Demand for berths in Costa del Sol marinas continues to grow as they report a bumper summer

The president of the Marinas de Andalucía association, Manuel Jiménez Márquez, has announced that his organisation has seen a demand of almost 90% for berths for leisure craft on the Costa del Sol this summer.

Jiménez said that Spanish boats make up between 60 and 70% of the business, followed by the British (20%), French and Germans (10% each). There are differences of course between locations and some marinas such as Alcaidesa are among the favourites for the British market.

The association is keen to promote Andalusian ports on large nautical charter routes, which are witnessing an expansion. “Many people opt for charter options. At the international level there are some very big companies that work mainly in Croatia and Greece, and they are the ones that we want to encourage to come to Andalucía,” Jiménez said.

José Carlos Martín, president of Marinas del Mediterráneo, which manages the marinas of Estepona, La Duquesa, Manilva and Marina del Este, agreed that the summer season is going very well, with many boats in transit in all ports, to the point that in some cases the demand cannot be met. “We are at 87% occupancy,” he said. Among the main clients of the group are the French and a growing Scandinavian contingent, who travel from the Canary Islands.

Marinas del Mediterráneo has partnered with the D-Marin group, manager of more than 20 major ports throughout Europe. With this collaboration, they intend to promote a comprehensive reform of the marina in Estepona to accommodate larger boats, and undertake a complete modernisation of the facilities, “in line with the growth of the town, which needs a port for the 21st century”.