Puerto Banús

Puerto Banús is a marina and shopping district a few kilometres west of Marbella’s old town, in the Nueva Andalucía area, and it is the best-known symbol of the glamorous side of the Costa del Sol. It was built at the end of the 1960s and opened in 1970. The developer José Banús, a Marbella builder, backed the project, and the architect Noldi Schreck, who designed much of the Marbella area in a Mediterranean village style, planned it. They created a harbour surrounded by white buildings with arcades, balconies and tiled roofs, resembling an Andalusian fishing village but built for yachts and for a wealthy international clientele. In its first decades it attracted film stars, royalty and business figures, and the reputation has lasted.

The marina holds around nine hundred berths, and the boats are a main part of the spectacle. Large motor yachts line the quays, and the fronts of the quayside restaurants and bars face them, so the evening walk along the waterfront is a kind of parade. High-end cars are often parked along the main promenade, and some visitors come mainly to see them. Behind the harbour, streets of boutiques carry the names of international fashion houses, jewellers and watchmakers, alongside more modest shops and chain restaurants such as the Hard Rock Cafe. Terraces, beach clubs and late-opening bars give the area a busy nightlife, particularly in summer.

The area is less about sights in the classic sense than about atmosphere. A visit usually means walking along the quays, looking at the boats, taking a coffee or an aperitif and perhaps shopping. It can be expensive, and prices in the main waterfront restaurants are among the highest on the coast, but there are cheaper options a few streets back. A short walk leads to Playa de Puerto Banús, a sandy beach beside the harbour, and the surrounding districts have golf courses and a bullring.

The marina is easy to reach by taxi or by bus from Marbella, and by road from the airport at Málaga, about an hour away. It is a different place from the old town of Marbella, with its Plaza de los Naranjos, Casco Antiguo and Alameda Park, which show an older and quieter Andalusian town. Many visitors combine the two in one day, going to the old town in the morning and the marina in the evening.

The area is family-friendly in daytime, and the coast has sun on most days of the year, so evenings outdoors are comfortable even in spring and autumn. Allow about two hours for a stroll and a drink, longer for dinner. Entry is free, and shops keep their own hours.