Playa de la Fontanilla at sunset

Fontanilla is the beach Marbella actually uses: a wide stretch of pale sand immediately west of the old town, with the promenade behind it, beach clubs along the front and, above the rooftops, the limestone ridge of La Concha closing the view inland.

The coast here runs east to west, which is what makes it work in the evening. The sun does not set out to sea in front of you; it goes down along the beach, so the light comes in sideways across the sand, rims hair and skin, and leaves the mountain warm behind. That is a much easier light to work with than a straight backlit sunset, and it lasts longer.

For a family session the practicalities are as good as the light: flat ground, showers, a promenade with shade, and the old town's whitewashed lanes and orange-tree square three minutes away for a second set. For couples, walk west past the beach clubs, where the sand empties out within a few hundred metres.

From June to September the front row is loungers and parasols until well into the evening; the sand only clears properly after eight. Winter afternoons are the underrated slot here — the light is low all day, the beach is empty and the mountain is often sharper without the summer haze.