Marbella Old Town and Plaza de los Naranjos

The Casco Antiguo is a tight grid of whitewashed lanes inside the remains of Marbella's Arab walls, and Plaza de los Naranjos, laid out after the Christian conquest in 1485, is its living room, framed by the 16th-century town hall, the Ermita de Santiago and rows of orange trees. Come before 11:00 or after 19:00 to see it without the tour groups, and wander up Calle Carmen and around the Iglesia de la Encarnación for the quietest corners. Cafe tables on the square charge a premium; the side streets have better value.