Best Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Marbella
There was a time when visiting Spain as a vegetarian was tricky and to eat out as a vegan, well forget it. Ah, those ever common charming conversations about whether Jamon is vegetarian or not. Those…
There’s no denying the increasing popularity of destination weddings, nor the recent explosion of wedding services here in Spain – why spend time worrying about the Great British Weather and crazy expenses, when you can whisk yourselves off to the glorious sunshine for a wedding to remember for all the right reasons?
We recently caught up with Lucy and Jesus in Benalmadena Pueblo, who just launched the latest addition to the Spanish wedding scene, swapping their high-paced London lifestyles for the utterly gorgeous Boutique Wedding Co…
Tell us a bit about your wedding planning service
We offer couples getting married in Spain an alternative type of bespoke wedding planning service; we don’t offer packages or try to shoe-horn our clients into an existing services, everything we create is unique to each couple. We want to help create the dream Spanish wedding day from start to finish, delighting our couples and their guests with a perfectly planned, organised wedding, executed with style, grace and taste!
What made you become wedding planners in Spain and not London for example?
We both love Spain so much and have a lot of history here. Jesus is from Cadiz and I have travelled here for the past 23 years as I previously lived in Southern Spain and Barcelona.
For us it was about launching a business in the place we love the most in the world, and the fact that Andalusia is such a perfect place for a destination wedding is just the icing on the cake! My father has lived in the white hill top village of Vejer de la Frontera for 20 years, and with Jesus’s family here, it also makes great sense from a family perspective too!
Through the Boutique Wedding Co. we are getting a chance to share our love of Andalucia with our clients, make their wedding dreams come true and take them on an adventure to one of the most beautiful and culturally rich places in Europe!
What are the main challenges couples face when trying to arrange a wedding in Spain?
There can be all kinds of challenges when organising a wedding in Spain if you are not from the area, but it will be more than worth it! The key things we hear about from exasperated couples are:
1. The first challenge is obviously the language barrier, even if a couple chooses a venue with an employee that speaks English, they may not speak enough to really understand their dreams and design objectives for their wedding day.
2. Secondly, searching for a venue in which to hold a wedding ceremony or celebration can be a real headache, because unless you know the area really well it can be hard to shortlist different locations and types of venues, and there is just never enough time to visit them all.
3. Similarly, co-ordinating with suppliers (often in Spanish) and getting everything scheduled for the correct timings is a difficult task in your own country let alone from 2,000 miles away.
4. Understanding the laws of marriage in Spain and dealing with the paperwork is a huge challenge, Spain is famous for its frustrating bureaucracy so it helps to have someone to hold your hand through this bit.
5. Finally, if you are getting married abroad then just co-ordinating your friends and family and actually getting them to the destination to celebrate your special day is a challenge in itself, even just for the time it takes to organise when you could be spending time trying on dresses and choosing colour palettes 😉
So what should couples look out for in the ideal wedding venue?
(c) Romance Weddings, Styling by The Boutique Wedding Co.
The ideal wedding venue from the perspective of The Boutique Wedding Co. should be luxurious, spacious (enough room to allow the bride and groom some privacy from the rest of the group), preferably with great views or in an extra special location.
The best venues have at least 3 distinct entertainment areas, terraces or courtyards, like the wedding photographed here that we did at Hacienda Madronal. That way, you can celebrate the different elements of your wedding day, letting it all flow with ease. In Summer, a swimming pool is a must, and ideally we need to be able to play music till at least midnight.
Being within an hour an a half of your chosen airport, as well as in being in an area with interesting things to see and do is also a bonus, but equally there are some more remote venues that are just like Paradise for weddings!
Finally, it doesn’t hurt to to have a Plan B with a roof on it if you are getting married outside of June, July, August and September, it does sometimes rain in Spain!
And if the happy couple want more than just the wedding?
Customer service and quality should be top of the list for any wedding planner, because its not only about the wedding day, its also about creating a whole wedding experience. Most of our clients come to Spain for a week or more, to fully enjoy their time away. An extended stay on the Costa gives anxious brides time to relax and prepare for their wedding day, and a little time to explore too.
Through The Luxury Villa Collection Concierge we can offer tours, trips, experiences and even arrange for sports activities, Yoga, Meditation or Pilates classes at the venue. We can also assist with all the little details from booking the wedding party’s travel and accommodation to arranging trips, tours, restaurant bookings and transfers.
Many of our luxury wedding venues have a strong ecological and foodie ethos, so we can also provide top class chefs and wedding feasts prepared from locally produced and organically grown food – some villa even have their own produce such as wine, cheese and Olive Oil.
