Having spent a lot of my 20's holidaying in Marbella (so many fun memories and many a hen party) after having children we decided to venture to other places and haven't been back for 12 years. After our holiday to Dubai was cancelled this Easter, we decided to return to Marbella for a bit of Easter sun - not always guaranteed, but we were super lucky and the sun was out. 

It's a travesty that in my 20's I never explored the amazing and historic cites surrounding the area- Seville and Granada. These cites are full of Moorish influence and Granada was the last European city under Arabic rule and has a distinctive Moorish vibe. 

For my 40th birthday a friend took me to Seville for the weekend. It is a magical place. It's the capital of the Andalusian region, full of vibrant eateries and historic architecture. We stayed at Hotel Alfonso XIII with its traditional Sevillian style and moorish tiling, it is the most beautiful hotel. It is well located and has an outdoor pool which is great after a day of sightseeing.

The ornate buildings of Seville

A tour of Seville Cathedral is a must to see the elaborate tomb of Christopher Columbus, as is a walk around Plaza De Espana- a famous landmark of walkways and bridges covered in vibrant Majolica tiling. 

Plaza De Espana's beautiful tiling

As a lover of ceramics and pottery- particularly antique Italian and Spanish ceramics, I was in heaven when I stumbled upon Populart- an antique ceramics shop not far from the Cathedral. This little store is a must when in Seville, full of Fajalausa bowls, antique tiles and religious art- its always nice to take back something original and authentic from your travels.

THE best antique ceramics shop- Populart

Seville is the birth place of Flamenco so we couldn't leave without going to see a traditional flamenco show. We went to Casa De La Memoria. I don't usually do touristy things like this and thought it might be a bit naff- but oh my Goodness was I wrong. It's an intimate and intense experience, a small setting with only a few rows very close to the stage, full of emotion and passion. At first, you almost want to laugh it is so intense, but then you are immersed in the passion of the dance and and the room is charged with emotion. An absolute must.

Flamenco Show At Casa De La Memoria, Seville

For our Easter trip to Marbella this year, I insisted on doing a city break in Granada before heading to the beaches. Ever since reading a book about Catherine of Aragon (the first wife of Henry VIII) I have wanted to visit the Alhambra Palace in Granada. It is were she spent her childhood years and was described as a place of utter beauty, surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains (where today you can go skiing just 40 mins from the city) an oasis of orchids and flowers (she must have been utterly depressed when she moved to Tudor England to eat pies).

We stayed at the Alhambra Palace Hotel, located next to the Alhambra Palace site overlooking the city of Granada. The decor of this hotel is inspired by the Nastrid Palace (one of the palaces inside the Alhambra), full of Morrish influences- mosaics, Arabic tile work, symbols and inlay. 

Coffee with a view at the Alhambra Palace Hotel 

Interiors of the Alhambra Palace Hotel

On our first day we visited the Alhambra Palace. You have to book really early to get tickets- months in advance. As ours was a last minute trip I had to pay extra for a guided tour as none of the general admission tickets were left- which was great, but I don't think necessary. The Alhambra is huge-  a city in itself- with different palaces, monuments and gardens. You need at least  2-3 hours to explore them all. The gardens are stunning, especially in spring when we visited. It's a truly magical place, full of history and wonder. 

Stunning gardens and architecture of the Alhambra, overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountains

We booked dinner at El Huerto De Juanranas - a restaurant with stunning views over the Alhambra. It's in an area of Granada called The Albaicin, the Moorish quarter. We felt like we were in Marrakesh walking down to the old town after dinner through the cobbled streets lined with Arabian bars and shops, we stopped off for some traditional Arabian tea with spices.

The next day we visited the Royal Chapel of Granada, a historic chapel next to the main Cathedral were Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II or Aragon are buried- important figures in Spanish history as their marriage joined the regions of Spain to make Spain what is is today, they also lived at the Alhambra and were the parents of Catherine of Aragon. The chapel is beautiful, with a mini museum attached full of ornate artefacts and paintings. 

