The Ultimate Guide to Marbella: what to do, where to eat & how to experience the city like a local

By Joaquin Jimenez December 3rd, 2025 · 13m. reading time

Read more about Joaquin

There are cities you know from postcards and then there are cities you understand only when someone who grew up there opens the door for you. Marbella is one of those places, and The Ultimate Guide to Marbella begins exactly with this kind of perspective.

Through glossy travel guides and sun-drenched Instagram feeds, Marbella often appears as a polished product: beaches, luxury, palm trees and champagne. But when you sit down with Joaquín Jiménez, Property Advisor at Drumelia and a lifelong local, you discover the Marbella that exists behind the image the Marbella people choose not just to visit, but to live in.

“Marbella isn’t about holidays for me. It’s about the life you live every day with family, with friends, with the sea and the mountains always there.”

— Joaquín Jiménez 

For Joaquín, the magic of Marbella is rooted in the effortless flow of daily life. Days begin gently, often with breakfast at La Casita near Puerto Deportivo, where homemade mollete and churros form a ritual shared with his mother. 

Marbella gets more than 320 days of sunshine a year, but the climate is only the surface of its charm.

The real treasure is the habit that good weather makes possible.

• Morning runs along the waterfront.
• Spontaneous lunches that turn into afternoons.
• Walks alone on the beach to reset.
• Plans with friends that require no planning at all.

“I love spending time alone, going to the beach, going for a run, being outside. Marbella gives you that. But then in two minutes, you can be with your favourite people again.”

— Joaquín Jiménez 

There is a certain intimacy in the way he describes these moments. Nothing spectacular but deeply meaningful.

Marbella has reinvented itself in the last 15 years, but without losing its soul. Joaquín remembers it clearly:

“When I was a kid, if we wanted Italian food, there were only two options. Now we have fifteen  and all of them good.”

The gastronomic scene has expanded dramatically: where once there were two or three reliable Italian restaurants, today the city offers more than fifteen noteworthy options, alongside increasingly refined Japanese, Mexican and contemporary Spanish cuisine. Marbella has grown into a culinary destination in its own right. 

At the same time, the city has become far more international. Students come from Venezuela, Ukraine, Russia, Portugal, Poland and beyond, studying in local international schools or universities like Les Roches. Many leave Marbella to work abroad and eventually return because the lifestyle they experienced here, sun, community, movement and culture pulls them back. 

This international ecosystem has fuelled new social dynamics: 

• Running clubs that gather dozens of participants every Sunday morning, 
• Pilates studios connecting with lifestyle spaces like Forum, 
• Community-focused activities that encourage both locals and newcomers to integrate seamlessly. 

Marbella continues to evolve without losing its essential Mediterranean softness. 

Discovering what to do in Marbella becomes much easier when you follow Joaquín’s weekly rhythm. Here, padel is practically a way of life: players gather at clubs like Nueva Alcántara, Bellamar or Real Padel, booking courts instantly through the Playtomic app. Tennis carries a similar energy, especially in the summer months.

For nature lovers, hiking La Concha is Marbella’s defining outdoor experience. Joaquín recommends avoiding July and August due to the heat, but for the rest of the year, the ascent from Refugio del Juanar is spectacular. 

The trail winds through forests and rocky passages until the entire Costa del Sol gradually unfolds below you.
At the summit, the sweeping views stretch across Estepona, Mijas and the Lake of Istán, an image that stays with you long after the descent.

Cycling the Senda Litoral, the coastal path that now links La Cala de Mijas with Estepona, offers hours of uninterrupted seaside riding. Marbella also thrives on community movement: Sunday running groups bring together people of all ages and nationalities, turning their workouts into social rituals followed by brunch or coffee.

Marbella is cradled between the Mediterranean Sea and the iconic La Concha mountain, giving the city a rare duality: beachfront serenity paired with dramatic mountain landscapes.
On any given weekend, locals effortlessly switch between:

• Windsurfing or beach sports
• Hiking up La Concha
• Mountain cycling near Istán
• Scenic motorcycle rides through Ojén

Few places allow you to experience a mountain sunrise and a beach sunset in the same day.

Food is one of the pillars of life in Marbella, and Joaquín’s recommendations reveal where locals truly dine. 

• For seafood, El Bigote in La Campana is a treasured gem: tiny, family-run, serving exceptional fish, shrimp and lobster with no pretence — just quality. 
• For oysters, the Central Market is the place to go, where vendors open them fresh in front of you. 
• When asked about paella, Joaquín immediately points to La Milla, where refined dishes meet beachfront elegance. 
• For traditional Spanish food, Casa Rivas — a father-and-son restaurant — offers market-fresh plates such as tuna huevos rotos, chicharrones, excellent meats and lively flamenco nights on weekends. 
• Steak lovers gravitate to La Cidrería, a Northern Spanish restaurant known for its exceptional meat and lamb. 
• If Italian food is what you crave, Davero in Puerto Pesquero stands out with its mortadella-and-pistachio pizza and truffle carbonara, staples among locals. 
• And for sushi, Joaquín alternates between Genji, an intimate six-table spot run by a couple, and Takumi, a polished dining experience ideal for special evenings or business meetings. 

Marbella’s nightlife has grown into something refined, curated and surprisingly elegant.

The old clichés of “party Marbella” no longer match reality. Today’s scene includes Black Coffee, Rampa, Adam Port, Anni, and other world-class DJs performing weekly at venues like:

• Momento: on the Golden Mile, two minutes from the Drumelia office
• Playa Padre: the beach club that defines summer Sundays
• Particulier: a new dinner-club hybrid with strict dress code and exquisite atmosphere

“It used to be Ibiza. Now Marbella gets these DJs every week. And the people who go to these events… many end up buying or renting here.”

— Joaquín Jiménez 

A perfect weekend in Marbella, through Joaquín’s eyes, flows effortlessly. Saturday begins with breakfast at La Casita, followed by a padel match or a relaxing morning swim. Lunch happens by the beach, often at La Milla or Aquí te quiero ver, where seafood or paella turn into long afternoons under the sun. 

As the day fades, the local ritual unfolds at La Siesta: music, golden light, circles of friends, and the communal applause that marks the end of the sunset. Sundays shift between serenity and celebration. 

Some mornings are spent hiking La Concha or running along the promenade, followed by brunch at Cappuccino. The afternoon might remain calm at home with family, or transform into a lively beachfront evening at Playa Padre or La Plage Casanis, where the end of the week becomes a warm, communal farewell to the weekend. 

Through Joaquín’s stories, it becomes clear that Marbella’s true luxury has little to do with price tags. It is the freedom to live outdoors, the balance between tranquillity and activity, the closeness of nature, the warmth of community, and the ability to enjoy life in a way that feels both grounded and elevated. 

Marbella is a place that many visit, fewer understand, and only some are lucky enough to call home, but once you learn to see it like a local, it becomes unforgettable. If you see yourself as part of this lifestyle, you can always reach out to us — we’ll help you find a home in Marbella that matches the way you want to live.