Marbella fun facts

We have compiled a fun facts page all about Marbella - from the weird and wacky to the most traditional, here's our A-Z guide.  If you have some other ideas of fun Marbella facts please do send them to us as we love to hear from our users!

A is for...

ARABIC PALACE King Fahd of Saudi Arabia built a marble and gold replica of the White House on Marbella's Golden Mile, once built the palace had a price tag of €108 million and has numerous pools, a hospital and luxury villas in the grounds.

ANDALUCIA the name of the county in Southern Spain where Marbella is located.

B is for...

BOQUERONES FRITOS This delicious fish dish is a favourite among locals in Marbella, the small boquerones (or whitebait) are deep fried and usually served with a chunk of lemon and a cold beer.

C is for...

CHUPITO A chupito is a shot of alcohol that is usually served after a meal - the alcholol that is normally offered is Orujo, a Galician distillation of white grapes but can also be pacharan and various berry, apple and pear liquors.

CHURROS Y CHOCOLATE A churro is fried dough pastry that are sprinked with sugar and served for breakfast or a snack with a hot chocolate that you dip the churro into.

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DOLPHINS Take a tour in a boat around the rock of Gibraltar, just an hour's drive from Marbella, and you will probably come across a pod of dolphins, sometimes as large as 20 or 30 and often with their young.

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ELEPHANT SHOWER On the beach in Marbella you'll come across a distinctive shower shaped as an elephant - quirky and fun!

ESPETOS These are name of the skewers that are used to cook the whole fish such as sardines, sea bass or sea bream on the open fires at the beach bars.

F is for...

FLAMENCO A type of traditional Andalusian music and dance, Flamenco has been performed for centuries and originated from Romani gypsies.

FERIA A feria is a type of fair that runs usually for a week in each town celebrating the day of a Saint, the fair includes typical Andalucian elements such as food, drink, dancing and entertainment as well as fair rides, concerts and parades.

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GOLF Marbella has over 100 golf courses and has become a top holiday destination for golfing enthusiasts as well as professionals. With tournaments including the World Match Play at Finca Cortesin and the Andalucian Masters at Valderrama, there's great games to watch as well as play.

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HAMACAS Want to relax on the beach for the day but can't be bothered to take your own sunlounger and umbrella, then rent a hamaca for the day, you'll find these sunloungers along most beaches on the coast and at only €5-10, depending on where you are, you won't break the bank!

I is for...

IGLESIA DE LA ENCARNACION The oldest church in Marbella can be found in the old town and is definitely worth a visit.

J is for...

JAMON SERRANO A type of dry-cured Spanish ham that is usually served in small thin slices as a tapas or on top of small chunks of bread.

K is for...

KINGS (LOS 3 REYES)  El Dia de los Reyes or the Day of the Kings falls on January 6th and is celebrated in Spain as the day that the three kings brought gold, frankencense and myrrh to baby Jesus. Because of this, most Spanish children receive their gifts on this day instead of Christmas Day.

KIOSKOS these are the small little blue and white painted huts dotted all around Marbella which sell sweets, drinks, crisps, cigarettes and ice creams.

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LA CONCHA The mountain overlooking Marbella is one of it's most famous landmarks and stands at 1200 metres above sea level. There are many trails to the summit which you can hike on a sunny day in Marbella.

M is for...

MENU DEL DIA Many Spanish bars and restaurants will offer a menu del día which includes 2 or 3 courses at just €10-15. Starters are usually soups or salad, main courses can be a fish or meat dish and desserts will be typically Spanish such as flan or creme caramel.

N is for...

NIGHTCLUBS Many partygoers head to Marbella and Puerto Banus for their party atmosphere and nightclubs. With over 10 great clubs in the area, there's lots to choose from when you want a night out!

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OLIVE TREES Andalucia is known for its olives and olive trees and indeed every tree now has its own GPS co-ordinates and is carefully monitored by officials. Spain is undoubtably the leader of olive oil production.

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PUERTO BANUS Built in 1970, Puerto Banus has been visited by many famous faces over the years and is now the Costa del Sol's largest and busiest entertainment centres with over 5 million annual visitors piling onto its beaches and bars and clubs.

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QUICK TRIVIA Did you know that Antonio Banderas has a home in Marbella and regularly visits with his family.

Did you know that historians believe that there were settlements in Marbella around the 7th century BC and later, in Roman times the city was called Salduba (Salt City).

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REGIONAL DISH Among the many restaurants on the coast you will find traditional Andalucian dishes that include gazpacho (a tomato based chilled soup), Malaga style fried fish, and Espeto de Sardines (sardines roasted over an over fire).

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SIESTA A nap usually taken in the afternoon after lunch, a siesta is traditional to Spain and many shops close mid-afternoon for shopkeepers to go home, have lunch with their family and enjoy a little snooze!

T is for...

TAPAS The Spanish version of a canapé, these Mediterranean treats can be served hot or cold and are on offer in most bars when you order a drink. There are many theories as to where and how the tapa originated, one of the theories is that back in the day they used little plates to cover their beers and protect them from the hovering flies, hence the name ''tapa'' meaning to cover. They then began to serve small portions of food and this became a revelation for Spanish culture.

TURRON Eaten as a dessert or treat at Christmas, Turrón is a nougat sweet that can either be hard or soft.

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UNO We think Marbella ranks number 1 for holiday destinations as we have sun, sea and sangria and much more besides!

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VEGETATION Despite the urban development of Marbella and the surrounding areas, there are still many areas full of vegetation and in the mountains above the coast, you will still find cherry, chestnut and fir trees.

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WATERPARKS The Costa del Sol has two water parks that are very popular in the summer months with both tourists and locals who want to entertain the kids (and themselves) with some fun and excitement.

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XMAS Marbella might not have snow but Christmas in Marbella is still a magical time for both children and adults. The Christmas lights are turned on at the beginning of December and Christmas concerts, fairs and Santa's grotto are great things to do with the kids during the festive month.

Y is for...

YACHTS If you take a walk along Puerto Banus or Marbella's marina then you will come across some of the world's best and most luxurious yachts. Famous faces also dock their yachts in these marinas including Roman Abramovich, whose superyacht couldn't actually fit into the harbour so you'll often see it parked out at sea.

Z is for...

ZOO There are two zoo's in the surrounding areas of Marbella - Fuengirola Bioparc where you will find many exotic creatures and Zoo de Castellar, which is a charity based project and some of the animals are tame so you may get the chance to pet a baby lion or tiger.