Funny Beach refreshments, relaxation and watersports |
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Funny beach Karting - closed down in September 2016 |
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Banana Beach is the next Marbella beach to the west.
Funny Beach
Funny Beach is so called because it hosted a karting track of that name on the land just behind the beach. The official name for this beach is the west end of Playa el Pinillo. Funny Beach is just east of Banana Beach, and lies just outside of Marbella town central area.
The karting track which opened in 1993 and has been popular since. It was closed from August to October 2015 by Marbella town council as the karting track still only had a temporary licence. The owner of the complex Horacio Helmann and the council disagreed on whether the karting is a race track or an outdoor sporting and entertainment venue. A court ordered the track to be re-opened unill the dispute resolved. However the 'landlord' chose not to renew the contract in favour of a beach club and the complex closed at the end of September 2016. Perhaps over time the name 'Funny Beach' will become depreciated.
The beach club called Opium opened for the 2018 summer season and is run by the Bordas brothers: Ramón and Javier (manager of Barcelona football club). HiFunky Buddha Beach, Funky Budha Banus, Seven, Kube and Opera. In 2017 the site was opened as Funky Buddha Beach. Opium Marbella has a swimming pool, sun beds and bar area. Its unusual feature is the elevated nature of the beach club, all supported on wooden decking with excelent sea views and views to Marbella.
On the beach itself is a kiosk which rents out the sunbeds. Funny beach is also a large watersport centre which rents out inflateable dingys, peddle boats with slides and sometimes there is also stationed a large inflatable raft in the water to bounce, and crawl on and dive into the water. Jet skis, paddle boards, Fly boards and hovver boards can also be hired. Other activities such as flying fish or banana or para sailing are conducted by being towed by a motorboat.
The location, which is close to the Marbella east slip road, used to be recognised by a large red inflatable "Coca Cola" can, it is now a less recognisabvle pale green Opium Beach club can. There also used to be a red double decker bus parked up as well. If visiting leave the A7 coast road (access only from the easterly carriageway) swiftly and carefully negotiate the steep track leads down to a car park, which is attended in the summer. There is a popular chiringuito called Dolce Vita nearby here.
Playa el Pinillo is the next Marbella beach to the east.
