The location
Cabopino and Marbella East: beaches, dunes and golf
Casa Cabopino Retreat is a three-bedroom holiday home in Artola, next to Cabopino on the eastern side of Marbella. The beach, the marina and the protected Artola Dunes are minutes away by car, two golf courses are closer still, and Marbella Old Town and Puerto Banús stay within an easy drive.
- 6 min to the beach and marina
- 6 min to the nearest golf course
- 35 to 45 min from Málaga Airport
The short answer
Where exactly is Cabopino?
Cabopino is a coastal spot at the eastern end of Marbella, on the Costa del Sol, roughly midway between Marbella town and Fuengirola. Casa Cabopino Retreat stands just behind it, in the residential area of Artola. In order: Artola sits beside Cabopino, Cabopino belongs to Marbella East, and Marbella East is part of Marbella. Every distance on this page is measured from the Cabopino area.
This side of the city grew around three things: a small marina, a wide sandy beach backed by protected dunes, and golf courses in the pine hills behind. There is no high-rise seafront and no nightlife strip. What you get instead is a quiet residential base, umbrella pines, a few minutes to the sand and about twenty minutes into the centre of Marbella.
Written for guests of Casa Cabopino Retreat. Local details last checked in September 2026.
Why stay here
What makes Cabopino a good base
Guests tend to choose this corner of Marbella for four reasons.
Quieter than central Marbella
Cabopino and Artola are residential. Mornings are calm, parking is straightforward and the beach never feels like the promenade in town. Marbella is close enough to visit and far enough away to leave behind at the end of the day.
Beach, nature, golf and dinner in one small radius
A sandy beach, a protected dune reserve, a small marina with restaurants and two golf courses all sit within roughly ten minutes of the house by car. You can combine them in a single day without long drives.
It works for couples, families and small groups
Three bedrooms and space for up to six guests suit two couples, a family or a group of friends. One bedroom and one bathroom are on the ground floor, which helps when not everyone wants stairs. The house sits over several levels and the roof terrace is reached by stairs.
Slow days and day trips both fit
Some days stay between the shared pool, the roof terrace and the beach. Others run to Marbella Old Town, Puerto Banús, Mijas or Málaga and back again before dinner. The location supports both without a change of plan.
The coast
Cabopino Beach, the marina and the Artola Dunes
The coast here is three things within one short stretch: a wide sandy beach, a small working marina and a protected dune system. All three are roughly six minutes from the house by car.
Approximately 6 minutes by car
Cabopino Beach
Playa de Cabopino is wide and sandy, backed by dunes and pines rather than apartment blocks. Beach restaurants and chiringuitos sit along it. The section east of the marina, towards the dunes, is a long-established naturist beach, which is worth knowing before you choose your spot.
Natural monument since 2003
Dunas de Artola
Between the beach and the pine woods lies the Dunas de Artola, a protected natural monument of about 19 hectares with both living and fossil dunes. Raised wooden walkways cross it, so you can walk the dunes without damaging them, and they lead past the Torre de los Ladrones, the old watchtower that marks this piece of coast.
Dinner without driving to town
Puerto de Cabopino
The marina sits at the western end of the beach: a small harbour of fishing and leisure boats with restaurants and terraces looking over the water. Alberts Bar & Grill has been on the port for around thirty years and serves from morning until late. It is the easiest evening out that does not involve driving into Marbella.
Also here a handful of other restaurants and cafes, a diving school and the boats themselves, which make the marina a pleasant walk in its own right.
Walking the coast: the boardwalks and the beach together make an easy, flat walk of a couple of kilometres, and the coastal path continues in both directions. Walking down to the beach from the house takes around thirty minutes; the way back is uphill.
Golf in Marbella East
Two courses within ten minutes
Santa María Golf in Elviria is approximately six minutes away by car, and the 18-hole Cabopino Golf Marbella approximately eight, on the hillside above the marina. That makes Marbella East a practical base for several golf days in a row.
