A house with four bedrooms, several bathrooms, satellite TV, a whirlpool tub... and views of the sea. Close to shops by the most glamorous brands. Can you believe it? This is for real in Puerto Banús, the icon of the Costa del Sol in its most luxurious version.The Puerto Deportivo José Banús, known as just Puerto Banús, lies between San Pedro de Alcántara and Marbella. Its 915 moorings could give the idea that it is a regular marina. But it is not. Puerto Banús is the most popular yacht basin and tourist attraction in southern Europe. It is like a small town within the much larger city of Marbella.
In Puerto Banús you will find the most exclusive fashion shops, the finest restaurants and the most sumptuous hotels. No wonder, then, that moorings in the marina are €2000 a day, or that more than 5 million visitors come to Puerto Banús every year.
In the style of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard in LA, Puerto Banús has a boulevard dedicated to those men and women who have contributed to promote Marbella and place it under the world's radar of stylish cities. Marbella's Walk of Fame features big names from the spheres of business, culture and sports: Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Julio Iglesias, Monserrat Caballé or Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, Duchess of Alba.
Puerto Banús was named after its developer, José Banús. Mr Banús met Russian architect Noldi Schreck and asked him to carry out his project. The original idea was to build a district full of skyscrapers, but Schreck talked him out of it. In the end, they agreed on developing a village in the Andalusian style next to the marina. A sculpture by Salvador Dalí greets visitors at the entrance: Rinoceronte vestido con puntillas (Rhinoceros Dressed in Lace), a 3t sculpture standing in one of the access roundabouts.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by the King and Queen of Spain, the Prince and Princess of Monaco, filmmaker Roman Polanski and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner – a harbinger of the future spirit of Puerto Banús and its visitors. Today, Puerto Banús continues to be a star-studded place and a glamorous meeting point for the jet set in the Mediterranean.
