Every year, thousands of people flock to the marina of Puerto Banus to soak up some sun, visit the boutiques and check for the rich and famous arriving on their yachts. But there is so much more to Puerto Banus than the marina. In today’s blog, we’re going to go ‘behind the scenes’ as it were.
Firstly, let’s start with a history lesson!
The origins of Puerto Banus
The origin of Puerto Banús goes back to the 1960s, when its founder José Banús started to build a luxury residential area called New Andalusia.
His encounter with Noldi Schreck, architect and designer of the legendary neighborhood of Beverly Hills, had prompted in the entrepreneur the vision of a more ambitious, exclusive project with an international vision.
Puerto Banús was founded upon the concept of a Mediterranean village in the Andalusia style, with luxurious avenues adorned with colorful gardens bathed by the sea. The inauguration of the complex took place in 1970, with more than 1500 invited guests.
Among them, were members of Spanish royalty, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco as guests of honor, and an extremely young Julio Iglesias who delighted those present with his music.
The best-known firms in the world soon set up in the new fashionable destination. In a few years, it came to be the favorite leisure haunt of the most important personalities in the world.
Since then, the streets of Puerto Banús have been trodden by royalty, singers like Prince, Rod Stewart and Maria Callas and artists of the caliber of Sean Connery, Liz Taylor and Brigitte Bardot, among many others.
Location, location, location
Puerto Banus itself is located approximately 6 kilometers west of Marbella, via the Golden Mile, and 60 kilometers from Malaga airport. On the opposite side of the A7 you have Nueva Andalucia, which is one of the most sought after locations for property purchasers looking for that touch of luxury.
Puerto Banus is located within 10 minutes drive of various golf courses, including Las Brisas, Los Naranjos, La Quinta, Guadalmina and many others. It’s not called the Costa del Golf for nothing you know!
Also in the vicinity is the famous Villa Romana de Rio Verde, located in a settlement of Punic origin. Its development and splendor was dated by its discoverers, between the beginning of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century AD, although later other researchers have established its chronology at a later time, the middle of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century AD. C. It was discovered at the beginning of the 60s by the Greek archaeologist and professor Carlos Posac Mon and lawyer Fernando Marin.
Within a few minutes drive you also have the world famous hotels that are the Marbella Club as well as the Puente Romano hotel, not to mention the 5 star Guadalpin and Villa Padierna, plus a vast array of restaurants such as Occo, Breathe and Mamzel.
Shopping in Banus
Why travel to New York, London, Paris or Madrid if you can do your shopping for every season in a privileged setting overlooking the sea? The designer shops in Puerto Banus featuring the most prestigious names and brands are just waiting for you.
Just facing the harbor, on Calle Ribera, between the Hotel Benabola and the beach, you’ll find designer boutiques and shops like Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabanna or Gucci. Mooring your yacht or hitting dry land after a boat trip and being just a stone’s throw from the heart of luxury and style is something only a very few places on Earth can offer. Puerto Banús is one of them. Here, you can purchase the most exclusive outfits or make the most of each brand’s amazing end-of-season offers.
Designer shops in Puerto Banús, including Dior, Ferragamo and Michael Kors are just a short walk from one another and are facing the sea. It is the perfect place to partake in a little Christmas gift shopping, find exclusive designs or get your seasonal shopping done for the whole family.
Are you mad about Jimmy Choo shoes? Maybe Valentino is your vice? Or is the bold, current style of Philipp Plein more your thing? No matter what your style, at the designer shops in Puerto Banús overlooking the harbor, you’ll find garments and accessories that you’ll love.
Discovering new designers whose popularity is on the up at the designer shops in Puerto Banús on account of their style and expertise, such as Stella Rittwagen, is another of the pleasures of shopping in this area. At multi-brand shops like Elite Man, you’ll find garments and accessories made by designers and brands such as Missoni, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Eli Saab, Kenzo or Cavalli, in addition to others. All this without leaving the area surrounding the harbour!
