Marbella is known as a glamorous resort town and is a favourite location with the rich and famous, boosted by foreign residents who are seduced by the lifestyle and the Marbella real estate. The old town with its narrow cobbled streets and flower-filled plazas is packed with delightful shops and art galleries selling pretty clothes and accessories, and handmade wares. One of the prettiest spots is the fabled orange tree-filled Plaza de los Naranjos, which is located just off the main street and is home to the 16th-century town hall For more contemporary fashions, Puerto Banús has all the top international designer stores. Which also makes you enjoy all the exclusive cars and big yachts, the beach clubs all over the Marbella coast line. In terms of eating out, Marbella’s gastronomic scene is second to none, with everything from vegetarian and vegan cafes, to beachfront chiringuitos, and Michelin-starred restaurants, including Spanish cooking star Dani Garcia’s – a feast for foodies. And of course the beaches are second to none – most visitors come to Marbella to enjoy the sun, sea and sand, which has been drawing in expatriate communities since the 1950s when Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe fell in love with the place and built a beachfront house, attracting all the Hollywood stars and the jet-set crowd, which led to the establishing of the exclusive Marbella Club Hotel. Worth a visit, together with the luxury resort next door, Puente Romano resort. Which includes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, chiringuitos etc. A gem in Marbella. If your visit inspires you to consider living here, check out the Marbella properties for sale that make this such a charming place to live, or perhaps visit on an excursion and decide afterwards.