PUERTO BANUS

Millionaires row, the first pier you come to at the entrance to the port, is so aptly named because all the boats in this pier are so expensive! Cars are another talking point and you should not be surprised if you see rows of cars dotted with Ferraris, Bentleys, Rolls Royces and the odd Lamborghini. It is a fact, that Marbella has one of the highest ratios of luxury cars per head of the population, in the world.

Banús people love to dress up and lovers of designer clothes will find that this is THE place to show off your Armani and Versace. Although the port is full of many wealthy customers, these days most visitors are considerably less fabulously wealthy than the minor European royals of twenty years ago!

In addition to the shopping centres at El Corte Ingles, Spain's best department store, and Marina Banús, 500 shops thrive in and around the port - most of them open until 2am or 3am. Local branches of Versace, Armani, Galliano, Moschino, Hermes, Dior and Louise Vuitton are reputed to sell more than their sister shops on Los Angeles' Rodeo
drive. The Marina Banús centre behind the port contains many well known
Spanish brands such as Zara and Mango. The area around the marina has developed considerably over the past five years and now offers numerous first-class apartments and accommodation facilities, with new stores and restaurants opening all the time. In the port itself you will find an incredible array of restaurants of different international styles - anything that you fancy eating is catered for. The majority of restaurants are 5-star, but there are plenty of cafés and bars where you can eat well if you don't
fancy the full gourmet experience. For a wonderful day out, try the lovely beaches on either side of the port which are well-kept and have large beach restaurants. These beach bars, or chiringuitos as they are called here, are great social venues, where a relaxing drink at the bar is bound to lead to animated conversation.

All types of water sports are available -water skiing, jet skis, banana boats, pedalos etc. There is a regular boat that runs back and forth between Marbella and Puerto Banús (every 1/2 hour in the summer) - much more fun than taking a taxi or bus.
If your idea of a great day out is not sunbathing, shopping or water skiing, then there is the Sea Life Aquarium and diving exhibition along the front of the port. Alternatively, you might choose to relax and watch a film at the cinema that frequently offers the latest films in English. Look out for the VO sign, which means that the film will be
screened in its original language.

Puerto Banús has the best nightlife in southern Spain, with excellent restaurants, bars and clubs. Be James Bond for the evening, hire a Lamborghini and then hit the roulette
table at the casino nearby. A word of warning however, Puerto Banús is an expensive place, so don't be surprised if you find that prices for drinks vary wildly from bar to bar. Mostly, you can expect to pay twice as much as anywhere else on the coast - which is still great value compared to Northern European premier cities.

Markets

Street Market Nueva Andalucia.
A great market for all the family.
Important collection of antiques and art. Every Saturday from 9am-2pm, next to the Puerto Banús bull ring.

Yachting

Yachting and sailing play an important role in the daily life of Puerto Banús, now ranked amongst the top five marinas in the world. The number of boats moored in it's waters has, at times, exceeded 1,000 and plans are underway to extend this famous marina to the east to accommodate top of the range 80m yachts.

The port is named after its founder Jose Banús, whose statue you will see as you enter the port. Together with his brother he decided to build a marina with real estate alongside, modelled on the style of the French Riviera.