Puerto Banus in the Costa del Sol has been named as Spain’s worst beach town in a new survey – but it still attracts nearly one million Brits every year
Puerto Banus, nestled in the southwest of Marbella, a favourite holiday destination, has been dubbed the worst seaside town in Spain. Despite this, it still lures nearly a million Brits each year.
Consumer champion Which? surveyed over 1,200 travellers, asking them to rate their experiences of Spanish coastal towns across 11 factors – including safety, food and drink, value for money and beach quality. The survey responses were then crunched, and the towns were scored and ranked.
Puerto Banus received a score of 55 per cent, landing it at the bottom of the pile of 30 Spanish seaside towns. The Costa del Sol town, once a playground for the rich and famous, had become “faded” and “a seedy dump”, according to the survey results.
Despite its low ranking, Peurto Banus continues to welcome some of the world’s priciest yachts into its marina, which was labelled “overpriced” – scoring a measly one star for value for money. It also scraped together just one point for its tourist attractions and party scene, reports the Express.
The safety, attractiveness and friendliness categories managed two stars, with tourists lamenting that the town had “deteriorated” and become “tacky.”
The beach and seafront category, arguably the most crucial, saw the town scrape three stars, the same for its food, drink and shopping, offering the town a glimmer of redemption.
Nerja on Spain’s sun-drenched Costa del Sol grabbed the second spot as a “a hidden gem”, earning an 81 per cent satisfaction score and hailed as “the perfect spot for those looking to fly and flop.”
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland praised Spanish resorts, pointing out: “This survey shows that there are plenty of fantastic Spanish beach resorts that will easily beat the best-marketed destinations like Marbella and Torremolinos.”
He added: “You don’t even need to look far, with beautiful Nerja and its quaint white-washed streets also to be found on the Costa del Sol.”
And for city break enthusiasts, he recommended San Sebastian: “For those looking for a city break with a dose of sea and sunshine, San Sebastian can’t be topped – it’s rightly famous for its excellent restaurants and authentic cuisine, and comes complete with a pretty old town and fantastic beaches.”