While this natural area is also included in the landscape category of protected dunes and sandy areas, its location on the western Costa del Sol, just few kilometres from the cosmopolitan centre of Marbella, has transformed this 48.6 acre stretch of land into a extraordinary natural enclave in the midst of luxury residential neighbourhoods and resort facilities.

The Artola, or Cabopino Dunes are the only remaining vestiges of the sand dune range on the coast of Málaga. Experts point out that this natural monument contains two types of dunes: shifting dunes, which create a barrier parallel to the coast and which are characterized by a rich vegetation including soda plants, knapweed, viper's grass and creeping grass: and fossil dunes, which remain immobile in an area where the parasol pine and Mediterranean scrub are predominant. The fauna of the area is likewise of great importance.
We can speak as well of other elements of the surrounding landscape such as the Cabrillas stream and the Thieves' Tower, a defensive stronghold declared a Site of Cultural Interest years ago and which can boast of being the tallest tower on the coast of Málaga, at a height of 16 metres. This privileged enclave was declared a natural monument in 2003 following a tireless campaign by local citizens. This undulating rectangle of sand bears testimony to what was once "the great dune", which ran the length of Marbella from Cabopino as far as San Pedro de Alcántara.

This charming group of dunes on the coast of Marbella is crisscrossed by a series of interesting sandy paths, where the token of man can be seen along the edges in the singular vegetation, of which we can highlight dwarf junipers and lemonade berries. The paths are also lined with well-preserved reforested parasol pines and Mediterranean scrub. The 2006 project developed by the Department of the Environment to reforest the area was created to recover this area by planting native "pdsmmophyte" vegetation (sand plants native to the area) so that the dunes would continue to grow. Their protection and conservation is key for many reasons.
The Artola Dunes are the only representative of Atlantic dunes in the Mediterranean basin. In addition, the dunes merge onto one of the few nudist beaches in the western area of Costa del Sol.