The best boat tours in Marbella 

Dolphins, sunsets, day trips, fishing...Learn about the best boat trips around Marbella and the Costa del Sol and plan to hit the water.

Dolphins, sunsets, day trips, fishing…Learn about the best boat trips around Marbella and the Costa del Sol and plan to hit the water.

Marbella means beautiful sea in Spanish and is intrinsically linked to the Mediterranean Sea. There’s just under 28 km of beaches to explore and everywhere you look, you’ll see the water sparkling and inviting you to dive in. Why not take to the water during your holiday in Marbella? It gives you a different perspective on the town and offers lots of opportunities for fun and relaxation.

There are so many watersports that you can enjoy, from paddle surfing, to jet skiing, to kayaking. But today we’re going to talk about boat tours in Marbella, where the crew do the work and you relax in comfort, enjoying the thrill of riding the waves.

There are plenty of options to choose from. Here are just a few different boat trips and companies offering them, to help you plan for your next trip.

Private boat trip from Puerto Banús along the Costa del Sol

The glamourous port of Puerto Banus is a wonderful place to pick up a boat and explore the Costa del Sol. This marina is known for superyachts and designer shopping and is stunning.

It is also well located to be able to explore along the coast, in either direction, towards Elviria or towards Sotogrande. You can even stop off at one of the amazing beach clubs like Nikki Beach and join the party, or dine in one of the marinas.

There are many companies who run private boat trips from Puerto Banus, here are three to help you find the perfect option for you.

Nautica Marbella offer 4- and 8-hour private boat trips, leaving from Puerto Banus. Their trips include a private boat with captain, fuel, water, soft drinks, cava and a light snack. They also allow you to bring additional food and drink with you, or order lunch and let the crew take care of it all for you.

  • The 4-hour route will take you to Nikki Beach in Elviria, let you swim and enjoy lunch just off this famous beach club and then return.
  • The 8-hour option takes you to the beautiful Sotogrande port, with lunch in a restaurant there and then back to Puerto Banus.

Contact information:

Marbella Boat Charter offer motor boats, sailing yachts, fishing boats and a wide range of activities and options to enjoy a day on the waves. Have the luxury of a beautiful boat, an experienced skipper, drinks, snacks and of course fuel, for 2, 4 or 8 hours. You can discuss your preferred route, depending on the time you choose, and they can even take you over to Morocco!

Contact information:

Join Jorge on his comfortable motor boat for a Puerto Banus Private Boat Tour. Meet on the glamourous Calle Muelle Ribera in Puerto Banus to start your trip. You can choose the time frame that suits you best, there are options for 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-hour trips. You will have an English speaking skipper to take care of everything, snacks and drinks to enjoy, and you can even try your hand at a spot of fishing, as the boat includes fishing equipment too.

Sunset sailing experience

The sunsets in Marbella are legendary, and we love a sundowner on the beach to enjoy nature’s display and we’ve written an article all about where to watch the sunset in Marbella to inspire you. One of the very best ways to experience our stunning sunsets is at sea, cruising along, drink in hand, while the sky is painted in brilliant colors.

Here are two companies that offer sunset sailing experiences:

Alquiler Veleros Marbella offers private and group sunset sailing trips from Puerto Banus. It’s a 2-hour trip, which offers wine, cava, soft drinks and snacks, plus a beautiful place to enjoy the setting of the sun, with views of Marbella, La Concha mountain and sometimes even over to Africa. They offer group and private sunset sailing experiences. 

Contact information:

Sail in Spain specialize in private sunset sailing experiences. They offer a 2-hour sunset tour from Puerto Banus, exploring the Golden Mile, with a bottle of cava to toast at sunset and further drinks and snacks on board. You can choose to stop and take a dip in the sea as the sun goes down, or stay drink and enjoy it with a drink in hand. Because it’s a private trip, they can fit around you!

Contact information:

Another option if you’re more price sensitive is to take the final Fly Blue ferry between Banus and Marbella and watch the sunset for just €10 for adults and €6 for kids. It’s a 30-minute trip and there are places to sunbathe, a bar, seating and relaxation areas. They run all day from 11am and the last boat leaves Marbella at 19.00 and Banus at 19.30.

