Nueva Andalucia

Nueva Andalucia is a well thought out and attractive area just west of Marbella where, as its name suggests, the villas and apartments are based on traditional Andalusian architecture and design.

Nueva Andalucía is the largest neighbourhood in Marbella, extending over several square kilometres. It has an official census population of about 15,000 but considerably more residents in the summer. It was created by Madrid developer José Banús Mas, who came to Marbella in 1962 and acquired the land. Construction of Puerto Banús began in 1965, it was inaugurated in 1968, and the main infrastructure of Nueva Andalucía was installed shortly afterward. The area continued to grow until 1989 - and again in the 2000s.

The key attractions today are the large residential estate, reasonable access to the highway and Marbella and, for many, a short taxi ride home from the Puerto Banús nightlife. Being a large residential area it has plenty of small commercial centres and restaurants for those who don't want to venture out on a rainy or sunny day. Others find it too large and soulless; visitors can become frustrated or lost in the maze of tree-lined residential avenues which are confusingly either code-numbered (e.g. Calle 19B) or named in the normal way. This is not to mention the overlay of "supermanzana" urban layouts. It is, however, reputed that some residents appreciate the anonymity of the place.