In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Puerto Banús
Stay 1–2 nights, or use it as a Marbella day trip: the marina is a 20-minute walk end to end, and the glamour is the point, not the sights.
Puerto Banús is a marina and shopping complex in Nueva Andalucía, 6 km southwest of Marbella on the Costa del Sol. It was built in 1970 as a luxury port, and it still works that way: yachts on the water, designer boutiques on the quay, restaurants and clubs behind them. There is no old town and no beach strip to speak of. Come for an evening, a Saturday market or a boat hop to Marbella, and sleep in Marbella if you want a wider choice of beds.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), and the peak August club nights if you want quiet
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €70–110 excl. bed · Mid €120–200 excl. bed · High €250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–3 |
| Beer on the marina front | €4–8 |
| Cocktail in a marina bar | €12–20 |
| Lunch menu del día nearby | €12–20 |
| Taxi Puerto Banús → Marbella centre | €12–18 |
| Ferry to Marbella | €8.50 one way, €15 return |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AGP · Málaga–Costa del Sol
- About 60 km; taxi to the marina roughly €65–76, or bus/train to Marbella then a short taxi (check)About 37 mi; taxi to the marina roughly €65–76, or bus/train to Marbella then a short taxi (check)
Typical fares
- AGP airport → Puerto Banús, taxi
- about €65–76, 45–60 min (check)
- Puerto Banús → Marbella, ferry
- €8.50 one way, €15 return, about 30 min (check)
- Puerto Banús → Marbella centre, taxi
- €12–18 (check)
Get around
The marina is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. Local buses link Puerto Banús with Marbella and San Pedro de Alcántara; taxis queue on the marina front. A ferry catamaran runs between Puerto Banús and Marbella marina, about 30 minutes each way. Parking near the port fills early in summer.
See and do
Known for
- The marina and its yachts
- Designer shopping on the quay
- Saturday street market in Nueva Andalucía
- Nightlife and beach clubs
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Marbella | Ferry catamaran from the marina, or bus/taxi along the coast road | About 30–40 min |
| Estepona | Bus or car along the A-7, about 30 km southwestBus or car along the A-7, about 19 mi southwest | About 40–50 min |
| Mijas | Car or bus via Fuengirola, about 35 km eastCar or bus via Fuengirola, about 22 mi east | About 1 h |
| Fuengirola | Cercanías train from Fuengirola or bus along the coast | About 1 h |
| Ronda | Car or bus inland via San Pedro de Alcántara, about 65 kmCar or bus inland via San Pedro de Alcántara, about 40 mi | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Marina front (Benabola area)
- Walk to the boats, bars and shops in under 5 minutes; the noisiest and priciest option.
- Nueva Andalucía
- Inland side around Centro Plaza and the bull ring; 10–20 min walk to the water, better value, market on Saturdays.
- Marbella centre
- 6 km northeast; more hotels, a real old town and a 30-min boat or short taxi ride to the marina.3.7 mi northeast; more hotels, a real old town and a 30-min boat or short taxi ride to the marina.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Bar and club bills on the marina front can be high: ask for the price of drinks before you order.
- The Saturday market is hot and crowded in summer; watch bags and money.
- Beach vendors and lookalike-goods sellers operate on the sand and the promenade.
- August nights are loud until the early hours if you sleep on the marina front.
Puerto Banús is a low-crime resort area, but it is a nightlife and shopping district: watch bags in crowds and on the beach, and agree drink prices before ordering on the marina front.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Puerto Banús yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- The marina and its yachts
- Designer shopping on the quay
- Saturday street market in Nueva Andalucía
- Nightlife and beach clubs
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Spain tourism — Costa del Sol: www.spain.info/en/
- Málaga–Costa del Sol airport: www.aena.es/en/malaga-costa-del-sol.html
- Wikivoyage: Puerto Banús, revision 5235091 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5235091
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Puerto Banús
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Puerto Banús; most are in Madrid, with consulates in Málaga and Seville (check).
Tipping is optional: round up or 5–10% for good table service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/puerto-banus). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.