10 May 2024 , 14:39
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Travel experts and holidaymakers have condemned a playground of the rich and famous as a 'seedy dump'.
Puerto Banús in Marbella is the kind of glitzy coastal town where the rich and famous loved to be seen. Super yachts crowd the marina where white-trouser wearing Insta models flock to enjoy the sun and a spritz.
While it may look great in a photo, the exclusive area has been panned in a recent poll of hundreds of Brits who have visited Spanish coastal towns in the past year, conducted by Which?
Puerto Banús was judged to be “a seedy dump” and "tacky", finishing rock bottom in a survey which looked at quality of the beach and seafront, safety, food and drink, accommodation, and value for money.
Timon van Basten, a tour guide in Spain and the founder of Travel Spain 24, has lived in the country for five years and is less than impressed with the Marbella suburb. "It is a really fancy and glamorous place with huge yachts, expensive stores, and exciting nightlife. But it doesn't feel authentic at all. It's really hard to find real, traditional Spanish restaurants there because the whole area just tries to attract rich tourists," he told the Mirror.
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The Marbella suburb is famous for its big yachts"One day, my partner Filipa and I decided to have a fancy lunch by the marina in Puerto Banús. Big mistake! We had to spend a ton of money just for a couple of small salads and some okay seafood. The whole experience felt fake as if we were extras on a reality TV show about wealthy people."
Lucia Polla, a travel expert specializing in Southern Spain who founded the Viva La Vita travel blog, felt as if there was something a little hollow and inauthentic about Puerto Banús.
"Puerto Banús is a fancy marina with huge yachts, expensive stores, and lots of nightclubs. It's meant for rich people who want to show off their money and party. One side of Puerto Banús is fun - you can get drinks at the trendy bars and see awesome boats. But the other side feels fake and not very Spanish. There's nothing authentic about the culture there," she said.
Timon said the area just attracted rich tourists (submitted)"One night, I was walking through Puerto Banús surrounded by sports cars and people dressed in designer clothes. It looked cool, but it was like a big act without any real Spanish feeling behind it. As someone who writes about travel, I like places that let me learn about the locals and their traditions."
Alastair Johnson, owner of Moving to Spain, told the Mirror that Marbella often felt a little fake and overly expensive, with the large high rise buildings that hang over the beach giving the place a strange feel.
Just ahead of Puerto Banús in the Which? survey is La Manga, which is well known for its position on the Mar Menor, a coastal saltwater lagoon. While some lamented that the town appeared “faded” and “tacky”, with “too many high-rise hotels”, others said it felt like a “home from home” and appreciated the “traditional Spanish restaurants, cafes and bars.”
The full results can be found on the Which? website.
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