Holiday rentals and lettings in Marbella

Table of Contents

• At a glance: What should you know about renting a holiday letting in Marbella?
• Holiday lettings in Marbella: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Marbella: our top recommendations
• Activities: What are the top things to do and see in Marbella?

• Homes for every budget: From compact studios near the Paseo Marítimo to garden villas in Elviria, most Marbella lettings come with a pool, air conditioning and a sun terrace.
• Pick your neighbourhood: Stay in the Casco Antiguo for old-town charm, Puerto Banús for the marina buzz, or Elviria and Marbella East for quieter sands.
• Guests rate it highly: Our best-reviewed Marbella properties score up to 9.9+, with hosts praised for spotless flats, sea views and easy beach access.
• A season that never really ends: Winters stay mild, spring and autumn are glorious, and July and August bring heat and crowds.
• More than beaches: Climb La Concha, wander Plaza de los Naranjos, play a round of golf or take a day trip inland to Ronda.

Marbella's choice is genuinely broad. Beachfront studios and family flats line Marbella East, while whitewashed townhouses sit inside the old town walls. Garden villas in Marbella suit larger groups, apartments in Marbella work well for couples and short breaks, and low-rise bungalows in Marbella offer easy ground-floor living near the sand. Most properties come with a shared or private pool. Whichever you choose, a few amenities turn up again and again:

• Private or communal pools, often with a separate children's pool
• Air conditioning, essential in July and August
• Balconies and sun terraces with sea or mountain views
• Fast Wi-Fi, handy for longer off-season stays
• Extras such as sauna or hot tub in our luxury rentals in Marbella and beach houses in Marbella

Book early for August, when the best-located properties disappear first.

What are the best areas to stay in Marbella?

For a first visit, the Casco Antiguo is hard to beat: cafés, tapas bars and Plaza de los Naranjos are all on foot. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Marbella properties review well, and the comments are consistent: guests single out the sea views, the reliability of the air conditioning and pools in high summer, and how easy it is to reach a beach on foot. Our best-rated lettings in and around Elviria and Marbella East regularly sit at 9.8+ or above, with several holding a perfect 10.0+ score across the past year.

Here are our top-rated holiday lettings from the past year:

1. Fabulous apartment in Elviria Hills - 9.9+: A six-person apartment in Elviria with a children's pool, sauna and garden, praised for its quiet hillside setting.
2. Penthouse Reserva de Marbella 6-31 - 10.0+: A Marbella East penthouse with a large terrace and pool access, popular with families wanting space and sea breezes.
3. Casa Sunchill - 9.8+: An Elviria apartment for six with a garden and children's pool, an easy base for the eastern beaches.

Marbella sits on the Costa del Sol in Andalusia, between the Sierra Blanca mountains and 27 kilometres of Mediterranean coast.

✈️What is the best way to get to Marbella?

For most British travellers, flying into Málaga and driving the last stretch is the simplest option. Here are the most common ways to get to the town:

• Plane and hire car: Direct flights from UK airports including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol land at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), roughly 50 kilometres east. From the terminal, the AP-7 toll motorway or the free A-7 coast road brings you into Marbella in about 45 minutes. Hire desks sit in the arrivals hall, and pre-booked private transfers cover the same run door to door.
• Bus: If you would rather not drive, the Avanza coach runs from Málaga Airport directly to Marbella bus station several times an hour in season, taking around 60 to 75 minutes. Local buses then link the station with Puerto Banús, Nueva Andalucía and the eastern beaches at Elviria. There is no railway station in Marbella itself, so the coach is the main public-transport route along the coast.

🥗Where to eat in Marbella?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Luxalad Salad Bar Marbella is the best rated restaurant in Marbella. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests’ recommendation: Our guest traveller Emma Wilson recommends the Tempora Restaurante in Marbella: a small Mediterranean spot on Calle Tetuán in the old town, ideal after an evening wander around Plaza de los Naranjos.

