European Division | SPAIN
Spotlight on Marbella
Marbella was catapulted onto the international luxury travel circuit in the 1950s, when Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe established the Marbella Club Hotel, one of the most exclusive luxury beach resorts in Europe. Today, the glitzy resort city boasts world-class hotels, restaurants, shops, spas and nightclubs and is the site of Spain's most famous marina, Puerto Banus. It is home to approximately 250,000 people, more than half of whom hail from other parts of the globe.
"This marvelous mixture of cultures, traditions, languages and professions creates the real magic of Marbella," says Christopher Clover, owner of Panorama Properties, a Marbella luxury real estate agency. "The friendliness and peacefulness of the people who live here has an incredibly positive influence on the property market."
Located on Europe's southernmost coastline, within sight of Gibraltar and the Moroccan Coast, Marbella enjoys a rare microclimate created by the Sierra Blanca Mountains that results in 320 sunny days a year. But sultry weather and spectacular beaches are far from Marbella's only draw, says Christopher. "We also have the mountains, and even Spain's most famous ski resort [Sol y Nieve], which is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains only a two-and-a-half hours' drive away," he says.
In addition, "The fabled cities of Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba are only a couple of hours away, with all of the beautiful mountain villages and incredible scenery in between." Of course, no description of Marbella would be complete without mentioning golf. Costa del Sol, the 90-mile-long coastal region where Marbella is located, is known as the Golf Capital of Europe with more than 50 courses.
According to Christopher, luxury real estate property and homes for sale in Marbella, Spain range from around $400,000 USD for a townhouse or apartment, up to several million dollars for a mansion on the beach, in the hills or on a golf course.
