A FLASH villa on the outskirts of town is perfect for daytime chilling before all-night partying.

If you want fun in (and out of) the sun then Marbella is the place for you.

Billed as the playground of the rich and famous, it’s easy to see why celebrities, including the stars of TOWIE (Lucy Mecklenburgh), Katie Price and Kerry Katona, flock to the area.

From the glamorous yachts and buzzing bars of Puerto Banus to Marbella’s long stretches of golden sand, it’s the perfect place for sun worshipping during the day – and hardcore partying at night.

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For an A-list experience, get your friends together and book a glamorous villa.

We felt right at home in the palatial Villa El Cid, just a 10-minute drive from Puerto Banus.

That is, if our home was an eight-bedroom property with heated indoor and outdoor pools, three hot tubs, a huge terrace with barbecue and outdoor kitchen, sauna, gym and use of tennis courts.

The villa, set in the gated community of Los Flamingos, just outside of the small village of Canceleda, sleeps 16. The sister property Villa El Cano sleeps 38, with events for up to 200 people able to be catered for.

The villas have stunning views over golf courses, with the Costa del Sol coastline in the distance.


Even at this time of year you can expect temperatures up to the mid-20s, perfect for lounging by the pool, a glass of chilled vino blanco in hand. 

It’s so quiet and peaceful at Villa El Cid that any thumping hangovers from the night before will soon drift away.

If you want to venture away from the villa there are plenty of beaches in the area. For golden sands and watersports, head to Nagueles, just outside the centre of Marbella and a 15-minute drive from the villa.

Playa del Rodeo, in Puerto Banus, is a livelier stretch of beach with plenty of bars and restaurants.

The famous beach clubs where you can party all day, including Ocean Club, Nikki Beach and Buddha Beach, close for the winter but dates vary so check before you go.

Posing is the culture of Marbella!

But there are plenty of options if you need a break from the high life.

Step away from the bling crowd by exploring the cobbled streets of Casco Antiguo, the old quarter of Marbella, where you’ll find tapas bars packed with locals, boutiques and old churches tucked away down side streets.

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The Selwo Safari Park, located between San Pedro de Alcantara and Estepona, is the largest nature park in Spain with more than 2,000 species of animals and botanical gardens.

Or head to Benalmadena, further along the coast, for the Sea Life centre, with jellyfish, barracudas and piranhas among the 5,000 different sea creatures.

The wonderful property manager at Villa El Cid, Kristina, is always on hand to offer advice and can help you organise sightseeing trips to such places as Morocco, Gibraltar and Seville.

We stocked up on tortilla, Serrano ham, chorizo, cheeses, bread, salad and fruit at the local supermarket, and sat round the villa’s massive dining room table to enjoy lunches, piecing together the events of the night before.

Bottles of cava costing just two euros each proved to be a massive hit as well.

If you fancy a night in but can’t be bothered to cook, Kristina can arrange for caterers to come to the villa and whip up a feast while you sit back and relax.

Villa El Cid is massive and, with the tunes pumping, we found the spacious living room made a fantastic mini nightclub.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to bars and restaurants, but for a real treat, start your evening with cocktails at the swish Marbella Club hotel, located on the Golden Mile between Puerto Banus and Marbella.

From there, we tottered over to the glamorous Morroccan-themed restaurant and nightclub Suite, within the sprawling Puente Romano hotel.

There, we feasted on delights including mezze, cream of pumpkin and miso soup, lamb and vegetable couscous and sesame crusted red tuna loin, followed by chocolate mousse and red berry pavlova.

In Puerto Banus, the most popular bar is Sinatra’s, where people spill out along the marina to mingle with the rich as they hop off their yachts or pull up in Ferraris.

It’s heaving with people up for a party but surprisingly easy to get served – smile nicely and the barman will give you a round of shots for free!

Two minutes away is the famous Linekers, popular with soap stars, pop stars and footballers. It might not be the classiest venue in the area – but it’s definitely the most fun!

If you’ve got money to burn, designer shops such as Roberto Cavalli, Dior, Agent Provocateur, D&G, Jimmy Choo and Fendi nestle along the harbourside at Puerto Banus, while Antonio Banderas Square has more affordable options including Mango and Zara.

Just outside of Puerto Banus, the five-storey Marina Banus shopping centre has a wide range of shops plus the Spanish department store El Corte Ingles.

The Avenida Ricardo Soriano is the main shopping street in Marbella where you can flex your credit card in Cartier, Loewe and Bvlgari as well as high street stores such as Massimo Dutti.

There’s also La Canada shopping centre with Ted Baker, Guess, H&M and M&S.

Live the celebrity lifestyle at Villa El Cid (holidaylettings.co.uk/59906).

You can hire the property from £6,053 per week.

For an area at Marbella Club email reservas@marbellaclub.com and to book a table at Suite contact suite@puenteromano.com.

easyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Malaga from Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle.

Prices start from £22.99 one-way and include all taxes (prices are subject to change).

Think bling.

Big sunnies for posing in are a must.

Make sure you pack your dancing shoes, a glitzy frock and a glam bikini.