Living in Puerto Banús: the neighbourhood with two lives a year
Puerto Banús is not a place you understand in one visit. From May to September it is busy at every hour; from November to March it is a quiet stretch of coast. If you are thinking about living in Puerto Banús, you need to see it in both seasons before you decide.
Who lives in Puerto Banús
An odd mix. In the buildings behind the marina there are year-round residents; on the frontline, a lot of seasonal homes and holiday lets. Plenty of foreign residents, and a young crowd.
That double life is the first thing to be clear about: the neighbours you have in February are not the ones you have in August.
What the area is like
Everything revolves around the marina. In high season there is movement at all hours, and out of season the place drops several gears at once.
Shops and everyday errands
Supermarkets and every kind of shop on foot, plus large stores very close by. You do not need a car for the daily shop, which on this coast is close to a rarity.
Schools
This is not a school neighbourhood. Most of them are in Nueva Andalucía, San Pedro and Marbella, a few minutes away by car.
Green space
Very little of its own. What there is is the promenade and the beach, which here do the job of a park. For real green you go up to Nueva Andalucía.
Getting around, and parking
It sits right on the coast road, with a quick run to Marbella and San Pedro and the motorway alongside. In high season the traffic around the port is slow.
Parking is the weak point. In summer, parking on the street is close to impossible and you end up paying for a space. If you buy here, your own parking space is not an extra: it is essential.
Going out
More of it than anywhere else on the coast: restaurants, shops, terraces and nightlife until late. If you want quiet in August, this is not your neighbourhood.
The best and the worst of it
The best: you have everything on foot, the beach included. And in winter you get a beautiful place almost to yourself.
The worst: the noise in high season and the parking. There are buildings where in summer you cannot sleep with the window open. Ask about the aspect and the floor before you sign anything, and if you can, walk the street on an August night.