(c) Romance Weddings, Cake and Dessert station- Omaya at Marbella Cake Couture
To round up, here are some top tips for planning a destination wedding in Spain:
1: We would definitely recommend that you plan ahead, Getting married in Spain has become very popular and the best wedding venues get booked up 12 – 18 months in advance, especially in peak months like May and June.
2: Consider your guest list – the range of wedding an celebration villas on offer in Spain is as varied as the people who choose to visit, but it’s important to consider the mix of people you expect to join you – for example, will the children need to be entertained if you get married on a mountain hilltop, or will Grandad be able to afford the only 5 star hotel within a 20 mile radius of your luxury villa? Is there space for everyone to be comfortable under the same roof for a few days, or maybe there is an option to rent some cheaper apartments nearby?
3: Summer weddings in Spain get extremely hot! Coming along in full suit jackets and ties to a 3pm wedding in August might not be the best idea, and this is the reason why a lot of Spanish weddings take place later in the evening and celebrate into the night. You do need to think about guests being comfortable (and yourselves!) so it may be a good idea to let your guests off the “formal attire” hook slightly.
4: Know the legalities – make sure you do your research in advance to make sure you know all about the paperwork and legal requirements of getting married in Spain so when your big day comes around, all the boring stuff has been confidently dealt with.
5: The top tip would be would be to hire a wedding planner to manage as much or as little as you like – many wedding planners will offer flexible packages and your sanity will thank you for it later!
Find out more about The Boutique Wedding Co. at their website http://www.boutiqueweddingsinspain.com/ and if you are looking for the perfect luxury villa for your Spanish wedding, Check out our collection of wedding villas in Spain.
Have you recently got married in Spain? What was your experience like, were there any venues or suppliers you would recommend? Please leave us a comment below about your own Spanish wedding dreams and tips!
Lindsay Gregory
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[post_content] => There was a time when visiting Spain as a vegetarian was tricky and to eat out as a vegan, well forget it. Ah, those ever common charming conversations about whether Jamon is vegetarian or not. Those days of travelling the Iberian Peninsula for vegetarians and vegans was akin to going on some crazy fasting diet are now gone. There are now often vegetarian and vegan options on menus as well as a choice of vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
So, if you're staying around Marbella or Puerto Banus and have a love of all things plant-based here are our selection of the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Marbella: -
Vegetarian Restaurants
Organic Market & Food Marbella
The people behind Organic Market and Food say, “From organic garden to your table with minimal environmental impact and maximum quality of products”. The dining room is light, earthy and comfortable. It is only open until 20.00hrs so breakfasts, brunches, lunches and very early dinners are the call of the day. We love their nutritious bowls, they are packed full of tasty delicious ingredients.
Address: Centro Comercial Expo 14, Av. Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, s/n, 29602 Marbella, Málaga. Phone: 952 92 52 76
Manuka
This is a health food restaurant with a strong leaning towards vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Quinoa bowls, interesting salads, pad Thai, pasta and burgers are the emphasis, all enzyme and protein rich. It has a huge selection of pressed juices, smoothies and shots too. Closes at 21.00hrs so early suppers or pop in during the day time.
Address: CC Plaza del Mar, Calle Camilo José Cela, Local 9, 29602 Marbella, Málaga. Phone: 952 77 26 86 https://www.manukamarbella.com/
Vegan RESTAURANTS
Gioia Plant-Based Cuisine
Conveniently next to the Hotel Guadalpin in Marbella this lovely vegan restaurant serves up organic, gluten-free, plant-based and raw food. There’s a great selection of smoothies and fresh juices too. Open for lunch and dinner.
Address: Calle Velázquez, 1, 29602 Marbella, Málaga. Phone: 630 44 18 34
The Farmacy
More a relaxed brunch/lunch/coffee shop than restaurant but the food is great. Fresh, tasty, all allergies catered for as well as a yoga shop, studio, massages and nutrition expert. Opens at 7am too.
Address: Boulevard Alfonso Von Hohenlohe Centro Comercial El Caprichio local 11, 29602 Marbella, Málaga. Phone: 952 77 14 11 farmacymarbella.com
Hustle n Flow
Hustle n Flow isn’t solely veggie or vegan but it offers so many options that we thought we’d include it. It’s a great brunch or lunch spot in San Pedro and it closes at 16.30 so it’s more a café than restaurant. We love the beyond meat options and the additional toppings you can add to any dish.
