San Pedro de Alcántara belongs to Marbella but functions as a town in its own right, with its own character, its own fair and its own regulars. Its beach reflects that: broad, family-oriented and noticeably less showy than those at Puerto Banús or central Marbella, ten minutes away by car.
Getting there
From the A-7 or AP-7, exit for San Pedro de Alcántara. Burying the old N-340 where it passed through the town created a large pedestrian boulevard linking the centre to the beach on foot. Free surface parking on the nearby streets and areas beside the promenade. Buses on the Marbella – Estepona route stop in the centre.
Facilities
- ✓ Lifeguard during the bathing season
- ✓ Beach bars on the sand
- ✓ Showers and public toilets
- ✓ Sunbed and parasol hire
- ✓ Adapted access
- ✓ Free parking nearby
- ✓ Water sports and a kitesurf school in season
The Roman baths of Las Bóvedas
A few metres from the sand stands one of the best-preserved Roman complexes on the coast: the baths of Las Bóvedas, a third-century bathhouse on an octagonal plan over two storeys. Beside it sit the early Christian basilica of Vega del Mar and its necropolis. Both are free to visit and remarkably little known, even among Marbella residents.
What the beach is like
Close to two kilometres of dark, coarse sand, wide and with a gradual entry. This stretch of coast tends to get more wind than central Marbella, which makes it one of the areas where kitesurfing and windsurfing are practised during the windier months.
Atmosphere
Family and local. This is where people from San Pedro go, not the beach from the brochures. A good choice if you’re travelling with children and want Marbella’s facilities without its prices or its bustle.
