Marbella Marina gets a facelift

The charming marina in Marbella, which is not to be confused with Puerto Banus is getting a facelift to extend the quay to allow cruise ship shuttle boats and vessels of more than 30 metres in length to dock in the port. More improvements are to come with the project for the new “boulevard” link between the marina and the seafront promenade.

While these new projects are still taking shape though, the recent remodelling work carried out over the last 18 months is already paying off. The port area has had more than just a facelift. The nautical and commercial activity has recovered, turning the Puerto Deportivo Virgen del Carmen, to give its full name, into a must-see attraction for tourists.
“This isn’t Puerto Banús, and it doesn’t want to be. Marbella’s marina has a different feel, it has its own ambience and an excellent location, which sets it aside from the rest,” explains the manager of one of the nautical attractions based in the marina as he helps a group of tourists climb onto his fast boat.
The opening up of the marina to the town will come with the construction of the new boulevard linking with the Paseo Marítimo promenade.
It was at the end of last year, though, that the first major project aimed at joining the marina with the town centre took place. There is now a large, pedestrianised square to improve movement between the port and town. This gave the area north-east of the port, opposite the lighthouse, a complete facelift. Now the bars and terraces that populate the square are an attraction for tourists.
Within the next few months work will start on expanding the “waiting” quay with a platform with two eight-metre-long lay-by berths. A new footpath will lead as far as the terraces. This extension will allow boats of more than 30 metres in length to moor there, as well as the shuttle boats from cruise ships.
If you haven’t been down to visit this quaint area then make a date – a complete contrast to bustling Puerto Banus, this is a place to relax and watch the boats bob.