Puerto Banus holidays

You can fly direct from Cork and Dublin for your holidays to Puerto Banus. It's Spain's answer to the Riviera and is packed with designer boutiques and ritzy restaurants. Situated on the outskirts of Marbella, you can head into this historic city for a quieter contrast.

The Andalucian riviera

Puerto Banus is the world-famous port of Marbella, where global celebrities come to play. The marina is filled with huge yachts, and you'll find fine sand and calm waters on the beach. The harbour wall of the marina curves round the beach to provide protection, so the water is warm and shallow. All along the waterfront you can stroll past a long strip of clubs, boutiques and bars, or stop for a coffee in the marina.

The sunshine coast

The coast stretches away on either side of Puerto Banus with back-to-back beaches. Some of these are taken up by beach clubs with luxurious sun loungers. Here, you can spend the day drinking champagne and cocktails. Others are more traditional, with open sands and the beachfront snack shacks called chiringuitos.

Day trips to Gibraltar

Gibraltar lies only 45 minutes' drive west from Puerto Banus, with Morocco lying across the Straits. Take the cable car all the way up from the harbour to the top of the famous Rock to take in the view. Look out for the Barbary Apes halfway up in the Apes’ Den, the only native monkeys in Europe. You might also visit the Great Siege Tunnels, a memento of 18th-century warfare. The British carved their gun emplacements out of the ground here, using only manual tools.