Puerto Banus Marina

One of the world’s most famous leisure marinas

One of the most famous spots in Marbella is the Puerto Banús marina, built in 1970 by José Banús, a local property developer, as a luxury marina and shopping complex for the jet-set and the super rich.

Giant statue of José Banús at the entrance of the marina

The lavish opening of the marina was attended by, amongst others, the Aga Khan, film director Roman Polanski, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, Dr. Christian Barnard (pioneer of the heart transplant), and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco. A youthful Julio Iglesias was contracted to sing for the guests for the enormous sum of 125,000 pesetas while an army of 300 waiters from Seville served 50 pounds of Beluga caviar to the 1,700 guests.

Puerto Banús has berths for 915 boats and ships from 8 to 50 meters, including those of the King of Saudi Arabia and several of the world's wealthiest individuals. Its surface area is 15 hectares, and its depth ranges from 3 to 6 meters. The marina has beaches on either side over 150m long.

Although the superstars have moved to more private destinations, visitors to 'The Port' tend to be extremely wealthy tourists from northern Europe as well as holiday-making Spaniards.

Luxury shops, cars and yachts in Puerto Banús

Nightlife
As with any resort associated with the rich and famous, Puerto Banus has more than it's fair share of pubs, clubs, restaurants, world-class shopping and casino facilities. The nightlife in Puerto Banús holds a world-class reputation. It can carry on until dawn if you want it to, or if you prefer something a bit more sedate then you can settle for a quiet drink and tapa in any one of the countless local bars throughout the town. If you do get the urge to have a taste of Tinsel Town, there are numerous cocktail and wine bars spread around the Marina and seafront areas, known as the Muelle Rivera - incidentally these are great areas for doing a bit of 'star spotting'! Find out more about the Puerto Banús nightlife in our nightlife section.

The Puerto Banús marina at night

Shopping in Puerto Banús
World famous designer names can be found on all the main streets, but if you prefer to browse smaller, more traditional Spanish shops and boutiques then there are plenty of these too. Notably the premier Spanish department store El Corte Ingles with it's five stories, and the Marina Banus Shopping Centre are two of the most popular locations that shoppers head for. Alternatively, a visit to the weekly market held next to the bullring each Saturday morning is a great way to buy both local products and holiday souvenirs! The shops on Muelle Rivera are open until very late, if you spill your cocktail it wont be any problem to get yourself a new La Coste -Ralph Lauren - Versache polo anytime.

Puerto Banús beach

Nearby
The surrounding areas of Puerto Banus are also to be explored and enjoyed. The Sierra Bermeja Mountains rise up to the north of the town, and numerous golf courses are scattered within a 10 kilometre radius of Puerto Banus. Needless to say, the golf courses are some of the best in Europe, making Puerto Banus one of the world's top golfing holiday destinations.

As with Marbella, Puerto Banus enjoys it's own micro-climate and boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year, with a year round average temperature of 19 degrees. While the summer months may get a little hectic, June and September are probably two of the best months to visit this resort.