Forward Marbella

It is well documented that Marbella is going through a very important transitional phase of its history. With the announcement that plans from the Marbella Town hall for the Urban Planning Committee have been agreed after 15 years of legal uncertainty, things are looking very bright indeed for the future of the area. Add that to the expansion of Málaga Airport, plans for the high-speed rail links to be extended to Marbella, the building of the new luxury Al Thani port, the much anticipated San Pedro Tunnel and Bypass, the numerous International Schools available and the general advancement of the areas’ infrastructure you begin to see why there is a very real sense of optimism.

Click here to see our news section covering the most important events in Marbella’s recent timeline.

Antonio Banderas - Cinemafestival, Shutterstock.com

The History of Marbella

It all began shortly after the Second World War as the world gradually recovered from the aftermath. In a small unknown Spanish coastal town of Marbella, a man appeared Ricardo Soriano Scholtz von Hermansdor, the true discoverer and promotor of the Marbella we know today. He introduced his rich and famous friends and family to the area including Prince Maximilian von Hohenlohe-Langeburg (a close friend of Alfonso XIII and godfather to his son Alfonso) and the husband of his cousin Piedad de Yturbe.

In 1946, after hearing all about the delights that awaited him, Prince Maximilian took his Rolls Royce Phantom carbon motor to Marbella to see for himself. He acquired the farm ‘Santa Margarita’ and the presence of this family in Marbella changed the fate of the city completely. This family home is now known as the Marbella Club Hotel and is one of the most famous and exclusive hotels on Marbella’s Golden Mile.

Ricardo Soriano himself had purchased the ‘El Rodeo’ farm, situated between Marbella and San Pedro, for which he paid an incredible 22 pesetas per square metre. It was there he built a unique hotel complex called ‘Sales and Home of the Rodeo’, which he designed himself. His friend Edgar Neville, a famous writer, screenwriter and playwright arrived in Marbella in the early ’50s buying a plot on Soriano’s ‘Rodeo’ where he built his residence which he named ‘Malibu’, in recognition of California’s famous beach, where he lived in the 30′s.

Neville lived some of the best years of his life in the ‘Malibu’ and it became an obligatory meeting point for many writers, painters, and intellectuals living in or visiting Marbella. It was later bought by another famous actor, Sean Connery, who enjoyed the estate as his holiday home for over 20 years. Importantly Marbella pioneered with great success (1992-1995) in which D. Jaime de Mora promoted Concentrations Santoni Spartacus Mototurísticas and the nightlife of the city in the Marina of Marbella. Other famous inhabitants included Salvador Dali, Ernest Hemmingway, Prince, Antonio Banderas and Sir Alan Sugar.

Puerto Banus, Marbella

To millions of people across the whole of Europe, Marbella and its lifestyle is synonymous with sunshine, the millionaires’ playground of Puerto Banús and miles of sandy beaches. The Costa del Sol, with its accessibility via relatively low cost flights, is still one of the most popular tourist destinations with in excess of 2.5 million visitors every year.

Marbella is also a thriving and maturing town with a very different side. There are now more than 500,000 ex patriots living in the area enjoying the benefits of an advancing infrastructure, an excellent range of private schools and International colleges, superb sports & leisure facilities, shopping centres, and restaurants offering a wide range of international cuisines.