In the Andalusi-Arabic period, the town stood on the site of the present-day centre of Marbella and played an important role in local history. Roman baths known as Las Bovedas can be found close to the beach.Īnother important archaeological site in San Pedro de Alcantara is the Palaeo-Christian basilica at Vega del Mar, built in the 3rd century and later used as a necropolis by the Visigoths. Near San Pedro de Alcantara, which is also part of the municipality, there are remains of the Roman colony of Cilniana -apparently destroyed by an earthquake in the 4th century-, one of the most interesting sites on the Malaga coast, which some historians equate with the city of Salduba mentioned by Pomponius Mela. Archaeological remains from this era are to be found at the mouth of the River Verde. The town's origins may have been the 1st-century Roman settlement of Barbesula. History Prehistoric remains have been discovered from both the Palaeolithic period, at a location known as Coto de Correa in Las Chapas, and the Neolithic period, in Pecho Redondo cave in the foothills of the Sierra Blanca. Seven kilometres from the centre of Marbella is the densely-populated San Pedro de Alcántara district, which lies within Marbella's municipal boundaries and appeared as a result of the building of a sugar refinery in 1860.

However, it is for its excellent sun and sand holiday facilities that Marbella is best known: magnificent spacious beaches, natural AREAs of great interest such as Cabopino Dunes or Las Chapas Pine Groves, pleasure harbours, golf courses, sports clubs and a wide variety of establishments to justify its reputation. John's Hospital were all built after the Christian reconquest. The town dates back to Roman times, a period from which abundant archaeological remains are to be found two towers and the castle walls bear witness to the presence of the Arabs and in the old centre of the town, Our Lady's Church, the Chief Magistrate's House and St. Its privileged location, at the foot of the Sierra Blanca and on the coast, create an excellent climate and a landscape of immense beauty. Considered unofficially as the capital of the western Costa del Sol, there is no doubting the fact that Marbella has all the qualities required to merit its position as one of Spain's premier tourist resorts.

David penc