Taste the delicious seafood sourced fresh from the Costa del Sol. Fish and seafood dominate the cuisine of Marbella and that of the larger Malaga province. While paella is originally from Valencia, visitors to one of Marbella’s chiringuitos (beach bar) are sure to find this essential Spanish dish on the menu. For a more local delicacy, try the espetos de sardinas. This casual and generally cheap meal consists of skewers of sardines grilled over a large barbecue pit.

Savor a bowl of ajoblanco, the predecessor of gazpacho. While the tomato-based summer favorite also originates in Malaga, ajoblanco is a much older version dating back to before the arrival of the tomato from the Americas. The cold soup is made with breadcrumbs, almonds, garlic, olive oil, water and salt.

Share a platter of pescaito frito at one of Marbella’s many seafood restaurants. This Costa del Sol specialty is served as a platter of mixed seafood, the various elements of which – prawns, squid, sardines, chunks of cod – are lightly fried in a seasoned batter. Hotel Claude Marbella pays homage to this traditional dish in its fabulous patio light fixture. Designed by LZF Lamps, ethereal and surreal Kogoi sculpture was made by hand with overlaying wooden slats resembling fish scales.