Marbs marvellous again as UK press peers in

Whatever you want from Marbella, La Concha mountain, the beach, the Med and the weather will always be there

It’s always interesting to watch how the British press deals with Marbella. When not denigrating it as a haven for washed-up crooks on the run from the law, or soon-to-be washed up Z-list celebrities on the run from their sense of shame, they usually view it through the only other pigeonhole they know: as a place of unabashed luxury.

Which isn’t the end of the world, of course. Marbella has risen to global prominence on the back of such luxury, and dines out on that reputation every summer when the world’s rich and famous jet over for months of sun-drenched partying…

But there is obviously a side to Marbella that is less headline-worthy, and it’s this side that is rarely picked up on by reporters tapping away at their desks in rainy old London. Fair enough – when you’ve got stories of €30,000-per-night villas for hire at the famous Marbella Club Hotel, or news that properties in the exclusive La Zagaleta resort regularly change hands for a minimum of €10 million, it makes sense to pitch one’s copy at one of those easy-fit stereotypes.

And so it has come to pass this week that the Daily Telegraph has shone its luxury-loving lamp on Marbella’s decadence, reporting that the resort has come up smelling of roses since the 2006 mayor scandal and subsequent property bust.

If you’re a regular reader of these pages then there will be nothing new in the report (in summation, it says that Marbella’s appeal as a luxury resort never waned, and that the property market is recovering better than most thanks to sustained interest from British, German and Scandinavian buyers), but it still reaffirms the overriding image that Marbella – rightly or wrongly – projects to the world.

If you are considering buying a property in Marbella or moving to the Costa del Sol, such an image may well set the pulse racing – after all, who wouldn’t want to live in a place universally recognised as one of the finest resorts on the planet? – but it could make Marbella appear a little off-putting. Can you afford it, you might ask? Will you fit in? Is there anything more to Marbella than non-stop parties, beach frolics and sunshine?

The answer to all of the above is a resounding ‘Yes’. Property prices in Marbella range from the extreme high end to the everyday affordable, with a range of apartments, villas, townhouses and penthouses for sale to suit all budgets and tastes. Not everywhere will boast a sea view, private pool or golf course, but they all enjoy the climate, beautiful mountain backdrop and inescapable year-round summery vibe.

As for fitting in, Marbella is your oyster. You could blow €5k in an afternoon spraying champagne at the Ocean Club. Alternatively you could wander the beautiful Old Town in peace, enjoy a three-course meal under a shaded orangery courtyard and stop off for a spot of sunbathing on the beach, all for less than €20 per head.

Marbella is what you make of it, and if what you want is affordable, family-friendly living set against a stunning backdrop of perennial blue skies, mountains, the Med and year-round warmth, then you really do not need to look any further.