Engel & Völkers can't wait to tell you about this year's Christmas lights switch-on in Marbella and San Pedro de Alcantara, which will turn the streets into a sparkling winter wonderland. The displays are always breathtaking, but this year the city is offering something completely new, which organiser Yolanda Marín hopes will become the benchmark for the future.
The fun begins on November 30 - the structures are already in place, and large crowds are expected. A giant walk-through tree will be the main attraction on Avenida del Mar, complemented by stunning decorations along the avenue. On San Pedro's Avenida Marqués del Duero, a twelve-metre-high simulated cathedral, divided into six stages, will end at the intersection with Calle Córdoba, inspired by similar displays in Malaga. The installation stands next to Plaza de la Iglesia, where specially-commissioned chandeliers continue the theme.
More decorations will link neighborhoods, and eight nativity scenes wait to greet visitors, with five in Marbella, two in San Pedro and the last in Nueva Andalucia. In addition, around eighty big figures will be dotted around, with, for example, a luminous bear as a convenient photo-stop for children at the Fountain of the Horse. Over five hundred LED garlands are in place around the town, with almost a hundred illuminated palm trees and a hundred-and-fifty flags. Twenty banners will light up to wish revelers Merry Christmas or Happy New Year, and local churches are hosting ten two-metre-long stars.
Ximenez Illuminations, creators of festive lights for several big cities worldwide, are once again the movers here, and there will be two musical shows daily, as usual. This tried and tested formula is loved by tourists, and so the council hopes to attract a high number of visitors. It's a time of year when people's thoughts turn to the possibility of owning a property on the Costa del Sol, either as a second home or for an investment (or both). This memorable experience can only reinforce that wish, and Engel & Völkers can help it to come true.
Although there is unlikely to be snow in San Pedro de Alcantara at any season, the artificial variety will no doubt be part of the theme, but the mild climate allows revellers to stroll around in comfort. Every year, brightly-lit market stalls welcome visitors, selling gifts and traditional sweets such as turrón (nougat), marzipan, mantecados (shortbread), and the delicious borrachuelos, which are fried pastries from Málaga, flavoured with wine. Another custom is the Three Wise Men from the East, who distribute toys, gifts and sweets from their floats.
If you're spending the festive period on the Costa del Sol, be sure to catch the celebrations with the three kings, the famous lights and the installations in Marbella and San Pedro de Alcantara. And if you think you'd like to spend more time in this magical place, pop in to the offices of Engel & Völkers while you're there - after all, dreams are not just for Christmas!
