Marbella and Benahavis

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Geo: 36.5099, -4.88635

Today we visited Marbella, a city and resort area along the Costa del Sol, just east of where we are staying. We parked in the city centre, and then headed through a maze of narrow streets that twist and turn past white Andalusian buildings. The buildings are adorned with flower filled balconies, chic boutiques and trendy cafes.

We stopped and enjoyed a coffee in Plaza de Los Naranjos. Then we continued our walk through the winding streets and down to the beach promenade. On the Avenida del Mar we viewed an interesting exhibition of Salvador Dali sculptures. Today is lovely and sunny, so we got to see this part of the Costa Del Sol at its best! We stopped to enjoy some gelato before heading back to our car.

On our drive back towards Estepona we turned off on a road to Benahavis. Benahavis ended up being a small mountain town with a good assortment of restaurants. We dined at a nice little spot and had our first gazpacho in Spain, and it was delicious. Accompanied by a tasty pizza (on which they substituted lettuce for arugula, however!!). Later that day we learned that Benhavis has the highest concentration of fine restaurants in the region and draws visitors by the thousands who come simply to savour the cuisine.

As we drive through this area there are hundreds of condo complexes that line the coast. Everywhere you look there is some type of condo or a golf course!

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