Puerto Banús needs little introduction: the marina, the yachts, the shop windows and the atmosphere that made Marbella internationally famous. The beach next to it is a working beach all the same — wide, well kept and considerably more relaxed than the marina’s reputation suggests.
Getting there
From the A-7 or AP-7, following signs for Puerto Banús. There is paid parking in and around the marina, and limited free spaces further out. Marbella’s local buses connect the marina with the town centre and San Pedro.
Facilities
- ✓ Lifeguards during the bathing season
- ✓ Beach bars and beach clubs
- ✓ Showers and public toilets
- ✓ Sunbed and parasol hire, including premium service
- ✓ Water sports: jet skis, parasailing, paddleboarding
- ✓ Adapted access
- ✓ Promenade linking to Marbella centre
What to expect
Dark, coarse sand, breakwaters keeping the water calm and a gentle slope into the sea — perfectly good for families, whatever the surroundings suggest. Two things worth knowing: the sand is public, so nobody can stop you laying your towel wherever you like, and the establishments are expensive, with booking effectively required in summer.
Water sports
This stretch is one of the best served on the coast for activities on the water. In season you’ll find operators offering jet skis, parasailing, paddleboarding and boat hire, either from the sand or from the marina itself.
Beyond the marina
The Marbella seafront promenade runs more than ten continuous kilometres and passes right by. Walk east and you reach Marbella’s old town, with its orange-tree square and Dalí sculptures on the Avenida del Mar; walk west and you’re in San Pedro de Alcántara. It’s flat, well surfaced and the best way to see this coastline.
