Things are starting to heat up in Spain! Costa del Sol & Marbella (south of Spain) is the a real hot-spot during summertime.

However, just as a direct reference to its name (“The sunny coast”), the sun starts to be strongly present here much earlier than in some other regions of Spain, meaning that you can enjoy your first sunbathing of the year in early March!

Willing to find your place in the sun? Here is a beautiful weekend program Spanish Heritage DMC did recently for you to start warming up.

 

Where to stay:

Hotel Gran Melia Don Pepe Resort: located within a fantastic natural scenery, among the tropical gardens and right in front of the sparkling Mediterranean, this hotel is a relaxation & contemplation paradise.

Belonging to the Melia chain, Don Pepe is one of the most well-known properties of the Costa del Sol offering a splendid 5-star service with 200 rooms, 3 outdoor swimming pools and a breakfast very much worth an early rise.

The hotel´s location is also unbeatable: just 500 m from the center of Marbella which makes it a perfect option for the ones who want to enjoy the city. The fashionable Puerto Banus where rich & famous mingle from time to time is 6km away from Don Pepe.

 

What to do:

Day 1: Marbella – Where the Old meets the New

We are getting to know Marbella starting our walk in the Old Town. Everything here screams “Andalusia!”: the white-walled houses, the smell of orange trees and the sound of the chapel bells ringing at Plaza de los Naranjos.

Suddenly, we will pop into a small local shop, where David, the owner, welcomes us into his temple of olive oil, where hundreds of different varieties of this liquid treasure are displayed.

No need to say, we are all pretty much used to the wine tastings, but what about an olive oil tasting? Spain is the world´s major olive oil producer with 45% of the oil consumed worldwide coming from our country.

Learn about the different origin regions of the olive oil, its various flavors, colors and intensities washing it down with a glass of locally produced wine, of course.

At sunset, a stroll around the Marbella port and a relaxed dinner by the seaside.

 

Day 2: Ronda – The essence of Andalusia

It´s time for a more intense day. We are taking a drive up to the mountains to reach the picturesque town of Ronda – a historical site surrounded by a stunning natural landscape. You may recall an image of the Bridge of Ronda as the main icon of this town.

After having a walk in the Ronda´s old town, we are heading directly to a small winery nearby, where Joaquin, the father and the head of the family is waiting for us.

Joaquin and all his family own and run the winery for years and they are all one of a kind and very sweet people. His elder son is a wine “book warm”, so he is the one in charge of introducing us to the different varieties of wine produced by the family right at the spot.

Wine needs a full tummy though and what is better than a rustic rice we will prepare all together?  Of course, Joaquin will keep an eye on us so we follow the receipt!

Back in Marbella, for the ones who are in the mood for party, the vivid nightlife of Puerto Banus will never disappoint you.

 

Day 3: The Dynamic Malaga

Malaga is a world apart from the adjoining Costa del Sol.

This provincial capital has been rapidly developing in the last decades and is now being compared to Madrid because of its cultural heritage and the so called “mile of art” and also to Barcelona thanks to its dynamism and great food.

The food is what we will start with here. The local “must” place for tapas is Bodega El Pimpi – a traditional cellar-style restaurant just thinking of which your taste buds will start going.

One of the greatest ways to explore Malaga is hopping on a segway and head up to the Gibralfaro hill. There, having the whole city at your feet, it is an ideal moment to wave “goodbye” to Costa del Sol until your next and very soon return.