Are you looking for a piece of jewelry for a special occasion or gift? Are designer watches your passion? Or do you simply fancy enjoying the most exclusive designs and brands, and perhaps take one home with you? Then there’s no doubt that Puerto Banús is the place for you. Bvlgari, Hublot and Cartier all have their own shops in Puerto Banús. Taking a stroll around them is a veritable pleasure for lovers of good taste and exclusive designs.
Apart from boutiques, there is also a good range of shops to be found in El Corte Ingles and Marina Banus.
Eating out in Puerto Banus
Although more well known for its’ boutiques, Puerto Banus is also a great place to go for a meal.
From certain well known ‘chain’ restaurants which we won’t mention by name to Italian cuisine to Lebanese, Banus is home to it all.
One particular favorite is La Bocana. Known as one of the better places for casual dining, it offers traditional Andalusian / Mediterranean cuisine. It has a terrace that overlooks the lighthouse of the port and is much quieter than other areas of Puerto Banus, making for a relaxed atmosphere.
Meksian is another popular choice for diners. Offering a fusion of Mexican and Asian cuisine, this is certainly one that gets your taste buds tingling. At Meksian you can enjoy the best homemade guacamole, spectacular beef tacos or an impressive tuna tataki. All this at just one place! Their clientele comes not only for dishes such as octopus tempura, nachos or “tacos de cochinita pibil”, but also for its extensive wine list, for its service, for its atmosphere and for its interesting price range. And finally, try the cocktail of the house “My Margarita” because it will leave you with your mouth open!
And one more for the list. Although technically in Nueva Andalucia, we couldn’t leave out Brödernas.
Brödernas Restaurants are owned and run by the skilled and driven quartet Joakim, Jonas, Monir and Mika. The concept was founded by the brothers Jonas and Joakim Wiklander who have run and owned restaurants for over a decade, including in Stockholm, Visby, Örebro and in Lofsdalen.
As Brödernas say themselves, ”We define our food as bold & tasty”.
Where to stay in Puerto Banus
Let’s start right in the center. The Benabola Hotel is a four star apartment hotel right in the heart of Puerto Banus, with apartments with partial views over the marina and Paseo Benabola, as well as penthouse suites with views over the Mediterranean, Marbella and Puerto Banus.
On the Benabola Promenade, you can find restaurants and fashion boutiques, just a stone’s throw away from the night-life and social hotspot of Puerto Banus. You can also tantalize your taste buds and enjoy the best views of Puerto Banus and Marbella from the Sky Lounge, while sipping on a delicious cocktail in exclusive surroundings. In the morning, indulge in a magnificent English breakfast or a croissant & coffee at the newly renovated Café Benabola.
Looking for something a little bigger? Why not try the Occidental Puerto Banus? Located on one of the main streets of Banus, the Occidental is built in the typical Andalusian style and features 294 bright, spacious and fully-equipped studios spread over three buildings.
It boasts a wide variety of services that will make your holiday an unforgettable experience, including two outdoor swimming pools (one for children), lush gardens, tennis and paddle courts, a breakfast buffet of excellent quality plus a Mediterranean restaurant and its excellent terrace.
Property in Puerto Banus
Puerto Banus is one of our main hot spots for investment in the rental market. Due to its’ fame, constant tourism and high end luxury connotations, the holiday rental market in Puerto Banus is one that consistently performs well. Because of this, properties often come with premium prices, however it’s proving to be worth it.
While you can purchase apartments for as little as €150,000, these are not the ones typically located in the center of Banus. These apartments will generally be around €250,000 all the way up to 1 million euros.
However, for those looking to be front line to the marina, or the main beaches a little further along to the sides, you’re looking at anything from the 1 million euro mark all the way up to 5.5 million (the most expensive penthouse) for communities such as Laguna de Banus!
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