ABOUT THE AREA
Casa la Concha is part of the Bel Air neighbourhood, which is a quiet residential area that is close to Marbella but where you can still hear the birds singing and enjoy from the terrace the beautiful views of the Marbella mountains.
the The neighbourhood
The neighbourhood of Bel Air is surrounded by three first class golf courses: Villa Padierna Golf Club, El Paraiso Golf and Atalaya Golf, and it’s next to the Bel Air Tennis and Padel club. The Lidl and Mercadona are the nearest supermarkets at a five minute drive from the apartment. You can also find a bar, bank, some restaurants, a gym, pharmacy, gas station, and the beach at a 5 minute drive from the apartment.
The apartment is a 3 min drive to the Barrio de Cancelada, a picturesque village offering all kinds of shops and restaurants. Next to that it’s only a 7 minute drive to the village of San Pedro de Alcántara and a 10 minute drive to the glamourous Puerto Banus, the luxury harbour of Marbella, and a 10 minute drive to the romantic town of Estepona.
Best restaurants closest to the apartment:
- Ikan (farm to table), very good and close to the apartment
- Restaurante Cuore de Puglia (good Italian restaurant)
- Asador Guadalmina (for the best meats from a charcoal grill) or the great Japanese Sushi place DajiDali next to it.
- Chiringuito Pepe’s Beach & Restaurante La Antigua at Playa de Saladillo
- Bossa Estepona (great for breakfast and lunch)
- In the Cancelada town closeby I recommend Pizzeria Don Giovanni, Bodeguita Santa Maria & Casa Miguel and El Secreto de Baco (the last one has an all you can eat pintxos night for just €13,-)
- In San Pedro town closeby I recommend Trattoria l’Impronta, Sidreria Manolo (try their carpaccio de atun), and restaurante Chinales (great for fish)
Download my local travel guide, to get all of my insider tips on which activities and restaurants you should give a try. (coming soon).
Saladillo Beach
Playa de Saladillo is just a 5 minute drive, or 20 minute walk away. On this beach you can find the lovely Chiringuito “Pepe’s Beach” where you can get great fresh seafood, served directly from the BBQ to your plate, they also make very good cocktails. Restaurante La Antigua is right next to it, here they serve simple but good food for a cheap price, and also often have some live music in the summer weekends.
Guadalmina Beach
Guadalmina Beach is my favourite beach at a 10 min drive from the apartment. It’s great to walk or bike along the sea from here on the “Sendo Litoral” the coastal path. They call this area the new golden mile: a stretch of the coast from where you can enjoy the most beautiful seaside sunsets with a view of Morocco.
If you drive up to the Parking of the Sonora Beach Bar, you can park the car there. Sonora Beach is a great beachbar where you can have tapas, seafood, cocktails, hire sunbeds or have a massage on the beach. Often there’s a yoga class in the morning (@villalbaadelaida) and live music in the afternoon (@sonorabeach). It’s simply the best place for a lazy sunday.
Other bars and restaurants that are worth a visit here are: Como Pez en el Agua or if you go all the way up to Estepona: Chiringuito Malva Beach, La Bulla Gastrobar, The rooftop bar of Hotel Pilar at the main Estepona square, and Restaurante El Rincón Toscano, are all also worth a visit.
For the kitesurfers
The local kitesurfing spot is located at Playa de Guadalmansa, if you navigate to freedom kite school or heaven kite school you can see where all the kitesurfers park their cars.
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Estepona is one of the most charming villages in Andalusia. The former fishing village is well known for its year round sunshine and it’s charming old city centre with colourful flowerpots adorning the whitewashed houses.
Discover playing golf
If you come to Marbella and play sports, you must play a few holes of golf, since the area is known for being a golfer´s paradise. With about 70 golf courses, countless academies, a lovely climate, and the most amazing views of beaches and hills from the golf courses,...
A must try: eat freshly caught seafood at a local “Chiringuito” on the beach.
Who doesn’t love some fresh Calamari, Sardines, a perfect Paella or the whole thing. Chiringuitos, the beachfront restaurants lined up all along the coast, are an integral part of both the cuisine and the culture along the whole Costa del Sol.
How to eat like a local
The Spanish are proud of their healthy Mediterranean diet with a perfect balance between meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, olive oil and other natural products. Times, however, are different than in most other countries, where the most striking is the warm and extensive food at lunchtime between 2 and 3 pm and the late dinner between 9 and 10 pm.