antonio Saura, Pablo Serrano, et al.) amongst others, as well as an exhibition hall dedicated to teaching engraving techniques. • Museum Cortijo de Miraflores: in addition to the museum, the farm houses an exhibition hall and other cultural classrooms, amongst them the olive oil mill. • Bonsai Museum: opened in 1992, it has a collection of specimens on permanent display and others for sale, with an emphasis on its extensive collection of olive trees and examples of species such as Ginkgo, Oxicedro, Pentafila Pino, and zelcoba, also pines, oaks, and other species. • Ralli Museum, dedicated primarily to art in Latin America, it has sculptures by Dalí and Aristide Maillol and paintings by Dalí, Miró, Chagall, Henry Moore, amongst others. • Municipal Archaeological Collection: its collection consists of archaeological artefacts found in the municipality. • Mechanical Art Museum: a cultural centre located in the 19th-century Barriada del Ingenio, it contains sculptures made from second-hand car parts by Antonio Alonso.

Education • The British School of Marbella (British school) • Deutsche Schule Málaga (German school) • Marbella International University Center (MIUC) • Svenska skolan Marbella (Swedish school) • Aloha College (International school).

Tourist Industry The city is especially popular with tourists from Northern Europe (including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Germany) and also Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 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.

The area is popular with golfers and boaters, and there are many private estates and luxury hotels in the vicinity, including the Marbella Club Hotel. Marbella hosts a WTA tennis tournament on red clay, the Andalucia Tennis Experience.

Sights in or near Marbella include: • Arabian wall • Bonsai museum • Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo • Old city centre • Playa de la Bajadilla (beach) • Playa de Fontanilla (beach) • Puerto Banús, a marina built by José Banús • The Golden Mile featuring the Marbella Club Hotel and its beach club, as well as the late King Fahd's palace. • Encarnation's Church (Iglesia de la Encarnación). Oldest church in the city situated in the old-town. • Basilica Vega del Mar • Las Bóvedas.

Marbella, Province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain 
<b>Marbella, Province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain</b>
Image: Adobe Stock Antonio ciero #475514856

Marbella was ranked #718 by the Nomad List which evaluates and ranks remote work hubs by cost, internet, fun and safety. Marbella has a population of over 140,500 people. Marbella also forms one of the centres of the wider Costa del Sol Occidental Region which has a population of over 529,496 people. Marbella is ranked #708 for startups with a score of 0.209.

To set up a UBI Lab for Marbella see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Twin Towns, Sister Cities Marbella has links with:

🇵🇭 Baler, Philippines 🇬🇪 Batumi, Georgia 🇶🇦 Doha, Qatar 🇮🇹 Enna, Italy 🇧🇷 Itanhaém, Brazil 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 🇯🇵 Kure, Japan 🇺🇸 Miami Beach, USA 🇹🇳 Nabeul, Tunisia 🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen, Mexico 🇺🇾 Punta del Este, Uruguay
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license | Nomad | StartupBlink

Antipodal to Marbella is: 175.117,-36.517

Locations Near: Marbella -4.88333,36.5167

🇪🇸 Coín -4.75,36.667 d: 20.5  

🇪🇸 Mijas -4.638,36.6 d: 23.7  

🇪🇸 Fuengirola -4.624,36.542 d: 23.3  

🇪🇸 Estepona -5.145,36.425 d: 25.5  

🇪🇸 Benalmádena -4.573,36.595 d: 29  

🇪🇸 Torremolinos -4.496,36.618 d: 36.4  

🇪🇸 Málaga -4.429,36.722 d: 46.5  

🇪🇸 Antequera -4.563,37.019 d: 62.8  

🇬🇮 Gibraltar -5.35,36.133 d: 59.7  

🇪🇸 Algeciras -5.453,36.128 d: 66.9  

Antipodal to: Marbella 175.117,-36.517

🇳🇿 Hibiscus Coast 174.698,-36.606 d: 19976.4  

🇳🇿 North Shore City 174.75,-36.8 d: 19969.7  

🇳🇿 Auckland 174.763,-36.853 d: 19966.2  

🇳🇿 Whangārei 174.326,-35.725 d: 19902  

🇳🇿 Hamilton 175.28,-37.788 d: 19873  

🇳🇿 Cambridge 175.467,-37.883 d: 19860  

🇳🇿 Tauranga 176.154,-37.7 d: 19854.6  

🇳🇿 Rotorua 176.25,-38.133 d: 19809.3  

🇳🇿 Taupō 176.072,-38.687 d: 19759.5  

🇳🇿 Stratford 174.283,-39.333 d: 19693.5  

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