Marbella & Puerto Banus, Spain
There is a really long promenade in Marbella running parallel with Playa Casablanca which is great for a nice walk and along here there are quite a few restaurants and bars of various sizes and styles.
On the beach, there are plenty of loungers and parasols for hire and also down here a few bar and restaurants. Around sunset, these places start gearing up for the evening and the music and dancing starts. It is not too loud and lively and there is a bit of an Andalusian vibe.
There are some hotels directly overlooking the beach and others set back close to the main road. From the main road there are a number of small residential roads that drop down towards the beach so, if walking, you can access the promenade and beach this way.
Similarly, if you have a vehicle like we did, you can park up near the road and walk down or you can drive down these roads towards the beach and if you are lucky you might find a parking space.
There is actually a Lidl Store here and a Spanish supermarket across the road that sells absolutely everything. If you want a change from the beach and fancy a water park then Aqualand is a good choice. It is actually closer to Torremolinos than Marbella but it is the biggest water park in the Costa Del Sol, so If you don't have transport you could get a taxi there.
Aqualand has an abundance of rides and slides and really does cater very well for all ages and all levels of adrenalin rush seekers.
If you want to go to another beach Puerto Banus is just around the corner from Marbella. If driving, there are parking spaces if you are lucky to find one, otherwise there is a big underground car park. You can also get here via public transport or taxi.
The beach here is really wide and if I'm honest I probably prefer it to Playa Casablanca in Marbella.
There is a decent size supermarket if you want to stock up for the beach and there are a few shops if you want to buy a few presents and souvenirs, but other than that, Puerto Banus is famous as a rich man's playground. Amongst the designer label shops like Gucci and Dolce and Gabanna, there are a few bars, restaurants and ice cream parlors and this is the perfect place for Super Car watching.
Everywhere you look there is a Rolls Royce or a Bentley, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, a Maserati or a McLaren. When you have finished looking at cars you can have a look in the Marina! Some of the Super Yachts are amazing and when I was there the biggest was the Lady Haya which apparently is worth £50 million.
If you like your food and seek a nice Paella there is a restaurant in Marbella called Paella's Y Mas. This place gets busy and if you want to sit outside on the large terrace you really do need to book in advance.
If you want to be a bit adventurous then you could head to Gibraltar for the day or Cadiz that are really not that far or going in the other direction for some amazing culture there is Alhambra Palace in Grenada but you do really need to book tickets early for that to avoid disappointment.
The Costa Del Sol has a wonderful climate and so much to offer for an adult or family holiday and is really easy to get to with a vast choice of flights into Malaga from almost all regional airports. I would certainly go back again.