Top 10 Holiday Experiences in Marbella

10 Awesome Holiday Experiences You Should Have with Your Family in Marbella

Renowned for its glitz and glamour, Marbella isn't all about high-end shopping and villas. Families can come here and have truly fantastic holidays, thanks to the large variety of things to do. There are some of the best to make your holidays in Marbella even more memorable.

Visit the Plaza de los Naranjos
This is vintage Marbella. The colorful Plaza de los Naranjos, the Orange Tree Square, is something of an institution. The square’s existence dates back as far as the late 15th century and today the location displays a little old school glamour. The buildings are the sparkling white that we’ve come to associate with the countries of the Med, the orange trees themselves offer plenty of shade and the Renaissance-era fountain in the square is there for you to splash a little cold water on your face. It's a beautiful square and the children will love all the colors. You can’t leave Marbella without seeing it, really.

Go horse riding in the mountains
As well as oozing glitz and glamour, this part of Spain is also spoilt with some beautiful scenery. So take the kids out for a trot in the mountains on horseback and explore the countryside as a family, or if you’re kids are well-schooled in the art of horse riding, take them to a riding school where they can pick up a few new tips. Andalusia is well known for the quality of its horse riding.

See a flamenco show
If the kids are old enough to stay up late, you should take them to a flamenco show. Some hotels will even put on their own shows for the guests, so that families don’t miss out on the thrills of the flamenco experience. You'll see dancers twisting and stomping their feet intensely in time with the music as the ‘duende’ (spirit) courses through their veins. Shows often start at midnight, but hotels will sometimes schedule their own flamenco performances for 10.00 pm. Don't miss it.

Life on the edge at Funny Beach
The name has probably been mistranslated and is meant to mean ‘fun’ or ‘full of fun’, but there’s no mistaking that the activities at Funny Beach available will guarantee laughs. Kids can race each other, as can adults, on the go karting track, or, if you’re not feeling competitive, you can simply share a two-seated go kart. If you prefer to be in the water, imagine the fun the family can have banana boating! Activities such as wakeboarding, paddle surfing and parasailing are also available.

A family day out at the beach(es)
Marbella spoils you with beaches; it’s as simple as that. Building sandcastles, flying kites, fishing and even family games of football are all possible on the beaches of Marbella. Some of the best spots include Cabapino, which is to the east of the city and backs onto the dunes, so children will especially love it as they can run around the dunes and play hide and seek in them; and El Pinillo, which is a continuation of Los Monteros beach, is quieter at the west end of the beach and has a beach bar called Bounty Beach.

Taking a helicopter tour
If you've got the cash then you can get a completely different take on Marbella — by seeing it from a helicopter. This is a bit of an expensive outing, though, costing around 500 pounds for three passengers. You'll soar over the Costa del Sol, including the famous Puerto Banus. While the locals and the tourist sun themselves below on the beaches or play a quiet round of golf below, you'll be up high, gliding over the golf courses, the harbours, the beaches and the mountains

Adventure in the trees
Take the family to Aventura Amazonia, an adventure park in the trees which boasts 83 challenges in the trees and 20 ziplines, including the longest treetop zipline in Andalusia at 240 meters. These are distributed over six adventure circuits. The park is situated in Elviria, which is 20 minutes away from the main coastal towns of Benalmedena, Estepona, Fuengirola and Torremolinos.

Whale and dolphin watching.
Thanks to the strong currents in the western Med, which draw the fish to the region, you can also see dolphins and whales, who are following the food. One of the best places to see these joyful creatures is a little west at Tarifa, where you can take a two trip out and see orcas, fin whales and sperm whales, as well as dolphins jumping in and out of the water.

Splashing times in Aqualand Torremolinos
Aqualand Torremolinos is one of the largest water parks in Europe. There are adrenaline-packed slides such as the Boomerang, which is a 15 meter high half pipe, and the daredevil classic, the Kamikaze. There’s a wave pool, which provides fun for all the family, and then there is the Kidzworld, a colorfully designed part of the park for children. This features a mini park, the Aquatic Mushroom and Laguna Tropical. The park also has a Jacuzzi for adults to relax in.

Paintballing
This is a fun family experience located in Estepona, 20 minutes from Marbella. Paintballing Estepona offers you five different scenarios to push your paintballing skills to the limit. These include a 4x4 setting, where you’ll be shooting and taking cover behind 4x4 vehicles and other urban vehicles and an outdoor-style setting with bales of hay, trenches and other obstacles. It’s your chance to get your own back with a direct hit on dad!
The above offer a thrilling experience for any family who visits Marbella. There’s certainly no such thing as boredom! Enjoy your holidays here!

Images by HerryLawford, robynejay, Deannachaka and Ghost-in-the-shell, used under Creative Commons license