Cabopino Golf Marbella
An 18-hole course that opened in 2000, designed by Juan Ligues Creus, laid out over changing terrain among umbrella pines with sea views from several holes. It has a driving range and a golf academy and is open to visitors as well as members.
Santa María Golf, Elviria
An 18-hole parkland course in the valley behind Elviria, with four lakes in play and a clubhouse in a nineteenth-century building. It is the closest course to the house and an easy first round of a trip.
Beyond these two, Marbella, Mijas and La Cala add a large number of courses within a twenty to thirty minute drive, which is why spring and autumn golf trips work well from here. Green fees, tee times and opening hours change through the season, so book directly with the clubs.
Everyday practicalities
Shopping, eating out and getting around
The details guests usually want before they book: where to buy groceries, where to eat nearby, and how much you need a car.
Groceries
A small supermarket is around ten minutes away on foot, or a two-minute drive. For a full shop, a convenience supermarket in Cabopino is roughly three minutes away by car and Lidl around six. Sunday and public holiday opening hours differ from the rest of the week, so check before you set out.
Eating out nearby
The restaurants and terraces around Puerto de Cabopino are the closest sit-down option, and the chiringuitos along the beach are the easy choice for lunch with your feet in the sand. Elviria adds more choice a few minutes east, and Marbella opens up the rest.
Beach days
The house provides two portable sun loungers, parasols and beach towels, so a beach day needs no hire. The beach and the dunes are approximately six minutes away by car, and there is parking near the marina and along the beach road.
A car, and where to park it
The beach and the marina are walkable in around thirty minutes, uphill on the way home. For golf, a supermarket run or an evening in Marbella a car is far easier, and most guests hire one at the airport. Guests have a private parking space beside the house, with free street parking as well.
A day out, then home again
Marbella Old Town and Puerto Banús
Marbella Old Town is approximately twenty minutes away by car. It is a compact grid of whitewashed lanes around the orange trees of the Plaza de los Naranjos, with small squares, independent shops and restaurants that fill up in the evening. Mornings and early evenings are the pleasant hours; midday in summer is not.
Puerto Banús is approximately twenty minutes away as well, in the same direction, and shows a very different side of Marbella: a large marina, designer shops and waterfront restaurants. It is a good evening out and an easy one to leave behind, because you drive back to a quiet street in Artola.
That contrast is the practical argument for staying in Marbella East. The city is close enough for a spontaneous trip, and far enough that it does not follow you home.
From Casa Cabopino Retreat
Distances in one scan
Approximate driving times from the house, so you can judge how the location fits the trip you have in mind.
6 min
Cabopino Beach and marinaApproximately 2.4 km. Around 30 min on foot6 min
Dunas de ArtolaProtected dunes and boardwalks6 min
Santa María Golf18 holes, Elviria8 min
Cabopino Golf Marbella18 holes above the marina2 min
Nearest supermarketAround 10 min on foot20 min
Marbella Old TownHistoric centre and seafront20 min
Puerto BanúsMarina, shops and restaurants35 to 45 min
Málaga AirportLonger in heavy trafficApproximate driving times by car, measured from the Cabopino area. Traffic on the A-7 and the AP-7 varies by season and time of day. The exact address is shared with confirmed guests.
Your position on the coast
Between Málaga and Marbella
Cabopino lies close to the boundary between Marbella and Mijas Costa. The airport is to the east along the A-7 and the AP-7; Marbella and Puerto Banús are to the west. Staying here puts you between the two, rather than in the busiest part of either.
Schematic location overview — not to scale.
Your base in Artola
Casa Cabopino Retreat
Everything above is within reach of one house: a renovated three-bedroom townhouse for up to six guests, with a private heated rooftop jacuzzi looking towards the Mediterranean. The full tour, room by room, is on the retreat page.
Practical questions about arrival, the stairs, the pool and parking are answered in the good to know section on the home page.
Stay in Marbella East
Beach, dunes, golf and Marbella from one address
Three bedrooms for up to six guests in Artola, beside Cabopino, with a private heated rooftop jacuzzi and a parking space of your own. For things to do nearby, see our guide to exploring the Costa del Sol.