There are many streets and roads that are synonymous with the five-star lifestyle. Among the more iconic are Hollywood's Rodeo Drive, London's Bond Street and the Champs-Élysées in Paris - and Marbella's famous Golden Mile.
A name like that creates certain expectations, but drive along this dual-carriageway that stretches from Puerto Banús to the beginning of Ricardo Soriano, Marbella's designer boutique-lined main street, and you cannot fail to be impressed.
Look around you – as the yachts of Banús come into view you will notice how the number of luxury cars starts to increase. Suddenly a Rolls Royce, a Bentley, a Ferrari isn't an unusual sight, it's the car of choice for many of the Golden Mile's well-heeled inhabitants. You must understand that, when one's home is worth up to €60 million and the artwork hanging on the wall costs a high six figure sum, a family saloon just won't do.
With its scale model of the White House, the Golden Mile also has royal connections. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia chose this part of Marbella as the location for his holiday home, and the sparkling palace has since become one of its best-known landmarks. The property still accommodates the late king's family when they arrive during the summer months to enjoy all that the fun-loving city has to offer.
Not far from the Casa Blanca (as it is known locally) is the internationally renowned Marbella Club Hotel. This elegant establishment, founded in the 1950s by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe can be viewed as the foundation stone of the modern resort and it is still open for business today, attracting a new generation of sophisticated sunseekers.
Puente Romano, only a few stylish metres away from the Marbella Club Hotel, is another well-established hotel and also hosts the Club de Tenis Puente Romano. Locals take advantage of Marbella's fantastic micro-climate to air their rackets throughout the year, but the courts have also welcomed such stratospheric talents as Serena Williams, Boris Becker, Kim Clijsters, Michel Stich – and Ray Charles – during the summer Puente Romano is also a popular live music venue.
Lavish dining can be enjoyed at popular restaurants such as Villa Tiberio, where valets park your car, while fanatical foodies will be impressed by the superb dishes at the legendary Ristorante Roberto in Puente Romano's Beach Club. Enjoying dinner while the sun sets over the sea is one of the real, lasting pleasures of life on the Golden Mile.
The concept of the beach club has been eagerly embraced by locals and visitors alike. A string of luxury venues line the coast and their opening each spring is an eagerly anticipated event. Soak up the sun on one of the sunbeds on the wooden decking that surrounds the massive infinity pool, enjoy a snack or a three-course lunch at the restaurant, then spend the afternoon on one of the beach beds and fall asleep to the sound of the waves breaking gently on the shore.
Yet the Golden Mile is more than a playground for the wealthy; it's a popular destination for many of Marbella's residents with a much wider range of social opportunities than might be imagined from its starry reputation. People flock here from all over the Costa del Sol during the summer to attend the live music events and to enjoy some of the many reasonably priced eating places.
Most would agree, however, that Marbella's main selling points are its climate, its laidback way of life and its huge expanse of beaches and these cannot be bought with any amount of money.
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