Marbella is a city and municipality in the south of Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalucía. It is integrated in the region of the Western Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the homonymous association of municipalities4 and the head of the judicial party that bears its name.5
Marbella is located on the shores of the Mediterranean, between Malaga and the Strait of Gibraltar, and on the slopes of the Sierra Blanca. Its municipal area covers an area of 117 km², crossed by the highway and the toll road called the Mediterranean, main accesses to the municipality.
With 138,679 inhabitants in 2014 according to the INE, it is the second most populated municipality in the province and the eighth in Andalusia. In addition, it is one of the most important tourist cities of the Costa del Sol and of Spain as a whole. For most of the year it is a center of attraction for international tourism, thanks mainly to its climate and tourist infrastructure. Although less known, the city also has a significant archaeological heritage, with several museums and scenic spaces, as well as a cultural calendar with events ranging from reggae to opera.
