Annette O'Brien : Marbella

If you are planning a quick getaway with your girlies, this just might interest you.. tell only your best friends...

I had a few days off recently and decided to take a break to the sun. Marbella, Spain, was top of the list for this.

Just over two hours on the plane, the sunshine awaits you.

Both Ryanair & Aer Lingus fly to Malaga from Cork. We chose an early morning flight on a Thursday and back on a Monday with Aer Lingus - the perfect long weekend.

Once we had arrived in Malaga we had a transfer organised with Marbella Taxis approx €50pp return. Travel time to our hotel, just outside of Marbella, was 50 minutes.

We booked a fabulous hotel quite near to Puerto Banus and Marbella. If you wish to book a resort hotel make sure you look a few km outside of the main towns. We arrived at the magnificent La Quinta Golf & Spa which is part of the international Melia Hotel group.

Everything here was perfect. Amazing food with a choice of three restaurants, big rooms (we had a triple room), service was fantastic and they operate a free shuttle bus to take guests to both towns throughout the day & night.

I'll let the photo's do the talking.

When visiting Marbella definitely go to one of the amazing beach clubs. There are plenty to choose from - Ocean Club, Buddha Beach, La Sala, Puro Beach but my favourite of all is Nikki Beach. Make sure to reserve a cabana in advance (Summer is very busy there) and head off early morning to spend the full day relaxing.

The promenade in Marbella stretches for miles and miles on the sea front. Stroll along here in the evening to catch the sunset and see Marbella coming to life. There are so many restaurants to pick from. My favourites being Da Bruno, Garum and Aragona Cocina Italiana.

Cycling bikes can be rented along the promenade for €10 a day or €8 a half day. You can cycle along the beach from Marbella to Puerto Banus to San Jose - beautiful!

Puerto Banus is a small port town a few minutes drive from Marbella. Make sure you get the ferry transfer which takes 30mins from Marbella. It's a great way to see the bustling streets and the magnificent yachts when arriving. Find all details here - Fly Blue Ferry.

The Old Town in Marbella is a definite must. Stroll along the cobble streets in the evening stopping in the beautiful Orange Square. Tapas bars are a plenty here and you get to experience the real "old Spain".