Dolphin watching

Thanks to the proximity of the Gibraltar Straits and the meeting of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the Costa del Sol has a rich marine life, including whales and dolphins. You can often see pods of dolphins from the shore, but there’s nothing better than being up close and personal with them from a boat. These are sociable creatures who love to play in the waves that the boats create and seeing them swimming alongside you, playing, jumping and showing-off is a spectacular experience.

Here are two companies that offer dolphin watching tours on the Costa del Sol.

Dolphins Marbella offer group dolphin watching tours on their 37-foot Elan yacht. Their trips are just under three hours long, with guides who know the best spots to find dolphins and can tell you all about it. They have soft drinks, snacks and fruit on board, as well as offering guests use of snorkeling equipment and a paddle surf board to get into the water and enjoy the spectacular wildlife. They leave from the fishing port in Marbella and have a maximum group size of 11 people. You can find out more and read reviews on TripAdvisor.

Contact information:

 

LOVIT Charter also offer a 2 hour dolphin watching tour, where they teach guests about these beautiful creatures and see them in their natural habitat. They also give you the opportunity to swim and snorkel and snacks and drinks are included.

Contact information:

Tangier, Morocco Day trip from Costa del Sol

It’s amazing that Marbella is on the edge of the continent of Europe and on clear days you can see the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and over into Africa. This proximity means that you can easily take a boat from the Costa del Sol over to Tangier and have a day in this bustling and exciting port town.

There are private and group tours, or you can simply go it solo and take the ferry and explore alone.

The FRS ferry from Algeciras takes one and a half hours to get to Tangiers and you can go as a foot passenger, or take your car. It costs €21.50 each way. The same company also offers routes from Tarifa to Tangiers and from Algeciras to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The ferry company also offer excursions from Tarifa, which include ferry, transfers, guided tour, lunch and free time to explore, from under €80 per person.

There are also a host of companies offering private tours, such as Tour Travel & More, who offer a private tour guide and chauffeur to pick you up from your vacation rental in Marbella and drive you to the ferry port, tour you to the key areas of Tangier, stopping off at viewpoints, a visit to the caves of Hercules and even have a 15 minute camel ride, before exploring the kasbah, the medina and more.

Gibraltar boat tour

The richest marine life can be found off Gibraltar, so it’s worth the short drive from Marbella to Gibraltar to take to the sea. There are lots of companies in Gibraltar offering dolphin and whale watching tours, and while you can never guarantee seeing them, chances are high in this part of the world.

Dolphin Adventure Gibraltar have a 99% success rate in spotting dolphins over the last 20 years, so you know you’re in good hands! They also offer a free trip if you don’t get to see dolphins, and comfortable boats, so you can fully enjoy the experience. Their team are knowledgeable and passionate about the animals and marine conservation and they also offer packs which includes going up to the top of the Rock in the cable car.

Contact information:

Dolphin Safari also offers great dolphin watching tours from Gibraltar on weekdays from their 12 meter boat. They pride themselves on limiting numbers to give a VIP experience for all and you can enjoy this tour for £24.99 per adult at the moment on their website. They also offer a taxi rock tour, so you can get to know Gibraltar and see all the sites with an experienced guide.

Contact information:

Fishing

How about a challenge during your next holiday in Marbella? Sea fishing is a great activity to try and put your skill, patience and luck to the test! Between April and September you can challenge yourself to catch tuna, marlin, dorado and mackerel and take home the freshest fish to cook at your holiday rental.

There are plenty of companies out there to choose from, but our chosen partner for sea fishing in Marbella is Luna Pesca, and we’ve had lots of clients have an amazing experience with them.

They are specialists in deep sea sport fishing, trolling, bait fishing and bottom fishing on the reefs and seabed. With many years of experience, they have developed three different sea fishing trips, depending on the age and skill level of your group. There are two- and four-hour options which are great for families and five hours trips too for the more serious fishermen.

We hope this article has helped you to see how many great options you have available to you during your next holiday. We’re here to help you find the best accommodation in Marbella and organize great activities for you, such as private yacht charters and sea fishing trips to make your trip extra special. Please browse our website for holiday rentals in Marbella.

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From Vacation Marbella wants that everyone knows the benefit about staying in Marbella. There are a plenty of activities that you can do with your family, friends or even with you pet. Share the information with everyone and who knows, maybe could join your plans!