During the day, wandering down some tiny backstreet, you can find a small restaurant or bar offering a broad range of typical Spanish wines and snacks which you can enjoy in the company of friendly locals, receptive to cultures and viewpoints from around the world.

From midday onwards, time slows down for everyone the Old Town, Marbella's historic centre. Its time for "tapeo" - eating the delicious small snack offered by all bars, for the "copita", - a small glass of cool wine or sherry - and for "charla" - friendly chats with your fellow clients and the bar owner, before settling down to a leisurly lunch, followed by a well-deserved "siesta" (afternoon nap).

Entertainment from the early evening onwards offers a huge range of possibilities, many of them concentrated in the yacht harbours. Marbella's own port, below the central Alameda square, is a favourite rallying point for young people, but offers things to do to all age groups. Crowds are big at weekends, spilling over into adjoining areas of the town.

The large Puerto Jose Banus complex, 6 kilometres west of Marbella, offers a is far broader and thoroughly cosmopolitan choice, with its numerous bars, restaurants, discotheques, pubs and and nightclubs for all tastes and generations.

Flamenco fans should head for the Old Town, where they can enjoy this uniquely Spanish art form in small uncrowded premises.

Establishments offering oriental music, dance and cooking are located in residential developments or urbanizations, whilst Caribbean music can be found in various places within the town area.

The luxury trade is catered for by the public rooms of the five star hotels, some of them the regular meeting place of the jet set, while the many tiny streets of the ld Town offer all kinds of surprises.