The marina — scale, berths and season
Puerto Banús marina opened in 1970, designed by José Banús and Noldi Schreck. It is administered by OPM (Operadora del Puerto Marbella) under a 75-year Junta de Andalucía concession and holds 915 berths accommodating vessels from 8 m to 80 m LOA. Maximum draft: 5.5 m at the outer pontoons, 3.8 m at inner berths. The marina operates 24 hours, 365 days per year.
Berth occupancy is seasonal. The high season runs from 15 June to 15 September, during which resident and visitor berths are at 95–100% capacity. May–June and September–October represent a shoulder season: 65–80% occupancy. November to February is the maintenance window: approximately 40% occupancy, with owners leaving vessels for the winter.
The annual Puerto Banús Boat Show takes place each May — typically the second or third weekend — and is the anchor event for the marina's commercial calendar. Several hundred craft participate across broker, manufacturer and charter exhibitors.
Four categories of berth holder: -- Resident (propietario): owns the berth as freehold or long-term concession from OPM; approximately 340 berths are privately owned or held on multi-decade concession. -- Annual tenant: annual mooring contract; approximately 380 berths; renewed each autumn. -- Visitor: daily/weekly rate, booked in advance for peak season; 195 berths designated visitor. -- Charter fleet: a cluster of approximately 35–50 berths operated by registered charter companies (requires Ministerio de Fomento charter licence and insurance).
Retail, restaurants and beach clubs on the port
Puerto Banús is the only location in Marbella where luxury retail, fine dining and beach clubs are co-located within 300 metres of each other and within sight of resident properties.
Luxury retail on the port (verified, June 2026): Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Bulgari, Roberto Cavalli, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Dior, and Bottega Veneta all have boutiques within the harbour perimeter. This density of maisons is unmatched elsewhere on the Costa del Sol.
Restaurants with direct portside position: Nobu Marbella (the signature restaurant, seated on the port, Japanese-Peruvian, Matsuhisa-licensed) — Lo Pagán Marbella (tapas and grills, right on the waterfront) — Pangea (international, terrace with harbour views) — La Sala by the Sea (lounge and dining, Banús entrance) — El Corral de la Peña (classic Spanish, port perimeter). A Michelin-inspected circuit within 10 minutes' walk.
Beach clubs: Ocean Club Marbella (directly on the port entrance, one of Europe's most-photographed beach clubs) is the anchor. Nikki Beach Marbella is 12 minutes west by car (Km 163 of the A-7). Playa Padre Marbella is 10 minutes east.
Other infrastructure: Banco Santander, CaixaBank, Banca March private banking branch, Farmacia del Puerto (24h in season), Casino Marbella (9-minute walk north of the port entrance).
Property types and price bands
Puerto Banús residential stock comprises primarily apartment buildings and townhouse complexes built between the 1970s and 2010s, with a small component of contemporary new-build completed 2018–2026. There are no standalone villas on the port perimeter; villa stock is in the back streets of La Campana and the fringes of the zone, 2–6 minutes from the port by car.
Marina-front apartments (first-line port or sea views, 80–200 m²): -- 1-bed studios and lock-ups: €700k–€1.2M (primarily investor units, short-let focused) -- 2-bed apartments: €1.5M–€2.8M -- 3-bed apartments: €2.5M–€4.5M (Marbella Club Hills type, Playas del Duque, Andalucía del Mar)
Penthouses and duplex penthouses (marina or sea-view terraces, 200–450 m²): -- 3-bed penthouse: €3.5M–€6M -- 4-bed penthouse or duplex: €5M–€9M -- Trophy full-floor penthouse: €8M–€14M
Townhouses and linked villas (La Campana, Banus Bay, La Pepita): €1.5M–€3.5M (180–280 m², private pool)
Detached villas in the Banús catchment (2–6 min drive to port): €4M–€15M. These properties are often listed as "Puerto Banús adjacent" by agents but are administratively Nueva Andalucía or San Pedro Alcántara.
New-build (2020–2026 completions): a small number of contemporary projects have completed in the zone, including Marina View (5 apartments at €2.8M–€4.2M, completed 2023) and several boutique-style blocks. Resale of recent new-build carries ITP 7%, not IVA, once sold by the first owner.
