We are going to a Marriott vacation club in one of these locations in November, over Thanksgiving. There will be 6 of us including 4 30 somethings. We like to explore! I know Rick things the Costa del Sol is not worth it but I have the points for a 3 bedroom and these resorts have openings. I'm worried about Marbella being grossly touristy. Some of the group think Mallorca won't have enough to do. We can day trip out from either Estepona or Marbella. What advice do you have. The resort itself is not our issue. All of these Marriotts are pretty much the same. One review said Marbella had obnoxious tourists but not so sure that would be the case in November.
Posted by
Washington DC
28081 posts
How long will you be staying?
Posted by
OP
3 posts
About 6 days.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5541 posts
We own at both the Estepona resort and the Mallorca resort and have also stayed at the Marbella resort.Our favourite is Mallorca because of the accommodation style, the villa pools and the island itself. Of the two mainland resorts Estepona has the smaller footprint which we prefer but you cannot go wrong with any of the resorts. I've never encountered what I would describe as obnoxious tourists at the mainland resorts however I have read some reports of some guests at the Marbella resort being a bit inconsiderate to others around the pool however this has been at peak summer time. The only obnoxious tourists I've encountered were an American family in Mallorca this summer who decided that playing their music on a speaker and talking loudly at one another (I could even clearly hear them from my villa 100m away) around a pool that was occupied by adults wanting to quietly relax, read or sleep was acceptable.
The Marbella and Estepona resorts are relatively close to one another so in terms of exploring the wider area there isn't much in it. You will want a car as it will make exploring a lot easier and the cost of a car split between four adults will be cheaper than public transport. You will definitely want a car in Mallorca as it opens up the entire island which would be difficult to manage with public transport alone.
There is no shortage of things to do in Mallorca although it doesn't have the big hitters such as Malaga, Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Ronda etc that can be reached from the two mainland resorts (don't bother wasting your time with a trip to Tangier). The town of Marbella can be touristy but not gotesquely so, it has a lot of charm particularly the old town.
My advice would depend on what your interests are, how long you'll be there for and how far you'll be prepared to travel for a day trip (think duration rather than distance).
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you so much. That's just what we were looking for. I think I'd prefer Mallorca but our 30 somethings would probably like to hit a few other highlights, so I am thinking Estepona might be the best option.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5541 posts
I agree, if you haven't been to Andalucia and explored the highlights then the mainland resorts would be the better option however with only 6 days it's going to be quite exhausting.
Personally I prefer the 3 bedroom houses in Mallorca over the 3 bedroom 'villas' in Estepona and Marbella, the balconies on the mainland resorts are a bit tight for 6 adults. If opting for Estepona the 3 bedroom villas are located on the ends of the buildings, closest to the resort entrance and market place. This is handy for parking as the ground level parking is located here and means you can avoid the very tight underground parking. If you have a reasonably large car and are not experienced in navigating small European underground car parks then you will probably want to avoid this. The villas in Mallorca have parking spaces right outside the front so parking is much easier.
Presumably you'll be flying into Malaga if staying on the mainland? If so the drive from the airport is straightforward, the roads are very good and I always opt for the AP-7 which has a toll (this can be paid by cash or card), it's a slightly faster route and has far less congestion. Be aware that there are speed cameras along this stretch so keep an eye on your speed.
The weather in November is usually very good, lots of sunshine which can make it warmer than the forecast temperatures. I'm often in shorts and t-shirt however if you go into the mountains to places such as Ronda the temperature will be significantly cooler and you'll want to wrap up.