Marbella and Puerto Banus
Tourist Information

More information and photographs are below.

A short drive away from El Presidente is Marbella and its lovely promenade and beach. Once it was just a fishing village but now it is known as “the pearl of the Costa del Sol” with its cosmopolitan population, international visitors and reputation for being one of the Coast's most aristocratic resorts.

Here you have the beautiful old town of Marbella with the Plaza de Naranjos (Orange Square, shown above) at its centre. Narrow white-washed pedestrianized streets feed off from it, bedecked with colourful and fragrant flowers, offering a wonderful chance to explore the hidden delights of Marbella as you come upon attractive courtyards, the walls of the old Moorish castle and beautiful churches set in picturesque squares. Also along these narrow lanes in Marbella's “Casco Antiguo” are numerous shops offering artisan gifts, designer clothes and so much more for both tourists and the local people of Marbella. Then when you feel the need to relax you can choose from one of the old town's many outdoor restaurants, shady cafes or tapas bars for a reviving drink, tasty snack or freshly prepared meal. Just remember that the spanish tend to eat later in the evening so if you want to enjoy the best atmosphere wait until about 9 pm.

Adjacent to Marbella's old town is the newer commercial area with the main thoroughfare of the Avda. Ricardo Soriano containing many internationally known shops, as well as branches of all the major banks. Larger shopping centres, such as La Cañada, with even more retail shops, are to be found just outside of Marbella and in Puerto Banus.

There are also a number of beautiful and tree lined parks, such as the Parque de Constitucion, where outdoor summer concerts and children's theatrical productions are put on.

Indeed because of the nearby mountains that protect Marbella from the cold winds of the north, we are able to benefit from a a very special micro-climate that gives us milder winters and slightly cooler summer nights than Malaga and the rest of the Costa del Sol receive. Consequently we are able to enjoy the out-door life of Marbella throughout the year without suffering from either the freezing cold or sweltering and unbearable heat experienced elsewhere in Europe! This is definitely a major advantage!!

The beaches of Marbella are great places to relax and the sea is safe to swim in. There is also a palm fringed, marble promenade that stretches from Marbella to Puerto Banus and along which there are numerous restaurants, bars and pavement cafes, many which offer very good food at reasonable prices and from where you can soak up the local atmosphere of Marbella.

Puerto Banus itself has enjoyed the reputation as the playground of the rich and there are certainly many sleek, beautiful and extremely expensive yachts moored along the quay side. There are also numerous restaurants and designer shops around the marina along with bars and night clubs, most of which that do not really get busy until the early hours of the morning continuing through to dawn, especially during the summer months. Two bars, Saldubas and Sinatras are particularly popular meeting points!

For those who would like to have a more active holiday, there are numerous options, many of which are listed below. There are of course also the large number of golf courses that offer a very high standard of greens for golfers.

Close by there are also the lovely towns of San Pedro and Estepona which benefit from still maintaining their special spanish identity so that you can wander their lovely streets, many of which are pedestrianized and full of locals going about their normal lives and know that you really are experiencing the wonderful spanish culture.

Please click on the thumb-nail photos and links below to find additional tourist information and photographs as well as details about golf and tennis.
The Beaches		Tennis Holidays
Puerto Banus		Golf and Sporting Activities
Skiing in the Sierra Nevada		Places to visit and things to do
Map of Region

 

Local Attractions

Below are details of just some of the many local attractions for both adults and children that are easily accessed from the area surrounding El Presidente, ranging from numerous ways of observing a vast array of animals, both exotic and indigenous to the Costa del Sol to the many family-oriented outdoor activities and entertainments.

In Estepona there are The Fun Boats that as well as offering trips to see dolphins, also offers cruises and fishing trips.
Blue Dolphin Beach Club
Estepona beach
Tel: 639 720 246
www.borntobewild.es
Similarly in Gibraltar there are Dolphin Safari, Dolphin World and Nautilus IV to choose from and they are all based in Marina Bay.

As an alternative, The Dawn Approach is a classic wooden sailing ship built in Scotland in the 1920s. Fully restored and now moored in Fuengirola harbour, it offers cruises off the coast for informal lunches, sunset barbecues or excursions to see the dolphins.
Tel: 952 665 607

Sealife in Benalmadena port offers a wide spectrum of sea life inhabiting the underwater “ruins” of Atlantis. There are also “touch pools” where children can handle crabs, starfish and tiny sharks, and a walk-through glass tunnel giving amazing views of 2 metre long sharks, morays and barracudas!
Benalmadena port
Open from 10am to 8pm
Adults: 8.50 euros Children: (3-12 years) 6.50 euros
www.sealife.es

Crocodile Park in Cartama near Torremolinos is a conservation centre rather than a theme park with a more hands-on experience where visitors are encouraged to pose with the offspring of a successful breeding programme. The half-tonne adults, meanwhile, are kept at a safe distance!
Open from 10am to 6pm
Adults: 7.50 euros. Children: 5.25 euros. Under 4s: Free
Tel: 952 118 318
www.crocodile-park.com

