Princes, yachts and the jet set: how Marbella became Marbella, the back story

About Princes, yachts and the jet set: how Marbella became Marbella, the back story

By the ULTIMATE Marbella Editorial Team

Marbella’s transformation began in the 1950s, when Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe opened the Marbella Club and invited his friends from European high society and Hollywood.

The Marbella Club

In the 1950s Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe turned a property on the coast west of town into the Marbella Club Hotel. Aristocrats, film stars and writers followed, and the road between Marbella and Puerto Banús became the Golden Mile, lined with villas, hotels and later palaces.

Puerto Banús

In 1970 the developer José Banús opened the marina that bears his name, designed to look like an Andalusian village. Its quays of yachts, supercars and boutiques became the town’s most famous image.

One hotel changed the destiny of a fishing town.

Growth

From the 1970s onwards golf courses spread across Nueva Andalucía’s Golf Valley, and the town grew into one of the main resort areas of Europe. Today Marbella has around 150,000 residents, from Andalusian families to people from all over the world.

Our advice: walk or cycle the coastal path along the Golden Mile from the centre towards Puerto Banús, and stop for a drink at one of the historic hotels along the way.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Princes, yachts and the jet set: how Marbella became Marbella, the back story before you go.