Marbella in Spring – the best of all worlds

There would be many reasons for visiting Marbella in the months of March and April – one of the warmest, sunniest spring climates, a golfing season in full swing, wild flowers in the fields and beautiful almond blossom colouring the rural areas white and pink – but there’s more.

Not only does café society come back to life in full force – though in reality it continues throughout the winter as well – but Marbella in Spring is highly appealing for another reason too. You see, during this part of the year you can make the most of the rather unique combination of the tail end of one of the longest ski seasons in Europe and the beginning of the surf season – both within a two-hour range of the town.

Marbella, Sierra Nevada and Tarifa

Roughly two hours from Marbella lie the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada, mainland Spain’s highest mountain range and a popular weekend excursion for residents of the Costa del Sol. The area enjoys excellent facilities – up to championship level, in fact – a broad range of hotels, restaurants, panoramic terraces and of course lively après ski ambience. If you’d like to, you could rather famously enjoy a morning skiing and spend the afternoon on the beaches near Nerja.

But it’s not the Costa Tropical we’re mostly focused upon on this occasion, as attractive as this area just east of Málaga is. The most fascinating thing about spring in Marbella is the simultaneous availability of snowboarding and kite-surfing within a two-hour range of Marbella, and the latter can be found in Europe’s surf capital, Tarifa. Situated on the Atlantic Costa de la Luz, a little over an hour west of Marbella, this hippy chic resort town and historic port has an ambience all of its own.

This fact adds greatly to Tarifa’s appeal as a surfing, beach and kite-surfing centre, where green hills, charming low-rise hotels and campsites surround the charming historic centre of town. The focus, however, is firmly on the deep blue water and the soft, sandy beaches that just seem to grow wider as you venture further west towards Boloña. More than sport alone, Tarifa offers a languid beachside experience by day and a lively social scene at night – just the way to ease into summer.

In fact, alternating between ski slopes and beachside surf is the perfect way to also ease out of winter and embrace the long summery season – and in spring you can do so before the hippie chic crowds arrive.

In Marbella, spring is a time when almost everything seems possible.