Berth ownership and mooring costs
A marina berth is a separate asset from a property unit. Buying property in Puerto Banús does not grant you a berth; you must acquire one separately through the secondary market or directly from OPM (when available).
Berth market prices (indicative, June 2026): -- 10–12 m berth: €80,000–€160,000 (freehold or long concession) -- 15–18 m berth: €180,000–€280,000 -- 20–25 m berth: €280,000–€450,000 -- 30+ m berth: €500,000–€900,000 (limited inventory, rarely traded)
Annual mooring fees (excluding electricity and water): -- Up to 12 m: €800–€1,500/month (annual contract) -- 12–18 m: €1,200–€2,200/month -- 18–25 m: €1,800–€3,500/month -- 25+ m: available on application, significantly higher
Visitor/peak-season daily rates (July–August): €200–€800/day depending on LOA.
Berth ownership process: berths in the private secondary market are acquired via a civil law contrato de compraventa. ITP (7% in Andalucia) applies to resale berths. IVA (21%, as it is a commercial asset, not residential) applies to new concessions from OPM. Berths are registered at the Registro de la Propiedad as a right of use or freehold depending on concession structure. Due diligence: verify that the berth concession has not expired and that there are no outstanding OPM fees.
Seasonal rental income — VFT framework
Puerto Banús lets well in season, driven by marina-front demand concentration between June and September. What follows is advertised-rate arithmetic from the desk's own files: no public dataset records achieved occupancy or realised yields for Costa del Sol lets, so none of it is a measured figure and none of it should be read as a forecast.
Peak-season weekly asking rates (July–August, as advertised in 2026): -- 2-bed apartment (marina view): €3,500–€6,000/week -- 3-bed apartment (sea or marina view): €5,500–€10,000/week -- Penthouse (4-bed, marina terrace): €9,000–€20,000/week -- Townhouse with pool: €3,000–€6,500/week
Those are advertised rates, which is the only side of a let that is public. What a residence actually books, at what discount, for how many weeks, is recorded nowhere — so this page publishes no yield figure, and any table that turns an advertised weekly rate into a percentage is multiplying an assumption by an assumption and presenting the result as data.
The arithmetic is yours to run, and these are its terms: the weeks you would actually let (peak, shoulder, and the ones you keep for yourself), against the acquisition total including ITP and fees, less full-service management at 20–25% of gross, community charges, IBI, insurance that covers tourist use, utilities, cleaning between stays, and IRNR at 24% of gross for non-EU owners or 19% of net for EU/EEA. Test the case at the bottom of your own range, not the top of an agency's.
VFT licence requirement: all tourist rentals in Andalucía require a Vivienda de Uso Turístico (VFT) licence, regulated by Decreto 31/2024. The licence is applied for through the Junta de Andalucía digital platform. In Puerto Banús specifically, many older apartment buildings have community statutes that prohibit or restrict tourist lets — verify the community statutes (Estatutos de Comunidad) and minutes of recent general meetings before purchase if rental income is a goal. Buildings without VFT restrictions include Playas del Duque, Andalucía del Mar, and several post-2005 complexes; restrictions are most common in 1970s–1980s buildings.
Puerto Banús vs Marbella Golden Mile — zone comparison
Puerto Banús and the Golden Mile are 6 km apart — approximately 9 minutes by car or 70 minutes on foot along the coastal promenade. They attract different buyer profiles and serve different lifestyle priorities.
Puerto Banús character: marina-centric, commercially dense, nightlife and event-driven, summer-season focused. The port area is at peak activity from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. in summer. The buyer profile skews toward seasonal investors, short-let focused buyers, buyers with boats, and those prioritising retail and restaurant access.
Golden Mile character: residential, resort-hotel axis (Marbella Club, Puente Romano, Villa Padierna), quieter, more private, year-round habitation. Properties on or adjacent to the Golden Mile beachside tend to be detached villas or within low-density private complexes. The buyer profile skews toward primary or main-home buyers, buyers prioritising seclusion, and those wanting beach-frontage rather than marina-frontage.