☀️When is the best time to visit?

Marbella has an unusually long season. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot, with warm sea temperatures and comfortable walking weather, while July and August bring the heat, the beach clubs and the highest prices. Even winter stays mild here, which is why golfers and walkers keep coming between November and March.

Spring (March to June)

• Best for: Walkers, golfers and anyone hoping to climb La Concha in comfort.
• Weather: Pleasantly warm days, cool evenings and the hillsides still green from winter rain.
• Atmosphere: Terraces filling up, beaches quiet, and lower rates before the summer rush.

Summer (July and August)

• Best for: Beach days, the Puerto Banús marina scene and the beach clubs at Playa de la Fontanilla.
• Weather: Hot and reliably dry, with sea temperatures at their warmest.
• Atmosphere: Busy and glamorous, with the Paseo Marítimo lively well past midnight.

Autumn and winter (September to February)

• Best for: Golf, long lunches and day trips inland to Ronda without the queues.
• Weather: Warm early autumn, then mild winters that rarely feel cold by British standards.
• Atmosphere: Calm and local, with the old town at its most relaxed.

⭐Our Hosts’ recommendation: Our Marbella local expert, the host team of Fabulous apartment in Elviria Hills, recommends coming to visit the eastern beaches around Elviria and Artola early in the day, before the sun loungers go out. They also suggest driving the coast road west towards Estepona for a slower, more traditional Andalusian afternoon. You can read more about local tips on the host team’s page.

1. Stroll the Casco Antiguo
2. Watch the yachts at Puerto Banús
3. Walk the Paseo Marítimo
4. Climb La Concha
5. Day trip to Ronda

1. Stroll the Casco Antiguo

   Marbella’s old town is a knot of whitewashed lanes, wrought-iron balconies and bougainvillea. The heart of it is Plaza de los Naranjos, a Castilian-style square lined with orange trees and Renaissance buildings, where the town hall has stood since the 16th century. Nearby you can trace the remains of the Arab castle walls and step inside the Church of Santa María de la Encarnación. Come in the early evening, when the squares fill with families and the tapas bars start serving.

2. Watch the yachts at Puerto Banús

   Six kilometres west of the centre, Puerto Banús is the Costa del Sol at its most theatrical: superyachts moored bow-to-quay, designer boutiques, supercars parked in rows and beach clubs running until late. Even if you are only window-shopping, the walk around the marina is free and the people-watching is unmatched. Three beaches sit alongside it, and the eastern end is calmer if you have children. For a quieter, greener alternative just inland, browse our fincas in Marbella.

3. Walk the Paseo Marítimo

   The Paseo Marítimo runs for several kilometres along the seafront, linking the town beaches with Puerto Banús in one flat, shaded promenade. It passes Playa de la Fontanilla, the most popular stretch of sand in central Marbella, and a string of chiringuitos serving espetos de sardinas grilled over open fires in old fishing boats. Cyclists, joggers and families share the path, and the sunset stretch towards the west is the one everyone photographs.

4. Climb La Concha

   The mountain that shelters Marbella, La Concha, rises to 1,215 metres in the Sierra Blanca and gives the whole coast its backdrop. The full ascent takes around four to six hours there and back and is best tackled in spring or autumn, with sturdy boots and plenty of water. On a clear day the summit view reaches Gibraltar and the Rif mountains of Morocco. If you prefer something gentler, the trails from Refugio de Juanar offer shorter walks with the same pine-scented air.

5. Day trip to Ronda

   An hour and a half inland, Ronda straddles a 100-metre gorge crossed by the extraordinary Puente Nuevo. It is also home to one of Spain’s oldest bullrings and a clifftop old town made for slow wandering. The drive up through the Serranía de Ronda is scenic in its own right. Closer to home, the coastal towns make easy half-day outings too, including our villas in Nerja further east along the Costa del Sol.