Puerto Banus

Back in July my husband and I travelled back to the UK for my stepsons school summer holidays.  As part of the trip we took them to Spain for three weeks, specifically the Costa del Sol region where my in-laws have a house.  I can't deny it wasn't lovely to be in a heat equivalent to Singapore's and on several days actually hotter than Singapore but without the same level of humidity.  Dry heat is far nicer to deal with in my opinion and apart from a couple of sticky days it was blissful.  It was also fun to be holidaying in Europe again just for a change and be able to enjoy the food of the region (we had some amazing tapas) and good wine at a fraction of the price wine generally costs in Singapore.

The sunrise through the clouds from my in-laws house

One place that we tended to visit quite a lot over the course of the three weeks, as it was just a short drive away from our base, was the marina town of Puerto Banus.  This is definitely the place to come and be seen and certainly a place that the wealthy like to hang out in.  You can guarantee to spot an expensive car, many of the yachts were the size of houses and the vast majority of shops are high end designer boutiques and stores.  That said though it is a great place for car and yacht spotting (if you like that sort of thing) and also for eating, drinking and enjoying an ice cream or two as well.

The people who visit this part of Spain come from all corners of Europe (the variety of country number plates on the cars and the home port details of the yachts tell you that) as well as beyond.  There were a number of yachts moored there from the Middle East and the Caribbean also.

Whilst we weren't there on board a luxurious yacht or travelling in an expensive car we enjoyed several afternoon drinks, ice creams and evening meals at various restaurants and bars around the marina.  You can also catch a ferry or catamaran from the marina for a short boat ride to Marbella further up the coast (more on that soon).  A lovely spot for a relaxing holiday afternoon in the sunshine.

Marina at Puerto Banus