Marbella Inside & Out

Discover the magic of Marbella from an "insider" point of view – by Liz Glazer

Author Archives: Liz Glazer


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Marbella Walkabouts – an early Sunday morning stroll around Marbella’s historic Old Town quarter and Parque de la Represa.

1Happy 2017! Made all the happier for me, by Chewa, the four-legged companion I´ve had the pleasure to dog-sit for the past couple of weeks since I got back from the UK. Having a dog to take out, inspired me to revisit some of my favourite walks around Marbella Town, as a change of scene from the fabulous beachfront promenade seascapes I witness every day from my doorstep.

Avenida Ricardo Soriano, MarbellaAccess to Marbella Old Town via Huerta Chica streetWaking up to a fresh sunny Sunday, I decided to take an alternative route up through Marbella’s Old Town – with no particular sense of purpose other than to absorb the quiet that pervades before everyone starts stirring just before midday, after a long lie-in. Continue reading →


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Startling rain-laden clouded sunset skies in Marbella Town

Rain-laden clouded sunset skies

Driving down from the nearby mountain village of Ojén to Marbella Town in the late afternoon, after a lovely Sunday lunch with some friends, the patches of blue sky amid the dramatic dark heavy rain clouds that hung above the sea, was a sight to make my heart sing… Continue reading →


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A celebration of Marbella Town’s autumnal sunset seascapes and magical moons

Marbella sunset skiesHaving been absent from Marbella Town throughout the month of September due to the death of my dearest Dad at the end of August – and not really here in spirit since my return – it is only since I got back home last weekend after a week literally walking my grief away in the healing wooded hills of the nearby white village of Ojén (post coming soon)  – that I’ve come back down the mountain with my soul refreshed and inspired once more to relaunch my blog and  share the gentler-paced late autumnal life in Marbella  – both inside and out.

We have been blessed with inordinately beautiful mild weather these past few weeks and now the welcome rains have come, I’ve had time to go through my photos and select a few taken on my evening walks along Marbella Town’s beachfront promenade to share with you… Continue reading →


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Following the traditional celebrations of the Festival of the Virgen del Carmen in Marbella Town– 16th July 2016

Queen of the Seas Marbella Virgen del Carmen 2016

As a personal tribute to Marbella Town´s fishing community, some of whom I´ve gradually got to know over the past year since writing my first blog post about the fishing port, I decided to join in the various ceremonies and processions that are held throughout the day of the 16th July,  honouring the Virgen del Carmen, Marbella´s beloved patron saint and protector of all sailors and fishermen…. Continue reading →


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Marbella’s magical pagan midsummer night celebration – Noche de San Juan, 23rd June 2016

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I´m really looking forward to the main summer solstice celebrations in Marbella Town tomorrow evening – the magical pagan midsummer night beach festivities of St John´s Eve, or Noche de San Juan as it is called here in Spain. Continue reading →


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An outing from Marbella Town to visit the Art Gaucín Open Studios 2016 Event (20-22 & 27-29 May)

Gaucín

open studios art gaucin If you are an art lover and feel like a day away from Marbella Town over this holiday weekend,  you might be interested in visiting the whitewashed mountain village of Gaucín, just under 70 km from Marbella Town,  for the second stage of the Art Gaucín Open Studios event (May 27-29).This annual event showcases the work of the thriving community of Spanish and foreign artists that live in Gaucín as they open their studios, homes and gardens to the public to display and sell their work (download information: http://artgaucin.com/open-studios-map/).

Having never been to Gaucín before, when my friends Keris and Cate asked me to join them on a trip to this event last Friday, I readily agreed… Continue reading →


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Marbella Town’s beaches: A place to disconnect and reconnect…

Nothing brings people together like the sea and the beach – people of all ages and sizes, families, total strangers and from all walks of life, becoming one, casting off their worldly worries and responsibilities to reconnect with their inner joy and peace.

As someone who walks or cycles along the beachfront of Marbella Town almost every day, I have taken a series of photos over time that capture this collective sense of wonder, freedom and tenderness which I’d like to share with you here and which speak for themselves… Continue reading →


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Istán – an enchanting and enchanted Garden of Eden in the mountains just outside Marbella Town

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“The mountains are calling and I must go”, so wrote John Moore one of America’s most famous and influential outdoor enthusiasts in 1873.

And never has a quote been so appropriate when it comes to this blog post about my recent visit to the beautiful mountain village of Istán.  Set in the midst of the UNESCO natural reserve of Sierra de las Nieves, on the southern slope of Marbella’s La Concha mountain, it is located in the verdant valley of the Rio Verde and overlooks the stunning lakeside scenery of the La Concepción reservoir and the Mediterranean sea beyond.

Although only 15 km inland northwest of Marbella Town, as a rather timorous mountain driver I’d never dared to venture there before.  Having reconnected with my inner intrepid explorer however, thanks to this blog, for the past few weeks I was itching to go on an outing in nature and had been having this inexplicable “call” to visit Istán.  So when my friend and fellow nature-lover Cate suggested out of the blue that we go on a voyage of discovery to the very village of Istán, it was akin to a call of destiny… Continue reading →


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Freewheeling in & around Marbella Town : Leisure Harbour to Marbella’s Banana Beach (2.7 km) & beyond…

Banana Beach dunes

If you’re staying in Marbella Town and don’t have a car or don’t fancy the relatively long walk from the town centre to reach the fine-sanded expanse of beach known as Banana Beach, some 700 metres to the east of the fishing port, an alternative way of spending a few hours enjoying this lovely stretch of coastline is to pack up your beach gear in a rucksack, rent a bike and cycle there. Continue reading →


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Africa & Gibraltar: a vision of harmony and peace – Marbella Town seascapes vol. 4

Between two continentsI thought I´d share this series of photos with you that I took recently from the shores of Marbella Town, of the magnificent sunset views of the Atlas Mountains and Gibraltar – a vivid reminder from Mother Nature of the peaceful coexistence intended for us all, irrespective of race, creed or colour and which inspired this short poem:

As I gaze in wonder upon Africa and the Rock of Gibraltar

Etched in soft sunset hues upon the horizon before me,

Divided by only a seeming handspan of ocean

I wonder how it’s possible that conflict could even exist,

When presented with this vision of such harmony and peace... Continue reading →