Our only day by the sea starts with a leisurely breakfast in the square. All the surrounding businesses have a demarcated area, we’re right next to an Irish pub and a Persian restaurant, the venue of last night’s fancy steak burger. Our hotel is so tiny it doesn’t have a dining room, just the square and a roof-top area, and we enjoy fabulous hams and cheeses along with excellent coffee.
Our scheduled tour today is to walk to Puerto Banus, just along the bay and a waters-edge walk all the way. Naturally we’re scoping out the place to dine this evening, and at about 1.2 miles we find our perfect restaurant so stop to book. We continue on passing mixed zones of hotels, parkland and private villas on one side and beach beach beach on the other. It’s all very agreeable and we love the relaxed, all-inclusive demographic.
We arrive at Puerto Banus marina and take the sea-wall right around to the port’s sea-ward entrance, knowing full well that we’ll have to walk back, but it’s worth the extra mile to see two beautiful dolphins traversing the bay, sadly my photo leaves a lot be desired but we enjoy the experience, as we head back around the marina.
Continuing on the land side of the marina we marvel at the rows of Sunseekers and other fancy yachts and their corresponding Bentleys, Lamborghini and Ferrari parked alongside. The shops and restaurant around the marina are all suitably priced, and we resist the temptation to lunch or indeed purchase a handbag, mortgage required for the latter. Talking of handbags there’s a whole culture of North African street vendors selling sun glasses, bags and other apparel rushed straight from the leading haute couture fashion houses of Milan at every corner – well I guess that’s where the stuff comes from anyway? They seem to have everything in neatly foldable mats, one tug and the whole lot fold up and they disappear whilst only the policeman’s hat is visible!
Still looking for lunch we head back and soon find a beach bar of more sustainable value, nevertheless two spaghetti carbonara and a cheeky Lambrusco Rose is €50 and don’t get me started on the exchange rate on offer, not that we accepted this rip-off trick – how many people fall for it I wonder?
On our return to Marbella we move on to part two of our tour, walking round the old town. Having been a fortress since C10 the streets are higgldy piggldy and littered with small squares, and we spend a great hour wandering around. The (now) Catholic Church of the Incarnation was formerly a mosque and is highly guilded. In the main square the town hall sports a mixture of flags, and opposite a house has flamenco dresses decorating its balconies in response.
After a hard day racking up 16 miles there’s an urgent need for Sangria, so we return to our comfortable square and demand the aforesaid and enjoy a relaxing hour before it’s time to shower and dress for dinner.
Then we’re back off in the direction of the morning schlepp, this time only just over a mile away, it’s no distance at all. Our chosen restaurant is right on the beach, elevated over it and with huge open windows we enjoy the smell wind and roar of the ocean.
We opt for mostly seafood, and enjoy calimare, tuna tartare, scallops and lamb which whilst not stunning is served delightfully by very friendly staff and in the most agreeable surroundings.
We’ve amassed 40,000 steps today, so we’re very pleased with ourselves!
