How a Popular Spanish Resort Transformed into Europe's 'Manosphere Mecca' with 'No-Go' Zones for Women Targeted by Influencers

NESTLED between craggy slopes and long stretches of sandy Mediterranean coastline, upmarket holiday hotspot Marbella has long been renowned for its glamour and celebrity clientele.

But beneath the allure of the sun-drenched Spanish Costa del Sol city and its exclusive beach bars and clubs, a toxic group has been quietly setting down roots and turning the once-exotic travel destination into a “perfect breeding ground” for radical masculinity.

Brit influencer Jude Young said she felt ‘intimidated’ by men’s behaviour on the island Credit: Instagram/jude.young This Brit tourist hotspot has become the manosphere ‘mecca’ Credit: Getty Expats say they’re fed up of influencers promoting extreme masculinity ruining the city Credit: Alamy Natalia said men’s treatment of women in Marbella will get worse due to the manosphere’s influence Credit: Instagram

Welcome to ‘Manosphere Mecca’ – where male influencers promoting hyper-masculine and misogynist views have flocked, chillingly causing the rise of “no-go” zones for young women who face being groped, scammed and attacked for clickbait social media content.

Viral clips show men shining their phone flashlights at girls outside clubs or sneaking up on them in the street for vile content that’s shared across their platforms.

The once buzzing Spanish resort of Marbella has become a place for male to promote extreme masculinity – and many have gained a massive following online.

Flaunting their wealth on social media with snaps of flashy watches, designer clothes and fast cars, the manosphere promotes their worldview as a “get-rich-quick” scheme to entice young men.

Viral clips show streamers shining their phone flashlights at girls outside clubs or sneaking up on them in the street for vile content that’s shared across their platforms.

The crisis was laid bare in Netflix documentary Inside the Manosphere, where young British influencer Harrison Sullivan, known as , used Marbella as a glamorous backdrop to build his online profile.

The 24-year-old made a name for himself with videos on fitness, money-making, and sex, where he referred to women as “things”, bragged about running a “pimp channel” and declared he “deserves sex” after work.

Sullivan, who boasts 310,000 followers on Instagram, was often seen prowling the Marbella strip alongside streamer figures like Ed Matthews – known for his unfiltered content and influencer boxing matches – using scripted tactics to target local women for disturbing content.

In one clip Sullivan acknowledges the impact he’s had on women in the area, saying: “We’ve scared off all the tarts.”

“When we’re on the street tarts are too scared to walk up the strip now because they know they’re just going to get violated on TikTok.”

In various clips over the years, Sullivan has claimed to be making £56,000 a day, or £20million a year from a combination of streaming, trading and managing OnlyFans creators.

He’s also claimed to have bought two private jets, a mansion in Essex for £3.5 million, and an apartment in Dubai for £1million. Marbella’s high-energy backdrop is used to boost his brand, but it remains unclear how much money he actually has.

As Marbella gears up for its busy summer season, the rise in unsavoury behaviour has not gone unnoticed.

Last summer saw a drop in tourist numbers on the Costa del Sol – marking the first decrease since the began.

HSTikkytokky, real name Harrison Sullivan, and Louis Theroux filming his manosphere documentary for Netflix Credit: instagram/hstikkytokky Sullivan used Marbella and Dubai as a glamorous backdrop to build his online profile Credit: Instagram Jude Young holidayed in Marbella last May but came away disturbed by the men she encountered Credit: Instagram/jude.young French businesswoman Ms Kanda agrees there has been an unsettling change on the island Credit: Supplied

And the downturn has been particularly noticeable in Marbella, where Spanish tourist numbers fell by 34 per cent in June, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The following month, the city welcomed 68,630 visitors – 8,201 fewer than in 2024.

Brit influencer Jude Young holidayed in Marbella last May with her friends, but came away disturbed by the men she encountered.

The 24-year-old tells The Sun: “The men out there are honestly pests. It was like they had never seen a woman in their life.

“We were walking down the street – even the nice bit as well – and every group of men there was were constantly making comments about us.

“Some literally had their tongues out – it was ridiculous.”

In a particularly concerning experience, Jude said her friends were accosted by a group of men.

She says: “When we were on our way to a bar a group of men were trying to get our attention but we’d already been pestered previously and were fed up so just ignored them and carried on walking.

“But then they stood right in front of us so we had to stop walking and they wouldn’t let us walk around.

“Eventually they let us go but it was a very uncomfortable feeling. It was intimidating.”

This behaviour was so common Jude said she could “barely walk in a straight line” down the street.

“I got really frustrated. It was out of control”, she added.

French businesswoman Ms Kanda agrees, and says there has been an unsettling change.

