Marbella's Old Town: a local guide to the Casco Antiguo

Whitewashed lanes, orange-tree squares, tapas bars and the beach a flat ten-minute walk away — Marbella's Old Town (the Casco Antiguo) is the most charming, most walkable corner of the whole Costa del Sol. This is our honest guide to it, written from an apartment right in the middle of it.

Plaza-side lanes in the Casco Antiguo, minutes from the door.

Getting there from Málaga airport

Málaga (AGP) is the gateway. From the airport to Marbella Old Town is roughly 40 minutes by car along the AP-7 / A-7 coast road. A taxi or pre-booked transfer is the easiest door-to-door option; the direct airport bus (Avanza line) also runs to Marbella's bus station, about a 15-minute walk or short taxi from the Casco Antiguo. If you're staying with us, we're happy to arrange a transfer.

Once you're in the Old Town, you won't need the car again — everything below is on foot.

Plaza de los Naranjos & the heart of the Casco Antiguo

The Plaza de los Naranjos — the Orange Tree Square — is the centre of it all: a 15th-century plaza ringed with orange trees, a stone fountain, the old town hall and café terraces that fill up from mid-morning. Around it spreads a maze of pedestrian lanes with white houses, wrought-iron balconies and pots of geraniums. It's the postcard of Andalusia, and it's about a two-minute walk from our door.

Wander without a plan. The Old Town is small enough that you can't really get lost, and the best bits — a tiled doorway, a tucked-away bar, the little Plaza de la Iglesia by the church — are the ones you stumble on.

Orange trees against whitewashed walls — the Casco Antiguo in a single frame.

The beaches — and how long they really take

This is the Old Town's quiet superpower: you can walk to the sea. The town beach and the Paseo Marítimo (the seafront promenade) are a flat, ten-minute stroll south — no hills, no fuss. The Paseo runs for kilometres in both directions, past chiringuitos (beach restaurants) grilling sardines on the sand. For a longer day out, La Fontanilla and the wider beaches west of the centre are a pleasant walk or a five-minute taxi.

Marbella's town beach, with La Concha mountain behind — a 10-minute walk from the Old Town.

Where to eat: tapas, seafood and the orange-tree squares

Eat where the light is. The squares of the Casco Antiguo are made for slow lunches and long dinners:

• Tapas in the little bars around Plaza de los Naranjos and Calle Ancha — order a few plates, a glass of local wine, and watch the evening go by.
• Fresh seafood on the Paseo Marítimo — the chiringuitos do espeto de sardinas (sardines grilled on a bamboo skewer over an open fire) right on the beach.
• Coffee & churros in the morning before the squares fill up — it's the best time to have the Old Town almost to yourself.

Because everything is walkable, you never need to worry about who's driving.

Parking in the Old Town (it's easier than you think)

Old towns and cars usually don't mix — but Marbella's does. The Mercado Municipal public car park sits right on the edge of the Casco Antiguo (it's literally next door to our building). You can arrive by car, park it, and leave it there for your whole stay while you explore on foot. It's the rare Old Town where having a car is genuinely convenient.

When to visit

Marbella gets 300+ days of sunshine a year, so there's no truly bad time. April–June and September–October are the sweet spots: warm, bright and calmer than peak summer. July–August are hot and lively, with the beach at its busiest. And because the Old Town stays mild, winter is a genuine option for a long, quiet, sunny escape — one reason many guests stay by the month.

Written by Wolfgang & Elixabet, owners of Corazón de Marbella — a holiday & long-term rental apartment in Marbella's Old Town. Also available in Deutsch, Español and Français.