In Fuengirola Zoo the animals live in re-creations of their natural habitat, separated by glass rather than bars. The zoo is divided into South East Asia, Equatorial Africa and Madagascan sections.
C/ Camilo Jose Cela, Fuengirola
Open from 10am to 7pm (to midnight in July and August)
Adults: 11.50 euros, Children: (4-12 years) 8 euros
Tel: 952 666 301
www.zoofuengirola.com

The nearest that you’ll get to a real safari here is Selwo Aventura (Adventure Park) near Estepona. With its large off-road vehicles you are taken around a succession of extremely large enclosures in the 100 hectares park where more than 2000 animals from many parts of the world are able to roam free. Try to arrive there early though as queues can get very long by 11am. See our “Visitor’s Guide” for more details.
Km 162.5 on the N-340/A-5
Tel: 902 190 482
www.selwo.es

The Selwo Marina has shows throughout the day featuring dolphins, sea lions and penguins, as well as virtual reality shows and simulators. See our “Visitor’s Guide” for more details.
Parque de la Paloma, Benalmadena
Open 10am to 6pm
Tel: 902 190 482
www.selwomarina.com
N.B. You can buy a special “Selwo Pack” ticket for 25 euros that will save you 40% on the individual prices for Selwo Adventure Park, Selwo Marina and the Telecabina.

Monte Aventura organise cross-country four-wheel drive treks into the stunning “unexplored” terrain of the Sierra de las Nieves. You can experience what you would probably not otherwise see as qualified environmentalist guides lead you across hanging bridges and waterfalls to spot Spanish ibex and golden eagles.
Tel: 952 881 519
www.monteaventura.com

Ticket to Ride in Puerto Banus organise all sorts of adventure days including canoeing, canyoning, hiking, quad biking and caving.
Tel: 952 905 082

Born to be Wild Adventures offers jeep eco-tours to the Unesco Nature Park and local white villages, as well as picnics and team-building activities. Also dolphin eco-tours using small speed boats from the beach in Estepona.
Blue Dolphin Beach Club and Restaurant
Estepona beach
Tel: 639 720 246
www.borntobewild.es

The TeleCabina Cable Car trip to the top of Monte Calamorro overlooking Benalmadena affords some of the best views on the coast. There are three look-out points once you get to the top and several trails for mountain-biking or trekking your way down again.
Arroya de la Miel, Benalmadena. Exit Km 222 on the A-5
Open 10 am to 6pm
Tel: 902 190 482.

A truly amazing – Andalucian – spectacle is the equestrian ballet organised by the Escuela de Arte Equestre Costa del Sol. Every Thursday evening at 9.30 pm during the summer months there is a memorable show displaying the graceful beauty of the pure Andalucian horse.
There is also an excellent riding school on the site with some of the best facilities in Spain.
Km 159 on the N-340/A-5 heading towards Estepona
Tel: 952 808 077
www.escuela-ecuestre.com

For a family fun day out for all ages, visit Tivoli World in Arroyo de la Miel, near Benalmadena. Offering a thrilling funfair and attractions where children of all ages can ride, jump and fly to their heart’s content. There are also restaurants and live shows featuring the Teletubbies and the Tweenies, can-can dancing, flamenco, concerts and theatre. During the summer months it is open daily every evening and in the winter the hours are from 4pm on sundays.
Exit Km 222 on the A-5
Tel: 952 577 106.
www.tivolicostadelsol.com

 

Especially for those occasional days when the weather is either too hot or too wet, Camelot Park is an indoor children’s park and recreational park. The former is a large enclosed play area, with coffee bar, and costs 8 euros per child for the first hour and then 2 euros per 15 minutes thereafter. The latter includes a bowling alley and simulators. See our “Visitors’ Guide” for photographs and more details.
Opposite El Corte Ingles in Puerto Banus
Open from 12am to 12pm

Benalmadena Municipal Archaeological Museum was opened in 1970 to “gather, preserve and display the rich prehistoric heritage of the area” and also to house a collection of Pre-Columbian arte facts from ancient South American civilisations.

Beaches and Water Parks
There are good beaches in San Pedro, Estepona, Puerto Banus and Marbella. A particularly good sandy beach for young children is just the other side of Estepona Marina where there is a gently shelving and sheltered bay with two good chiringuitos and plenty of sun loungers.

Aqua parks are also very popular. One such park is Mijas Aqua Park in Fuengirola with its intricate slides, rapids and tidal waves.
Fuengirola by-pass
Opening Dates and Hours
April 23rd to 31st May from 10.30 to 17.30
May 1st to October 4th from 10.00 to 18.00
Tel 952 460 404
www.aquamijas.com

The Happy Diver’s Club is based at the nearby Atalaya Park Hotel and offers a wide range of diving courses and packages.
www.happy-divers-marbella.com

Funny Beach on the other side of Marbella offers go-karting, mini-motor-bikes, trampolines, mini-golf, video games and even a mechanical bull!
Tel: 952 823 359
www.funnybeach.net

For slightly older kids (ten years and over) the exciting challenge of water-skiing can be tried at Cable Ski Marbella on a huge lake in San Pedro. With instructors to guide you and pulled by an overhead cable rather than a boat this form of water skiing is safe and practical, with minimal waiting times.
Urb. Las Medranas, San Pedro
Open 11am to 9pm (closed Mondays)
4 trips: 8 euros, 10 trips: 18 euros
Tel: 952 785 579