Calle Andalucía, Calle Lagasca, Esquina, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara, Málaga. Phone: 663 86 09 91
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[post_content] => Marbella. There aren't many places offering year-round sunshine in Europe that, from beaches and golf to shopping and fine dining, tick as many of the luxury holiday boxes.
Sounds tempting? Perhaps the best part of all is just how easy it is to get to...
Where is Marbella?
First things first, though. Where is it? Marbella is in southern Spain - in the province of Malaga in the Andalucia region, to be exact - on a stretch of coast called the Costa del Sol.
Here's a map of Marbella to help you get your bearings:
Where Do You Fly to?
It depends on from where you're flying in. The nearest international airport to Marbella is Malaga. Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (Aena.es) is 51km away and an easy 40-minute car/taxi ride. Virtually all the major airlines fly there direct from the UK and from across northern Europe.
The next closest airport to Marbella is Gibraltar (Gibraltarairport.gi), which is just over an hour's drive away. British Airways, Easyjet and Monarch all fly direct from the UK to Gibraltar.
From the US
If you’re flying into Spain from the USA you'll probably have to travel to Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (Aena.es). From there you'll have to either fly, take the fast speed AVE train (Renfe.com) or drive to Malaga and transfer from there to Marbella.
The most convenient way to get to Marbella from Madrid is by the fast speed train taking just 2.5hrs or by flying taking only 1 hour and 15 mins.
how to get there from malaga airport
By Car
The best way to get from Malaga to Marbella is to drive. And if you're on holiday that probably means you're going to need to hire a car.
As with almost all international airports, Malaga has a frankly baffling array of different car hire options to pick through.
To avoid the scrum of the departures lounge, jump on the complimentary minibus to the offices of Niza, Helle Hollis or Enterprise situated a mere minute outside of the terminal. Inside the terminal you can find Sixt, Hertz and Europcar.
If you're unsure of which company to use, click the following link.
For a more luxury car hire service we'd recommend Sixt (Sixt.com). They're friendly, totally professional, trustworthy and have a range of high-end rental options, from BMWs, Audis and Porsches to Mercedes and Range Rovers - and even automatics. If you're travelling in a large group, they also have 8-12 seater self-drive minibuses available for hire.
Of course if you're looking for ease, our Concierge can make the reservation for you to be dropped directly off at the villa. A car of your choice can be delivered to your villa.
Once you've picked up your car/minibus hire, driving from Malaga airport to Marbella could hardly be easier.
Directions from Malaga-Costa del Sol airport are as follows:
- Leave the airport and head southeast onto N-348
- At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on N-348
- Take the Torremolinos ramp to N-340/Cádiz
- Merge onto Avenida de Velázquez/N-340/MA-21
- Take the ramp to E-15/A-7/Benalmadena/Algeciras. Merge onto AP-7
- Pass Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola
- Take exit 184 towards Marbella/Casco Antiguo/Avenida del Trapiche
By Taxi
For sheer ease, you can’t beat jumping in a taxi. A taxi rank is situated outside the arrivals sidewalk of Terminal T3, level 0.
It's best to ask the driver, beforehand, how much a taxi is from Malaga to Marbella to ensure they don’t overcharge you.
There are two transfer prices, and these are dependent on both times of the day and the day of the week. Transfer Price Band 1 is weekdays from 06.00 to 22.00 hrs. Transfer Price Band 2 is weekdays from 22.00 to 06.00 hrs, all day Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, the August Feria and Holy Week. Band 2 transfer time is more expensive than Band 1.
Alternatively, you can pre-order a taxi at Malaga Airport Taxi (Malagaairporttaxi.net) and get a price when booking. The transfer time from Malaga Airport to Marbella takes around an hour, in a taxi.
Other Ways to Get to Marbella
- By bus: It is possible to take a bus (Alsa.com) from Malaga airport to Marbella. But it's a whole lot less convenient than driving via hire car or private transfer.
- By train: There isn’t a train connection from Malaga airport to Marbella.
Distances - how far is marbella from...
- Malaga (city): 61km away and 46 minutes' drive.
- Granada: 187km and just over 2 hours' drive.
- Seville: 258km and 2 hours 45 minutes' drive.
- Gibraltar: 78km and 1 hour 2 minutes' drive.
- Madrid: 584 km and 5 hours 45 minutes' drive.
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How to Get to Marbella
Marbella. There aren't many places offering year-round sunshine in Europe that, from beaches and golf to shopping and fine dining, tick as many of the luxury holiday boxes. Sounds tempting?…