Marbella Written and presented by Southspainproperties Climate and

Marbella Written and presented by Southspainproperties

Climate and Topography • Marbella is protected on its northern side by the coastal mountains of the Cordillera Penibética and so enjoys a microclimate with an average annual temperature of 18 °C. • Marbella Climate make it very attractive for the European countries which consist the majority of population.

Beaches • The 27 kilometres (17 miles) of coastline within the limits of Marbella is divided into twenty-four beaches with different features. They generally have moderate surf, golden or dark sand. Amongst the various notable beaches are Artola beach, situated in the protected area of the Dunas de Artola, and Cabopino, one of the few nudist beaches in Marbella, near the port of Cabopino. The beaches of Venus and La Fontanilla are centrally located and very popular, and those of Puerto Banús and San Pedro Alcántara have been awarded the blue flag for compliance with standards of water quality, safety, general services and environmental management.

Celebrity Residents • • • • Sean Connery had a residence in Marbella from 1970 to 1998, where he was regularly seen playing golf when not filming. George Clooney-actor Ebi, Persian singer Ahdiyeh, Persian singer Ousted Cuban president Fulgencio Batista died in Guadalmina, near Marbella, in 1973. Rick Parfitt OBE, British rock musician from Status Quo, lives in the mountains just outside Marbella. [ Def Leppard stayed in a house in Marbella while recording parts of the Slang album. Antonio Banderas, born in the nearby city of Málaga, has been a regular visitor to Marbella where he has a house in Los Monteros. Stella, his daughter with wife, US actress Melanie Griffith, was born in Marbella in 1999. In 1981 English actress Joan Collins accepted her career-making role in the hit prime time melodrama Dynasty while living in her Marbella vacation home. English writer Vincent Cronin had a home in Marbella for decades and died there in 2011. Arms dealer Monzer al-Kassar was a longtime resident until his imprisonment, and has been nicknamed "The Prince of Marbella". Mark Langford, the former, multi-millionaire boss of The Accident Group who notoriously sacked most of his 2, 700 staff by text message, died after being involved in a car accident in Marbella on April 11, 2007 Actor Dolph Lundgren resides in Marbella and London with his wife and two children. English songwriter Richard Daniel Roman Porn star Linsey Dawn Mc. Kenzie

• Mike Reid, English actor and comedian, was living in Marbella at the time of his death on 29 July 2007. He was born in Hackney London, and retired to Marbella a few years before he died. • Andy Gray, Scottish footballer • Frank Harper, actor • Jorg Wontorra, German sport journalist • Jon Olsson, Swedish Freestyle and Alpine skier. • Santi Cazorla, footballer • Joe Atlan, musician • Julio Iglesisas, singer • Zinedine Zidane, footballer • Vicente Del Bosque, football coach • Lord Alan Sugar British Billionaire • Barones Karen Brady: British antroponer

• Simon Cowell, branded TV’s ” Mr Nasty”, owns a large villa in the Sierra Blanca area of • Russian president Vladimir Putin has recently constructed his Benahavis (La Zagaletta) • Malik Fahd late King of Saudi Arabia has a palace which is a replica of white House in Golden Miles Marbella

Famous Regular visitors • Amy Childs, Mark Wright, Joey Essex, Melanie Griffiths, Ashley Cole, Cheryl Cole, Bruce Willis, Calum Best, Cesar Millan (Dog Whisperer), Chanelle Hayes, Chantelle Houghton, Cheeky Girls, Danielle Lloyd, Duquesa de Alba, Tom Cruise, Eduardo Cruz, Gary Lineker, George Best, Imogen Thomas, Joe Swash, Miranda Rijnsburger, Kate Moss, Sadie Frost, Kelly Osbourne, Davina Taylor, Katie Price, Malissa Reeves, Nikki Sanderson, Zoe Salmon, Peter Andre, Piers Morgan, Pixie Lott, Sarah Harding, Shakira, Tom Jones, Niall Horan, Ray Parlour, Samuel L. Jackson, Louis Smith, Gavin Henson, Julio Baptista, Brigette Nielson -

Hotel Los Monteros, La Cabane beach club • Hotel Los Monteros in Marbella, is one of the most traditional establishments on the Costa del Sol. • The Beach Club Hotel Los Monteros, La Cabane, is one of the most exclusive place of the Costa del Sol seaside.

