Essential Magazine is Marbella’s longest established glossy magazine (1999). It was founded and directed by Scottish expat Iain Blackwell who bravely hired a group of disenfranchised staff from the now defunct Absolute Marbella. Essential quickly rose through the ranks to become a staple in any high-end location on the Costa del Sol, and beyond. It is Marbella’s most popular glossy. News, culture, people, and trends with all you need to know about the Spanish expatriate lifestyle and the latest business happenings. They cleverly blend decor, fashion, health & beauty, golf, travel, wine, gourmet, and more... It has an audited edition of 25,000 copies distributed on a monthly basis between Gibraltar and Fuengirola.
Essential has withstood the test of time.
Personally, I have a soft spot for Essential as they (very) kindly allowed me to publish my first articles all the way back in 2005 under my name, and also a few previous ones which I ghostwrited for other lawyers at the time (*ahem* read boss).
Essential kindly published our article Changes to drink-driving in Spain in their January 2025 issue (number 302, page 158).