Spain · Costa del Sol
Yacht Charter Marbella
Puerto Banús under the Sierra Blanca, and a season that runs from March to November.
Marbella sits under the Sierra Blanca on the Costa del Sol, with the mountain keeping the north wind off it and giving the town a microclimate that adds weeks at each end of the season. Puerto Banús, built in 1970 a few kilometres west, is the marina everyone knows; the old town behind the modern one is a Moorish grid of whitewashed lanes that most visitors never find.
The two Marbellas
Puerto Banús was built as a private venture in 1970 and became the reference for this coast: deep berths, a long quay and a promenade designed to be walked slowly. The marina at Marbella itself is smaller, quieter and closer to the old town.
The Casco Antiguo is what was there before any of it — the Plaza de los Naranjos laid out in 1485, Moorish walls, and lanes too narrow for cars, ten minutes from the water.
The coast and the mountain
West towards Estepona and Sotogrande the coast quietens and the beaches lengthen; east it runs to Fuengirola and Málaga in about an hour and a half. Gibraltar is three hours west, and Morocco is visible from the hills on a clear day.
Behind, the Sierra Blanca climbs to twelve hundred metres, and Ronda — the town split by a gorge with a bridge across it — is an hour inland and worth the drive.
Practical notes
- The Sierra Blanca keeps the north wind off and adds weeks at each end of the season
- Puerto Banús has deep berths and a long quay; the Marbella marina is smaller and closer to the old town
- Málaga airport is forty minutes east, Gibraltar three hours west by sea
- Ronda, the town split by a gorge, is an hour inland and the best day away from the water
Reached from: the Balearics
Where to dine
A table by the water
Skina
Casco AntiguoA very small room in the old town with two stars, ten minutes from the water.
Plaza de los Naranjos
Casco AntiguoThe square laid out in 1485, with tables under the orange trees and the town around it.
Puerto Banús quay
Puerto BanúsThe long promenade along the berths, which is where the marina eats and is looked at.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
Puerto Banús
A marina built in 1970 that set the pattern for this coast: deep berths, a long quay and a promenade to be walked slowly.
The Casco Antiguo
Moorish walls and whitewashed lanes behind the modern town, with the Plaza de los Naranjos at its centre.
Ronda
An hour inland: a town split by a gorge a hundred metres deep, with an eighteenth-century bridge across it.
The Sierra Blanca
Twelve hundred metres behind the town, keeping the north wind off and adding weeks to the season.
The fleet
Yachts available for Marbella
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Marbella
- What is Puerto Banús?
- A marina built as a private venture in 1970 that became the reference for this coast: deep berths, a long quay and a promenade meant to be walked slowly.
- Is there anything older?
- The Casco Antiguo behind the modern town — Moorish walls, lanes too narrow for cars, and the Plaza de los Naranjos laid out in 1485, ten minutes from the water.
- What does a yacht charter in Marbella cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season, the crew and the positioning, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter in Marbella
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.