It is part of Marbella, but it feels as if it is not quite Marbella. It is one of the most splendid towns on the Costa del Sol and yet it is not considered as one. We are talking about San Pedro Alcántara.
San Pedro is a charming place, a village, but a village with residential areas. However its town center is a real Andalusian one with the typical streets full of small shops, bars and the classic neighborhood store, pedestrian streets, real genuine people…
San Pedro does not have its own town hall, nor does it have a mayor, as it is a part of the Marbella municipality, but it does have something really important- its own identity.
When you stroll around its streets you realize that you are in a place which is not quite Marbella. It’s not better or worse, it’s just different. Here one does not breathe so much glamour or extravagance as in Marbella, although there are developments in the area like Guadalmina with large sumptuous villas, or renowned golf courses such as Real Club Guadalmina. What prevails is the atmosphere of a village, a small town, with its typical central square, church, pedestrian streets, and the flavor of a special welcoming place.
In San Pedro you can obviously find everything. You do not need to go to Marbella city centre because San Pedro has its own centre too, provided with all the amenities and offer you need for daily living.
If we now talk about food, we can certainly say it has a wide gastronomic offer, as there is a vast choice ranging from the legendary restaurant Alfredo’s, or El Cortijo de Ramiro and El Ancla to countless tapas bars. The list also includes excellent pubs or beer gardens like La + fría, as well as many beach bars or chiringuitos such as El Guayaba Beach, which boasts the best grilled sardines or espetos in Marbella.
For foreign visitors and residents, San Pedro Alcántara is a great discovery as it is an authentic place, a place to live and not so much for holidaymaking. Here they can find and taste the real Spanish flavor which somehow cosmopolitan Marbella lacks.
San Pedro Alcántara does not need anything, not even to be acknowledged as a town, independent from Marbella, as it really is in practice. What makes it wonderful is that both of them, San Pedro and Marbella, perfectly complement each other.
