The Golden Mile in Marbella

The Golden Mile, Marbella’s most glamorous and privileged destination 

The Golden Mile is the epitome of opulence, luxury and extravagance. This elegant boulevard, lined with palm trees and amazing luxury properties, extends 6.5 km over the N-340 coastal road, starting from Marbella’s iconic Piruli Tower all the way westwards to the Rio Verde river which borders Puerto Banus.

In this area you will find large estates with luxury mansions and palaces, exclusive apartments, stunning villas, first class restaurants and the finest of superior 5-star hotels Puente Romano and Marbella Club, each with exceptional facilities including beach clubs and spas, fine restaurants and landscaped gardens.

Some of the best beaches of Marbella lie alongside the coastal stretch of Golden Mile which also boasts an attractive promenade, lined with prime beach bars and restaurants.

Also worth mentioning are Dani Garcia’s three restaurants located on the Golden Mile, two of which are at the Puente Romano Hotel. His eponymous restaurant was awarded with the prestigious three Michelin stars about a year ago.

Several other excellent restaurants on the Golden Mile are Nobu and Villa Tiberio, the latter being one of the oldest on the Costa del Sol. Perhaps we should also mention world famous nightclub Olivia Valere, located in the mountainside district of the Golden Mile. 

Origins

Ever since the late 1950’s the Golden Mile has attracted the world’s (very) rich and famous. It all started with Spanish aristocrat Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe-Langenburg who used to holiday here with family and friends which included some of the most prominent of European nobility. Before long, the original farmhouse where he entertained and hosted his guests became too small. And so, the prince decided to open a hotel to accommodate his many special guests. Thus, the Marbella Club Hotel was born and built (1954). It became the ideal place where nobility and royalty could rub shoulders with movie stars and other celebrities of the day.

Later, more 5-star hotels (such as Puente Romano) and even golf courses followed suit and the area kept on growing, not just as a vacation destination but also as prime residence for international jet set and royalty. It is widely known that the House of Saud (more precisely the late king Fahd) has a summer palace and mosque on the Golden Mile. 

So, where does its name come from?
Being an unofficial geographic term, it is hard to find the exact origins of the name. There are several explanations floating around on the web. However, the most straight forward explanation is simply the Golden Mile´s association with ultra-expensive property, the ever presence of golden sun, golden sand beaches, of nobility and the rich and famous.

Districts

The Golden Mile Beachside District: refers to the area of land between the seashore and the above-mentioned boulevard. It comprises both the Marbella Club Hotel and Puente Romano Resort (the latter also comprises a large private residential property section), next to many other fine hotels, restaurants, top notch beach clubs and luxury residential property such as Oasis de Banus, Besaya Beach, Coral Beach, Marbella Mar, Alhambra del Mar, Marina Mariola, Gran Marbella, Don Gonzalo to name just a few.

The Golden Mile Mountainside District: refers to the area of land between the A-7 motorway and the above-mentioned boulevard. It comprises the larger urbanisations Monte Paraiso, Lomas de Marbella Club, Nagueles (south), La Carolina, El Vicario, La Virginia and El Capricho.

Golden Mile Sierra refers to the area of land above the A-7 motorway. It includes the prestigious urbanisations Marbella Hill Club, Nagueles (North), Sierra Blanca and Cascada de Camojan.