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Marbella Nightlife
Welcome
to the Marbella nightlife page, your one stop source
for information on what it's like to spend the night in the
coolest city on the Mediterranean.
Before
discussing nightclubs and bars, let's take a moment to discuss
where you can start your evening. Marbella has more
good restaurants than just about anywhere else in Spain,
serving everything from contemporary Spanish cuisine to the
best Thai food money can buy. While you're in Marbella take
full advantage of this and eat out as often as you can. There
are loads of reasonably priced eateries, not to mention some
obscenely expensive ones, that will help to kick-start your
evening. After dinner it's time to head on into town.
There are three
main areas to explore in Marbella, the first of which
is the Casco Antiguo, or old town, with its many small bars
which are hidden around corners and at the end of cobbled
streets. The second area is the main town where all the shops
can be found and the third area is Marbella port.
The old town is
very popular all year round with the locals even more than the
tourists. It's difficult even to explain where a lot of the
venues are, because it's a maze of narrow, twisting streets
which become even more confusing after a few
drinks!
The best way to
experience the Casco Antiguo is by exploring it at night.
During the day the bars are shut and you would have no idea
that most of them even existed but after dark, when the old
women sitting on their porches have gone to bed, the shutters
open and the town transforms into pub-crawl heaven. There must
be almost a hundred bars and even we still haven't been to
most of them! On some of our wilder nights we've
discovered magical little bars that seemed to appear out of
nowhere like some ghostly B-movie curiosity shop and which
have disappeared by the time we return. As Dame Edna Everage
would say, "Spooky!"
If you prefer to
visit a variety of bars in one evening then the old town is
the place to be. It's a great opportunity for a nocturnal
ramble through the most fascinating and picturesque area of Marbella.
The more central
part of town, on the other hand, is tidily laid out along
one street. Here you will find the famous Frank's Corner, one
of the most famous bars in Marbella. It is
modelled on the typical American bar and there are lots of
things to do such as pool, pinball, video games, table
football and mounds of jelly beans demanding attention! Next
door is the Rock Club, a popular Spanish disco, which is open
on weekends.
Around the
corner you will find the Habana
Bar, an upmarket, laid-back joint for drinking complicated
combinations of alcohol such as whisky sours, tequila sunrises
and whatever your imagination can create. There is also an
unusual bar called El Bolero, "The Bowler", which
has several miniature bowling alleys and is a great place to
enjoy a game and force the loser to buy the next round.
The port is the
third major area for night-time fun. Once again there are
plenty of bars, many of which will doubtless appeal to you.
During the summer months the area is buzzing with activity,
but during the winter months many of the bars and restaurants
close and the port resembles a morgue.
Like everywhere
on the Costa the nightlife really doesn't start until after
1a.m. so expect to stay up late. If you're considering a night
out at one of the major clubs in Marbella, then in
summer 3-4am is a good time to arrive.
The club scene
in Marbella is very popular. "Deep" at
"Oh! Marbella" is only open during the months of
July and August. Celebrity DJs perform every week and
other entertainment iis also offered. Located next to the
Hotel Don Carlos, "Deep" provides great music and an
electric atmosphere. If you find yourself in Puerto Banús,
look out for the pretty girls distributing free entrance
passes.
The most talked
about club in Europe, Olivia Valere is located between Marbella
and Puerto Banús and is definitely THE place to be seen;
stylish, sophisticated and a great place to unwind. The music
is a little on the cheesy side at times (we can remember
several distinct occasions on which Britney Spears was played
more than once IN THE SAME EVENING!)
Dressing
up
If you are in Marbella
town exploring the streets and the port there is no reason to
get dressed up in anything more fancy than jeans and a shirt
but if you are intending to head to either "Deep" or
Olivia Valere then you will need to dress up for the occasion.
Getting
there
If you're
staying in Marbella you can walk anywhere in the town
in a matter of five minutes. Parking on the street is near
impossible, but there are two underground car parks near
the centre. To get to "Deep" you will need to follow
the road out of Marbella on the N340, head for Calahonda
and turn off at the exit for the Hotel Don Carlos. For Olivia
Valere you need to head in the opposite direction towards Puerto
Banús and follow the numerous signposts. There is plenty
of parking in both clubs and you will find that taxis also
know both places well.
Money
and Safety
Marbella is one of Europe's
wealthiest areas and this is reflected by the prices in many
of the venues in which you will find yourself, especially the
larger clubs. If you want to give your wallet a rest try to
confine your activities to the back streets of Marbella and
the Casco Antiguo where the Spanish locals go. Prices in the
centre of town tend to be the most expensive and if you're
planning to visit any of the major clubs such as
"Deep" you will need to take extra cash, as the
drinks in these places start at 15€. Marbella,
which for several years gained a bad reputation for petty
crime, now has a well-trained and well-equipped police force
and criminal activity is consequently negligible. |