The 30-year-old who visited the area in September last year tells The Sun: “As soon as I arrived I got attacked by a vile scammer.

Sullivan was arrested after he crashed his £220k McLaren on March 24, 2024 Credit: Instagram Andrew Tate has hosted exclusive parties in the resort with his brother Credit: Reuters

“I paid to stay in an apartment for a month but the man I was renting from kept asking for more money and then kicked me out after two weeks.

“He was trying to frighten me. These are the same type of men who are also making the night life in the region unsafe – they want to inflict fear on women.”

Ms Kanda says the experience left her feeling “disappointed and ashamed”, but she soon found she was not alone.

She says: “I looked on and there were more and more women talking about how unsafe they feel in the area.

“Girls said they had been treated badly by bouncers after reporting harrassments and assualts from men.”

Ms Kanda says this “disturbing trend” in Marbella will only get worse as the manosphere builds up its frontier on the island.

“If it makes them rich they’re going to stay there and their ‘followers’ will make their way to the area as well”, she warned.

The manosphere has brought more than online attention to Marbella, with a trail of criminal dealings following in its path.

Sullivan is under investigation in Spain for allegedly attacking a man in a nightclub with a glass.

He was also arrested after in March 2024.

He was handed a one-year suspended sentence and disqualified from driving for two years. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

Meanwhile, leaders of the subculture Andrew and have hosted parties for their tequila brand at a new private club on the island.

The brothers have been tried for rape, , and running a criminal organisation.

And their associate, ex-porn star Stirling Cooper, frequently posts lavish images of his trips to Marbella.

Natalia said men have become ‘too forward’ and ‘persistent’ Credit: Instagram Natalia said there has always been a ‘traditional wife’ mentality amongst men in Marbella Credit: Instagram

An investigation by the Sunday Morning Herald placed Cooper at secret neo-Nazi meeting in Australia accused of running recruitment drives to draw in young men.

The manosphere’s prominent presence in Marbella means women now steer clear of their notorious haunts, sources told The Sun.

Influencer Natalia Nott, whose parents own a property on the island has also been left feeling “uncomfortable” by men during her visits.

She tells The Sun: “Most men in Marbella have always been friendly and polite towards me.”

But recently men had been “too forward” and “persistent”, she said.

“I think there has always been a certain ‘traditional wife’ mentality among some men in Marbella, even before influencers like Andrew Tate became associated with the area,” Natalia added.

“But his presence or influence is not helping the situation, and may reinforce those attitudes further.”

There is also concern among locals and officials that these influencers are damaging the city’s reputation.

Fears are swirling in the tourist sector that it will shift visitor demographic in a negative direction.

There is concern that the “alpha” influencer narrative attracts a younger, more aggressive male audience at the expense of sustainable tourism.

Spanish activist Pamela Palenciano says: “These men are having a negative influence in Marbella and across Spain.

“They seek out tourist areas with a mix of cultures where they can operate with impunity – Marbella has prior impunity for drug trafficking and prostitution – so they feel untouchable.

Spanish tourist numbers fell by 34 per cent in Marbella last June Credit: Getty Marbella gained a reputation for glamour and celebrity in the 1950s Credit: Getty

“There is concern among locals about these men, they are like a sect of wealthy individuals.

“Women should be avoiding these areas. But there must be responsibility from both the local and national governments.”

Marbella gained a reputation for glamour and celebrity in the 1950s and 60s.

The Andalusia region abolished its wealth tax in 2022, paving the way for a swarm of investors.

Marbella and its neighbouring town Benahavís now claim six of the top 10 most expensive streets in Spain.

The city offers an ideal backdrop for influencers looking to amplify lifestyles built on wealth, dominance, and curated masculinity.

But its reputation has been tarnished in recent years.

Fitness influencer Shane Casey (@scaseyfitness) visited Marbella for seven weeks in 2023.

In an honest review on after his return he slammed the superficial atmosphere, saying the area lacks “true happiness”.

He mocked the fake social media culture, noting how people are “living on ” rather than real life.

Jesús Moreno Pizarro of Fundación Iniciativa Social (FIS) – a not-for-profit which promotes educational and gender equality projects – said Marbella is “a perfect breeding ground for getting rich without regard for human principles”.

He tells The Sun: “It’s nothing out of the ordinary to see hyper-muscular men who look like they’re loaded walking the streets showing off their wealth.

“But the presence of the manosphere will lead to the radicalisation of this lifestyle.”

The result, Jesús said, will be a steep rise in misogyny while “community-oriented ways of life” will be depleted.

He adds: “This kind of tourism leads to gentrification, the decline of neighbourhood life, and the displacement of people who live there.

“People leaving Marbella is an example of how hyper-masculine ways of life impoverish the quality of life of everyone who lives there or interacts with them.”