Quality Family Time in Marbella

You may have come to Marbella with the intention of investigating possibilities for investment in luxury real estate. You have now checked properties, and taken advice from your real estate expert, Engel & Völkers. Or perhaps you are looking for a second home in which to enjoy quality family time, but before you proceed any further, you want to be sure that there is plenty for them to do. You need worry no longer - this is a wonderful place for the young, as well as for adults, with activities to suit everyone!

Organized fun is a boon to parents hoping to enjoy their own holiday, too. The Intooit Kids Play Club in Puerto Banús caters for tots to teens in separate areas, allowing parents some time to enjoy the buzzing, lively and upmarket marina. Pirates Park on Marbella's seafront has rides suitable for young ages, hosts birthday parties, and is reasonably-priced. Bubble Marbella's activities include arts and crafts, dancing, hip hop, yoga, gardening, and musical drama, with outdoor and indoor spaces. There is also a local dance school, and a gymnastics club.

The Food Room in the exclusive resort of Guadalmina organises cookery classes or private lessons for six-year-olds and over, while the Kids' Spa offers crafting activities such as T-shirt designing and films, modelling and beauty workshops or birthday parties, either at the hub or at your villa. If your kids yearn to be more streetwise, they can learn to use a skate-board, or hone their current skills with proper tuition in the San Pedro Skate Park, next to the Boulevard in San Pedro de Alcantara, ten kilometres from the centre of town. In the same area, they can indulge in dry ice-skating or crazy golf.

Of course, you don't have to be told that the Costa del Sol has beautiful beaches, all of which are a magnet for little ones, but if you want to pick out one of Marbella's best, Cabopino is a favourite. The protected Playa de las Dunas or Artola dunes is part of this large stretch, and your children will have great fun exploring the rugged sands. A historic tower, la Torre de los Ladrones, and the beach's proximity to Cabopino's port, make it more than just another expanse of sand. Or try busy Playa del Faro, which has its own lighthouse and a water-ski sculpture. Its children's play area, and the plentiful bars and cafés, mean that you can pass a whole day here.

Parents love the safe and calm Mediterranean, but the Mijas Aqua Park offers an alterntive of slides, rides, and rapids, together with a wave pool and various watery adventures. Or your offspring might prefer to tackle the inflatables that are floating assault courses, run by Costa Water Parks - one is conveniently-based offshore at Marbella. A less tiring option would be to hire a catamaran, and study the beautiful coastline from afar. The whole family will be thrilled by the appearance of dolphins, and the more energetic in the group can experience the fun of a banana boat ride. Dolphin-sighting tours are also available.

Segway scooters are great for a tour on wheels along the sea path, and there are even small versions for hire. Join a bike tour and get to know the city, or investigate the countryside by jumping on a horse at one of the many stables sited among the exclusive resorts, where experience is not necessary. Centro Hipico El Repique is an equestrian centre that also puts on shows, and you can eat there, too.

Aventura-Amazonia is a tree-top course involving ropes, zip wires, bridges and more, all with impeccable safety standards, of course. If this seems terrifying to a parent, don't worry, there are mini challenges for seven year olds and younger. Wakeboarding is definitely for teenagers, and takes place on the lake of Parque de las Medranas in San Pedro Alcantara, using a pulley system, with the bonus of live music and DJs in summer. The park is ten kilometres from Malaga's centre, close to Guadalmina.

If the older ones or the adults fancy some action, they can hire a buggy and head for the mountains. Join a tour with an experienced and professional guide - you just need a current driving licence, and you can take the children as co-pilots for a memorable day out. Off-road bikes are also available for hire, covering tracks from mountain trails and river beds, to the sands of the coast. More inland water-based sports can be found at Lagoland Mountain Lake Centre, near the urbanisation of Zahara, where facilities include canoeing, aqua-skipping, safari 4x4 and quad bikes, or a lake tour in a gondola.

The terrain in this area is stunning, and the coastal stretch certainly doesn't have it all its own way when it comes to beauty. The Sierra Blanca mountains are an extension of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, which little explorers will love. The range includes the highest mountain in the area, La Concha (Spanish for shell, to reflect its distinctive shape), and the park gives walkers a tremendous view of it.

After all that, a calm afternoon in town sounds like a sensible option, with a chance to discover its historic centre. Wander the narrow cobbled streets, and discover its pretty squares with their fountains and displays of flowers. You'll find plants crammed onto every balcony and windowsill, often potted geraniums. Or peer through the wrought-iron gates at the cool courtyards with green foliage and running water (a trick learnt centuries ago from the Moorish occupiers). The centrally-situated Alameda Park is a great place to rest in the heat of the day, with its marble seating, exotic flowers and abundant bird life. Also well located is Constitution Park, with similar amenities.

Hopefully, you are now reassured that there is no chance that your family will be bored during a visit to Marbella. Or if you are seeking an investment, you can now rest easy that those renting your property will be satisfied with their holiday. So now is the time to contact Engel & Völkers, the market leaders in luxury real estate in the local area.