Price comparison (like-for-like m², June 2026): -- Puerto Banús, all residence types: €8,136/m² median asking, median price €2,800,000 (n=12, 7 August 2026) -- Marbella Golden Mile, all residence types: €8,987/m² median asking, median price €4,290,000 (n=57, same snapshot) -- Neither zone publishes an apartment-only or villa-only median: the register measures zones, not types, and the type-level samples sit under the four-listing floor
The Golden Mile asks above Puerto Banús per metre at zone level, on a much deeper sample. Puerto Banús penthouses with direct marina views, or in the trophy buildings, ask well clear of their own zone median and close much of that gap at the asking stage — how much of it is not something twelve priced listings can settle.
Rental income: the marina's peak-season demand concentration is real, and Puerto Banús apartments let strongly against it. We put no percentage on the difference against the Golden Mile, because nobody publishes achieved occupancy or realised yields for either zone.
Getting here — access and distances
Puerto Banús sits on the A-7 coastal motorway at approximately Km 175 (Marbella-San Pedro section). By car: -- Málaga International Airport (AGP): 65 km, 50–65 minutes via AP-7 toll motorway (€6–€8 toll one-way). -- Gibraltar Airport (GIB): 75 km, 65–80 minutes via A-7 (subject to border crossing at La Línea). -- Estepona town centre: 22 km west, 20 minutes. -- Marbella centre: 6 km east, 8–12 minutes. -- Ronda (historic mountain town): 90 km north, 75 minutes via A-397.
From central Marbella to Puerto Banús: taxi approximately €12–€18, or the Marbella beach promenade (Paseo Marítimo) extends the full 6 km and is accessible on foot or by electric scooter hire.
Málaga airport alternatives: Iberia, Vueling, British Airways, Ryanair, EasyJet and Lufthansa all serve Málaga direct from major European hubs (Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris CDG, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam). Private jet: FBO Málaga is the primary FBO; Jerez (2h north) and Gibraltar (65 min) are alternatives.
There is no passenger ferry service to Puerto Banús. The marina handles yachts exclusively; the nearest passenger ferry terminal is Algeciras (Gibraltar crossing to Tarifa, approximately 70 km west).
“I would like to express my gratitude to the Muse real estate agency in Marbella, with whom I have had an exceptional collaboration during the process of purchasing a home for my clients. Without a doubt, they have a highly skilled and committed team. I wholeheartedly recommend their services.”
“From the first interaction, Maria demonstrates professionalism and a keen understanding of her clients’ needs. Whether buying or selling, her guidance is always informed, reliable, and tailored to the client’s best interests.”
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my yacht at Puerto Banús if I buy a property there?
Not automatically. A marina berth is a separate asset from the property unit — buying an apartment does not grant mooring rights. Berths must be purchased (€80k–€900k depending on vessel length) or leased via an annual mooring contract (€800–€3,500/month). A limited number of private berths trade on the open market each year. Annual contracts are available but waiting lists apply for sought-after lengths (18m+).
What property type generates the best rental yield in Puerto Banús?
Renovated 2-bed and 3-bed apartments with direct marina or sea views let hardest, on our own observation — no public dataset records achieved occupancy or realised yields for this market. Illustratively, a 3-bed apartment at €3M–€3.5M advertised through a full season and booking eighteen to twenty-two weeks would gross €110,000–€160,000, on the order of 3.5–5% of price before any cost. Penthouses generate higher absolute income but the same gross against a higher capital value. Verify community statutes allow VFT licensing before purchase — older 1970s–1980s buildings often prohibit tourist lets.
How does Puerto Banús compare to the Golden Mile for a property purchase?
They serve different lifestyles. Puerto Banús suits marina-focused buyers — boating, nightlife, luxury retail, seasonal letting — and measured €8,136/m² median asking on 7 August 2026 (n=12). The Golden Mile suits buyers prioritising private beach access, resort-hotel amenity (Marbella Club, Puente Romano) and year-round residence, and measured €8,987/m² on the same snapshot (n=57). Banús is an apartment market with a holiday-let rhythm; the Golden Mile is where the trophy villa register sits. Which of the two performs better as an asset is not a question Spanish published data can answer — there are no per-property closing prices to rank them on.