We are right in the middle of winter on the Costa del Sol, though it does not quite feel like it… We are not wearing warm clothes during these winter months… A delightful winter! Statistics show that in Marbella there are 320 days of sunshine per year, and an average temperature of almost 20ºC. Is this really winter? … Well, it is not summer either so you have to look for different attractive activities for this time of the year.
- One of them is walking along the beautiful Marbella seafront promenade which connects Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara, a 10 km-long walk by the sea, which is being extended as far as Estepona and the eastern part of the city. It is a healthy sporty amazing stroll for the sunny winter mornings and afternoons.
- Another entertaining healthy activity is playing golf. Winter is high season in Marbella, as you can practice this sport with a perfect temperature and wear hardly any warm clothing. There are 10 golf courses only in Marbella, some of them considered among the best ones of Spain, such as Las Brisas, Aloha and Rio Real, and more than 50 golf courses spread all over the Costa el Sol. All of them to suit all levels of golfer and budgets.
- However should you prefer to leave the city, you can go on a day trip, whether cultural, gastronomic or a sport one. If you choose the mountains, just a 20-minute drive there are the Sierra de las Nieves range, La Concha mountain (Marbella’s landmark), and many other nature outings either to walk or ride your mountain bike. The town of Ronda, one of Andalusia’s gems, is just a 30-minute drive. The city of Malaga, with a vast cultural offer of museums (Picasso, Tyssen, Pompidou, etc.) and a beautiful lively city centre, is also worth visiting. And if you prefer to travel a little further (just under 2 hours) you can visit Seville and Granada, two worldwide-known cities for an endless number of reasons.
Photo by kainita in Flickr
- After such exciting trips, it may be the right time to go shopping and enjoy food. Puerto Banús marina boasts Europe’s highest concentration of luxury boutiques per square metre. It is a real paradise for shoppers. However if you prefer to go shopping in a more ‘authentic’ way, the city centre has a great offer of clothes shops, accessories and souvenirs.
- Finally, it is food time – you can choose from exclusive avant-garde restaurants (Marbella has 4 Michelin-star awarded restaurants) to traditional beach bar chiringuitos and try simply delicious sardine espetos (grilled sardines) under the sun of Marbella. Indeed there is a wide cuisine variety most of it available during the winter months, with the right atmosphere and public for you to enjoy both the place and the food.
There are not many places in the world which offer the variety that Marbella does in the low-season … Or perhaps there are no places at all.
