Where to stay Marbella or Malaga ?
 

Dear Fodorites,

I along with my family will be driving down from Seville and have 2 nights to spend either in Marbella/Malaga or any other place. Looking to stay close to the beach front. I believe there are plenty of beaches in this region. Looking for suggestions and advise ?

Thanks for your time and any feedback.

Regards,
Nashh

There are indeed beaches in the Marbella/Málaga region but the nicest beaches are on the Costa de la Luz, anywhere between Tarifa and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Conil de la Frontera is a favourite of mine.

How do you want to spend the time? Mostly on the beach, or with combo of beach and city sightseeing? I've never been to Marbella. Malaga is an interesting small city with a long beach within walking distance of the city center. I was there in the fall so did not get the full impression of the beach with the stands grilling sardines that Malaga is famous for. The beach looked ok to me but it is most definitely not one of the prettiest in Spain.

I've read about your routing on another thread so it appears that you are pretty fixed on the Costa del Sol. But in case you veer off and decide to include Cadiz, I can tell you that the beaches to the east are quite beautiful and would likely be pristine in late spring. I was actully on the beach in Zahara de los Atunes but there are many other beaches and beach towns that sound enticing in that area. The day I was in Zahara, the ocean was turquoise. Its edged by grassy dunes, and the sand is ivory colored and fine.

You might look at Nerja, close to Malaga.

Just read Myriam's post, above, which crossed mine. So true! Much nicer beaches on that coastline, which is ocean, not Mediterranean.

Myriam, if you don't mind my interruption here, is Conil a town that might make a good base for a few nights in early spring?
Good seafood, centro good for exploring? Thank you!

Marbella is pretty horrible with a fair few Criminal families hiding their gains there, while Malaga has a nice historical centre, a museum, fort etc, worth a couple of days wandering about.

ekscrunchy
What we like about Conil (and Chiclana) is that it has a small but scenic old city centre. The town is lively in the evening and has a good choice of restaurants (not necessarily high-end). I don't know about early spring, though. We always went in early summer.
Chiclana is bigger but equally nice. We have never stayed there, though.

Myriam, that is exactly what I would look for: A coastal town with an active center. Would not want to stay in a beachfront hotel where I'd need a car or taxi to walk around at night or go to eat. Do not need restaurants that are at all fancy. Prefer just normal places with great seafood, and bars are fine.

I am trying to find a place in that area that would be open in March, for a stay of a few days. I've got Antonio on my list, just outside Zahara, but it is a distance from the actual town. A few places I like (small hotels or guest houses) are not open that early in the year. Let me know if you think of anything..I will be grateful. From there would like to access Barbate, Bolonia, and maybe Vejer.

There are few large beachfront hotels and some smaller and very simple 'hostales' in the centre. March is very early in the season for the Costa de la Luz. It's not like the Costa del Sol that is busy 12 months a year.
We stayed in hotel Fuerte Conil once. I believe it's open year round. But it's huge! The other times we rented a house or apartment.
If you have a car you can easily get to Barbate, Bolonia (surfer's paradise), Vejer, etc. No idea about public transport.

Thanks so much! Public transport is not so frequent in that area,as I recently learned, so next time will rent a car. You've been very helpful.

Yes, Marbella does attract convicts, gangsters and wannabees but it has its nice parts. The old town is quite pleasant and you'll never know that you're surrounded by a lot of criminality. Most of the rich, the gangsters and their hangers on tend to frequent Puerto Banus which is a sad, tired place offering nothing to those who are not interested in crap nighclubs full of sleazy men and easy women.

Estepona, further down the road is a bit of a hidden gem, a nice beach, an attractive old town, lots of good restaurants and a gentle, laid back vibe. I would always pick Estepona over Marbella.