Elviria is a lush green neighbourhood that stretches its way up the mountains between El Rosario and Las Chapas; the Malibu of the Costa del Sol, without the Puerto Ban�s prices.

Not that Elviria isn�t as luxurious, mind. In fact, with its palm-fringed streets, wide roads, array of trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques, and private security-attended gated communities, you�d think living in such a suburb would cost the earth. But, for most, it doesn�t. While many of Marbella�s rich make their home here, many of Mabella�s middle-of-the-range residents make their home here, too. Just not in one of the gated communities, of course. Elviria, in all its tree-lined splendour, is an affordable alternative to Puerto Ban�s for many of the cosmopolitan bunch that reside here, which are predominantly English and German ex-pats. It�s also one of the most attractive places for residents to make their pads this side of Marbella: many like to keep as far away as possible from the San Pedro traffic jams that have become the town�s rush-hour feature, and prefer to position themselves midway between Malaga and Gibraltar.

Along with the water tower, Elviria is earmarked by the prestigious Don Carlos Hotel, which is a Miami-style beige high-rise that juts out near the beach. Most spots in Elviria afford views of the Don Carlos, and the hotel has become the landmark of this otherwise leafy area. Known for its exclusivity - particularly after Nikki Beach decided to make its Marbella branch here in the summer months - the Don Carlos epitomises what Elviria is all about; chic, yet unpretentious.

Elviria has developed either side of the N340, and the sides have been tagged as beachside and golf-side. Both as tempting as one another, I�m sure you�ll agree. As well as the luxury of the Don Carlos, the beachside of Elviria has many things to offer both residents and tourists. First and foremost, of course, are the beaches. The beach found at the end of the road that leads directly from the bridge that arches over the N340 and down towards the Mediterranean is Elviria Beach. This is where you�ll find casual beach-goers, in search of nothing but sun, sangria and the beautiful scenery. Most don’t even bother with sunloungers, and sprawl out on the sand. The beach bar here is slightly overpriced for the average beach bar fare that it serves, but it does do an undeniably wonderful calamari dish (fried squid, for those who aren�t in the know). To the right of Elviria Beach (towards Marbella) is White Pearl beach, which is where the old money of Marbella enjoys spending their Sunday afternoons. You�ll have to get down early in the summer months if you want a sunlounger. The beach bars at White Pearl are a little more expensive than Elviria Beach, and beach-goers should expect to pay around 50 euros per head for a decent, three-course lunch. The Beach House restaurant, which is just along from White Pearl, is better suited to evening meals than languid luncheons, and is an elegant eatery that any foodie will fall in love with. Certainly worth its money for the high-class cuisine served and the professional service you�ll receive.
To the right of White Pearl beach is the before-mentioned Nikki Beach, which is where Marbella’s young and trendy flock for all day-long sunbathing sessions and all-night partying, complete with international DJ sets. The all-white opening party and all-red closing party are, for many, the highlights of Marbella�s summer social calendar. Painfully hip and painfully expensive in equal measures, Nikki Beach should certainly be sampled by those who think they�re cool enough. Just don�t forget your designer shades.
Other than beaches, the beachside of Elviria offers � surprisingly - some of the more moderately priced housing in the urbanisation (not beach-front, of course). The winding residential roads are like a labyrinth, and many reasonably priced apartments and townhouses with community pools lie behind the high stone walls.
Before you hit the greens on the golf-side of Elviria, you’ll come across the hub of Elviria immediately after you cross back over the bridge moving towards the mountains. Here you�ll be pleased to find restaurants � ranging from inexpensive to very expensive - bars, banks, shops and supermarkets. You�ll even find the odd newsagent and souvenir shop. The SuperSol supermarket is recommended for the weekly shop, whereas OpenCor is better for forgotten items or late-night munchie supplies. It’s slightly pricier than SuperSol, but is open pretty much 24/7 and has a wide variety of goods in-store, including food, electrics, books and magazines.

For the party revellers who want a more chilled-out alternative to the pumping house music of Nikki Beach, Fluid bar is the best option and sits around the corner from OpenCor. While it’s certainly calmer, you won’t feel like you’re missing out on the party as you sip cocktails with Marbella�s after-work drinkers. With a bohemian vibe and stylish Buddha-bar interior, Fluid is packed with people mingling and socialising most nights of the week, but fortunately has an outside terrace to cater for them all. The Mojito and Long Island Ice Tea cocktails come highly recommended, but are lethal so drink in moderation (please note that Fluid is closed on Sundays). Other venues for a sneaky drink include the slightly more expensive Casi-Casi for the older clientele (near SuperSol), and Harmon’s Bar for those who just want to sit back with a drink and chat. They also have a selection of board games for more lighthearted entertainment.

As well as catering for the thirsty Elviria crowd, the food selection golf-side isn’t bad either. Those seeking sumptuous Italian cuisine should book a table at Rosmarino’s restaurant, and order the much talked about veal masala. The cr�me brulee is an incredible dessert to finish off with. Those with a more Oriental palette should try Asia Food next door and get some practise in with the chopsticks, while those craving something slightly different should sample the culinary delights of the red-lit Fondue Lounge (you can smell the delightful meats and melted cheeses drifting up the street). Travel a little further up Elviria�s winding hills and you’ll find the Kudo Bar, which is constructed on the side of a rock face, with its outside wooden deck supported by stilts. From here you’ll be able to enjoy an ice-cold beer and panoramic views of most of the coast, including the distant outline of Malaga. You’ll feel like you’ve stumbled on Elviria’s best-kept secret.

Golf connoisseurs will be pleased to know that the golf-side of Elviria received its nickname for a reason. The Santa Maria Golf & Country Club is one of the most beautiful golf resorts in Europe, and boasts a wonderful clubhouse with bar, restaurant and pro shop to match. Santa Maria comprises an 18-hole championship golf course, a lawn bowls club, tennis courts, Olympic-sized swimming pool and acres of manicured gardens. Construction is already underway on another 18 holes, which are being designed by Dave Thomas. The new course will be longer and more challenging than the existing course, and will be accompanied by a new clubhouse and golf academy. Elviria, it seems, is only getting bigger and better. Although golfers will want to try out Santa Maria - and for a good reason - those staying in the Elviria Hills development needn�t travel to Santa Maria ever time they fancy swinging a club during their stay, as they’ve their own 9-hole golf course on-site, accompanied by the Michelin-starred El Lago restaurant.
Those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of Elviria can trek even further up the hills, and go on a long dog-walk or rambling hike. Half the beauty of Elviria is that hundreds of square-metres of it have yet to be built on, meaning you can spend hours getting lost and discovering new angles of one of Marbella�s most dynamic and accessible urbanisations. Quite simply, those who don�t want to never have to leave. And why should they?