Benalmadena Marina

Benalmadena Puerto Marina rates amongst the best in the world. © Michelle Chaplow
Benalmadena Puerto Marina rates amongst the best in the world.

Benalmadena Marina

Take me to: Benalmadena Marina Hotels

Benalmadena Puerto Marina is very popular and several times winner of the 'Best Marina in the World' award. There are 1,100 moorings for boats up to 6 meters long, Benalmadena Port - 'Puerto Marina' is one of the Costa del Sol's busiest attractions by day and night. A beautiful place to stroll around during the day and in the evening the nightlife carries on in sophisticated bars and clubs.

 

 

By day you can visit the Aquarium, hire a boat, partake of numerous water sports, including; sailing, scuba diving, kayaking, water skiing. The Marina's Centro Náutico was built and set up to provide a place in the Marina where sailing enthusiasts could meet up and hold sporting events and also to meet socially. The centre has social and formal meeting rooms, a fine restaurant, commercial units, and shops selling sailing equipment.

The Marina has a beautiful beach area with beach beds and parasols for hire. The situation and overall architectural design makes this port one of the most attractive places of its kind. Since 1987 it has continually been awarded the European Blue Flag for its excellent service and clean waters.

Alternatively take a stroll through the busy port, with its many shops, while choosing from the vast variety of restaurants and bar for some lunch or dinner. For those who want to try out the Spanish 'tapas' there are at least 20 little terrace bars choose from, where you can sample many types of fish and other delicacies, while soaking up the atmosphere of the port and looking out over the Mediterranean or at the fabulous selection of boats in the harbour. It is certainly one of the liveliest places to dine, so close to luxurious yachts and the twinkling Mediterranean.

Benalmadena port, is ideal for summer shopping © Michelle Chaplow
Benalmadena port, is ideal for summer shopping.

 

Buy tickets for attractions in Benalmadena

Selwo Marina: Entry Ticket

16
EUR

In the mood for some animal magic? Time to get Selwo Marina tickets! Watch the penguins being fed at Ice Island, enjoy somersaulting dolphins and their sea lion friends in a specially choreographed show, or meet birds from the Amazon at the Exotic Birds Demonstration. It's all here at Benalmádena's Selwo Marina in Andalucía.

Buy tickets for nautical activities in Benalmadena

Tickets for ferry to Fuengirola

Book Ferry to Fuengirola

 

 

Mississippi Willow

An old attraction on the marina's outer breakwater is the Mississippi Willow, a large (65 feet abreast and 200 feet long) restored American paddle steamer. It was a popular floating bar and restaurant from 1996 to 1999. A lovely way to see the port in the afternoon was to hop on the Mississippi Willow for an afternoon cruise around the bay, or wait until later in the evening when it livened up for party time.

Built in 1925 in America, Willow was originally used by the lighthouse service on the river Mississippi. In 1944 an accident brought her work on the river to an end. She was then used by the US Army Corps of Engineers as an accommodation boat. In 1962 the boat was moved to Florida where she lay derelict until the early 1990s when she was transported her to Belgium for refurbishment. When the Belgian company went out of business, the partially restored vessel was taken to Birkenhead on the River Mersey opposite Liverpool city before being moved to newly opened Benalmadena Marina in 1996. Willow was operating as a restaurant and entertainment venue, however in 1998 her owners went out of business. The boat became derelict and sank in 2019.

Legal wranglings between to port and the Willows owners continued. A court ruled that the Marina must pay the owners 400.000 euro to terminate the contract but the Maria claimed this was based on a fictious multi million deal by the owners and third party. In February 2023 the court reduced the figure to 10.000 euro, and the owners must remove the boat from th eport by 26th April 2023 the port. Since they did not the Town Council announced they would begin scrap the boat and claim back costs from the owners. Lets see.

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