Golf in Los Monteros • Rio Real golf club 18 -holes. The Rio Real Golf Course was designed by the legendary Javier Arana, considered to be the best Spanish designer of all time. With 18 holes (par 72) and more than 6, 000 m in length, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (Real Federación Española de Golf) considers it to be a prestigious golf course and one of the best in Spain, both for its layout, as well as it unique beauty.

Rio Real Golf Hotel • Río Real Golf Hotel is the leading Boutique Hotel in Marbella, in an authentic Andalusian setting. The hotel stands out for its elegant and contemporary comfort and was decorated by renowned interior designer Pascua Ortega. The property is located in the very heart of the Río Real golf course that runs from the Sierra Bermeja Mountains, right down to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Golden Mile • The Golden Mile of Marbella now claims world record popularity amongst reach and famous, and it all started in 1954. Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe in 1954 was travelling through Andalucia and after seeing Marbella he fell in love with the place. He built Marbella Club Hotel in the heart of the area now known as The Golden Mile, for himself and his associates. Famous stars including Ava Gardner, Carry Grant and Audry Hepburn used to come and enjoy holidays in his charming place in The Golden Mile, when in fact the only telephone line was available in the Marbella Club Hotel for the stars to keep in touch with their families. Nowadays the Golden Mile starting from west of Marbella center, expands all the way to east of Puerto Banus and it is home to some of the most expensive villas and apartments in the world as well as luxury hotels like Puente Romano. The palace of the King Fahad himself built one of the most ludicrous villas in existence for himself in the Golden Mile with helipad and many apartments inside for hundreds of staff and entourage. In the Golden Mile also you will find some of the most exclusive bars and clubs including Olivia Valere and The Golden Goose where the likes of Bruce willis has been spotted. Many stars and famous people have chosen this area for living given its charm including Julio Iglesias the legendary singer, Sir Sean Connery 007 himself, Antonio Bnaderas actor of the Mask of Zorro, Isabel Pantoja (Spanish singer). The area is also a huge magnet for part time lovers of Marbella too including Eva Longoria famous actress of Desperate house wives, Lady Gaga, the stars of Towie and other reality shows, footballers and even George Clooney.

King Fahad Palace • The late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia had a fully-staffed compound, complete with private clinic and mosque, in Marbella, where he spent most summers. His house, Mar-Mar Palace, built in the 1980 s, was modelled on the White House. On his visits, the famously profligate ruler brought an entourage of 3, 000 people, rented 300 hotel rooms and 500 cars; his one-month stays would inject an estimated 40 -80 million euros.

King Salman Palace Marbella • The monarch has a luxury home on Marbella´s Golden Mile the Al-Riyadh Palace, which was built by former Saudi King Fahd, Salman’s half-brother. His yacht parked in Puerto Banus called SHAF London.

Puerto Banús • is a marina located in the area of Nueva Andalucia, to the southwest of Marbella, Spain on the Costa Del Sol. It was built in May 1970 by José Banús, a local property developer, as a luxury marina and shopping complex. It has since become one of the largest entertainment centres in the Costa del Sol, with 5 million annual visitors, and is popular with international celebrities. Developed around a coastal village in the Mediterranean architectural style, Puerto Banús contains expensive shopping malls, restaurants and bars around the marina. It is also scene to many exotic cars that are owned by international celebrities and wealthy owners that also own large yachts. Luxury cars like Rolls Royces and high end sports cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Mercedes Benz are a common sight in the summer months around Marbella and Puerto Banus. These cars are brought to the eye of the public via huge showrooms and dealerships showcasing the latest supercars.

Hotel Puente Romano • The name Puente Romano comes from the Roman bridge at the heart of the complex, as the hotel is actually on the ancient route from Rome to Cádiz. The Puente Romano is renowned for its tennis club, where prestigious tournaments are held. There are 10 courts, as well as a large fitness centre with Technogym equipment, a range of classes including spinning and a Pilates studio. There are nine restaurants and the hotel is a real foodie destination in its own right. Dani García has two Michelin stars at his eponymous restaurant here and will no doubt get a third in the next couple of years.