One of the most fun ways to spend an evening in Marbella is to visit the historical centre and its abundance of traditional tapas bars. There are literally dozens of these little establishments hidden down narrow alleyways in the Casco Antiguo, with each one offering an eclectic mix of interesting nibbles, quaint surroundings and fine wines. With this in mind, food fans may wish to take part in the Autumn Tapas Route held from November 14th to 17th. This popular event is now in its fourth year and also takes in the bars of San Pedro Alcántara, as well as those in between Marbella’s Paseo Marítimo and main avenue, Ricardo Soriano.
During the Ruta de la Tapa, food lovers arm themselves with a special map that shows you which bars are taking part, where they are and what they are offering their discerning customers. Each eatery charges between 1.50 and 3 euros for a beer, wine or soft drink, plus a speciality tapa, with the idea being that you bar hop around town like the Spanish typically do. 
The beauty of this is that you can chose your own route based on which tapas you like the sound of. While exploring the gastronomical delights of Marbella, you can vote for your favourite tapas bar by asking for a stamp on your map. The bar with the most stamps at the end of the four-day event then gets a winning plaque from the Town Hall to be displayed with pride outside the premises.
Last autumn more than 60 tapas bars took part, including the popular haunts of Le Kune, Casa Lola and Pata Negra. Although next month’s list has yet to be published, it looks set to attract hundreds of food aficionados eager to discover the tastiest tapas Marbella has to offer.