Marbella · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Marbella's reputation is yachts and champagne, but the old town, the beaches and the coast buses are cheap.
Casco Antiguo
The few hostels sit in the old town around Plaza de los Naranjos. San Pedro de Alcántara, ten minutes west by bus, is cheaper again.
What a day costs
Dorm €22–38, a menú del día €12–16, grilled sardines at a beach bar a few euros more. Around €50–80 a day, roughly $55–90.
Getting around cheap
Avanza and Portillo coaches run the coast road to Málaga, Estepona and the airport for single-figure fares. There is no train to Marbella.
Free by day
The old town lanes and Plaza de los Naranjos, the promenade walk to Puerto Banús, and every beach — Spanish beaches are public by law.
Puerto Banús marina
The far end of the promenade, where the yacht-watching is free and the terraces are not; hostels run pub crawls out here in summer.