Sightseeing in Costa del sol.Today, Marbella!

Surface Area: 114.3 square kilometres
Population: 130,549
Monuments: the Roman villa of Río Verde, Paleo-Christian basilica of Vega del Mar, Roman hot springs or bathhouses of Guadalmina, La Encarnación Church, the Arabic Fortress, San Juan de Dios Hospital, Bazán Hospital (Museum of Engraving), Casa del Corregidor (House of the Magistrate), Santo Cristo de la Vera Cruz hermitage, Ayuntamiento (City Hall), hermitage of Santiago, Cortijo Miraflores Museum and the Bonsai Museum.

Sights: The Roman villa of Río Verde, discovered in 1961, lies about five kilometres from the urban district. It was erected between the first and second centuries AD. There are clues that it belonged to a six-hectare urban nucleus that might coincide to ancient Cilniana.  The most remarkable thing about this archaeological site is the mosaics, which are of wonderful artistic quality. There are representations on them of culinary motifs whose schematics some experts consider to be very close to twentieth century art.

The La Encarnación Church was erected in 1618. Its exterior is noteworthy for the magnificent Baroque façade of red stone. At one end of the centremost of its three naves is a semicircular presbytery with a dome rising over it. An image of San Bernabé (Saint Barnabas, patron saint of the city) is venerated at the main altarpiece, which is also Baroque.

The Arabic fortress is mixed in among houses. A tower and part of its walls have been preserved in very good condition. For its construction in the ninth and tenth centuries Roman materials were utilised, such as the shaped stones in the lower part of the walls and three Ionic column capitals that were used without any thought of decoration, simply as building stone.

The Bonsai Museum  is considered one of the most complete of its type in all of Europe. Its collection of wild olive trees is fascinating, as are the dwarf Spanish firs, an endangered native species.