Buildings in Granada's old town 

After our dose of history we did some shopping for Fajalauza- a traditional style of ceramics from Granada and recognised for its distinctive blue and green designs on white glaze. We went to the Fajalauza Factroy where it is all made and has been since the 1500's, which was full of great pieces. I also loved the little shop next to the Cathedral called Ceramica Miguel Munoz- they had a great selection or ceramics and art.

The famous Fajalausa factory

The Fajalausa factory is in the Albaicin so afterwards we had we had the most amazing lunch at Carmen Anem Humeya, also in the Albaicin area. The food was the best that I had in Granada, and the view was stunning. The tiramisu dessert is prepared at the table and enough to feed 4- it was heaven.

Table with a view of the Alhambra at Carmen De Aben Humeya

After our 3 nights in Granada we headed to Marbella. The drive took around 2 hours- Granada in at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains and inland slightly to the east of Marbella (Seville is also around 2 hours from Marbella- inland). We were looking forward to some downtime on the beach, and we got just that. Easter is still quite busy- but nothing like the packed and boiling hot summer months. 

We stayed at the METT Marbella, a fairly new hotel located towards Estepona. We loved it, the sun beds were super comfortable, the food at every meal was delicious and the service was excellent. 

The METT Marbella Hotel 

The exterior gave Californian vibes and inside there was lots of natural fibres and a neutral pallet. You can hire electric bikes at the hotel to cycle along the promenade and take in the beach views- which kept my teenage son occupied while we lounged at the beach and pool. 

The promenade outside the METT

The Port- Puerto Banus, is the party area at night and you will find many a hen and stag party stumbling around. But, during the day it's a delight, with lots of new, luxury shops opening since I last came 12 years ago. My daughter and I spent a lovely morning shopping and of course (standard for teenage girls these days) we had to stop for matcha and some people watching. We found a great little spot that was perfect for just that at Yaw Ye.

A break from shopping at Yaw-Ye

We also had an incredible evening meal in the port- at Mumtaz. This Indian restaurant has been there since the 80's and I have been many times- it never disappoints. They have had an interior makeover since the last time I came and the food is still the best. We had a table overlooking the port and the people watching kept us entertained all night. 

Another wonderful meal was had a Lena at the Puente Romano Hotel. This hotel has changed a lot since I last came. It now has every high end restaurant going- Nobu, Cipriani, Coya, Le Petit Maison- the list goes on, and the grounds are still as beautiful as ever.  Lena is their steak restaurant, overlooking  La Plaza  - a huge bar where they have DJ's at night- the atmosphere and decor were fabulous and the food was amazing. I would also recommend Chiringuito - their beach restaurant where we had a long, lazy lunch.

After all the glitz of the port and the Puente Romano Hotel, we were craving some traditional tapas and scenery- off to Orange Square in the old town. Full of classic Spanish restaurants, shops, churches and cobbled street to explore.

Perfect spot for a relaxed dinner 

What I wore 

What I love about our jewellery is that the statement pieces are perfect for travelling - when you might be wearing the same outfits but you can change up the jewellery to give it a different vibe each time. 

I have been wearing the Trinacria Charm a lot lately and this holiday I added it to the Charm Rope Necklace to change it up a bit. My Treasures Sun Earrings always come away with me as they are the perefct day to night earring.

The Shell Cord Necklace always gives instant bech vibes

The Mythos pieces are great for adding a pop of colour to those holiday outfits. My daughter is constantly stealing mine, and she loves to add extra charms along her chain to create a statement charm necklace. The Daphne Oz X Soru Bombolini Earrings are always come away with me too.

The Mortella Necklace adds a touch of luxe boho when layered with other pieces.

Travel is such a source of inspiration for us when designing our jewellery. We have just released our 3 newest charms that are inspired by all of the beautiful majolica ceramics and tiles we see in Italy and Spain.

Love Marianna x