Now that we have seen the glitzy outdoor terraces of Marbella Old Town, its time to check out the shopping streets, the boutique and souvenir & craft shops, just to give an idea of how the shopping scene looks like here.
Marbella Shopping
TIP: For serious shopping fix and this is a no-brainer to those very familiar with Marbella, Marbella Old Town is not really the place to waste your money on, now let me put the emphasis on ‘really’. Instead, head over to this posh suburb of Marbella called Puerto Banus (the marina) where haute couture and designer labels are eagerly waiting to cash in on your spendthrift ways =)
Shopping scene in Marbella Old Town, you can find mostly souvenir and crafts shops here.
Shops here are quite nice, you can definitely see that it is geared for the upmarket public.
Paseo de la Alameda
Paseo de la Alameda on the other hand is located just across the main road (Avenida Ricardo Soriano) from Marbella Old Town. Just a few steps and you are in the little park.
The paseo is a relatively green park, with an oasis of tropical plants and a fountain that help quell off the Andalusian heat. But that’s not all—the most striking, attention-grabbing element of this paseo are its collection of ceramic tile benches. Each one is a one of its kind and uniquely decorated with paintings of the region’s historical and famous places.
Ceramic tiles are very popular in Andalusia, you can see many houses’ walls from the outside decorated with tiles and ceramic pots hanging from the window grills and balconies. The evolution of this craft go back to the Arab invasion of Spain in the 7th century, bringing with them new technology and processes in tile work that were invented in Persia and Mesopotamia, both cradles of the first civilization and Egypt.
The Paseo de la Alameda little park and its collection of ceramic benches. Above you can see the ceramic tile details on the fountain.
If you like this kind of find, I would advise to spend a good half an hour inspecting the benches and see if you can guess the famous places painted on each. Entertaining? Your judgment =)
Travel Period: August 2010
Destination: Marbella (Malaga), Spain
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Dutched Pinay Travel & Lifestyle Diaries
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)