For many people, there is no better way to spend a sunny Costa del Sol day than on board a yacht. Whether it is a multi-million euro superyacht that calls Puerto Banús home, or a small pleasure boat chartered for the day from one of the coast’s smaller marinas, it is destined to be an unbeatable experience.
In fact, the pleasure boat sector may have been as badly affected as most industries in the economic crisis, but this year it is certainly showing serious upthrust.
2014 witnessed the beginnings of the industry’s upturn, and so far 2015 has seen it steadily increasing. Statistically speaking, 25% more boats were registered in Málaga province between January and May 2015, compared with the same month of the previous year.
Marbella in particular has seen the biggest rise, making it now the fourth highest in Spain for boat registries, behind only the Balearic Islands, Barcelona and Girona.
And it isn’t hard to see why people are flocking back to this lavish pastime. The coast is home to some excellent marinas of all sizes, from the large Puerto Deportivos of Benálmadena and Fuengirola to the delightfully charming Puerto de la Duquesa, in Manilva – and many in between.
From these gems – replete with restaurants, bars and nightlife – the wide, open, glistening sea can be explored.
One day you could cruise up the coast and drop anchor in a quiet bay, stopping for a swim and spot of lunch. The next day you could cross the Straits of Gibraltar and find yourself wandering the mazy Kasbahs of Morocco. After loading up with spices and drinking enough sweet mint tea to last a life time, the epic journey back lies in store. Another popular yachting experience is a fishing trip, although be careful to avoid hooking any whales and dolphins, who also happen to be regular visitors to the Straits.
The Rock of Gibraltar is also home to a multitude of yacht berths, and many other wonderful pockets of Spain can be reached by yacht as well, including Cádiz’ Costa de la Luz, or further afield the Balearic islands.
Truly a pleasure in the most romantic sense of the word, with the wind in your hair and the sea spread out before you, yachting is the ultimate activity for a sunny day and, luckily, there are quite a few of those in Southern Spain.