Marbella is a Water Sports Paradise
The Costa del Sol is a fabulous holiday destination for water sports enthusiasts and for those with a holiday home in Marbella there's always a new type of water-based leisure activity to be discovered. Various companies organise boat excursions, dolphin watching trips, yacht charter, fishing trips and speed boat rides, but there's also surfing- and kite surfing, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, jet skiing, banana boat racing and much, much more.
Thrills galore
At Splashwatersports.com for example, water sports enthusiasts can ride the azure waters on a luxury sports boat and watch wild dolphins, turtles, flying fish, tuna and whales in their natural habitat along the shores of Marbella. Starting from Puerto Cabopino Marina, which is located a few miles east of Marbella, the boat tour is a great adventure. The company offers trips starting at 15 minutes, with the longest excursion lasting one hour 15 minutes, costing around 50.00 euros per person.
Speed fans will find the super speed Rapid Rib Rides this operator offers even more thrilling. Hurtle along the coast at high speed to test your mettle or take it slow and easy. The 15-minute trip is great fun and costs just 20.00 euros per person. Water skiing is not everybody's cup of salt water, but for those who want to take up this sport, Splash Watersports offers tuition at 45.00 euros per session.
For more leisurely water sport activities, there are sonar inflatables and banana boats, pedal boat rental, sea kayak tours, wake boarding and deep sea fishing trips. At Watersportsmarbella.com thrill-seekers can hire jet skis or go on flyboard jet flights, guided jet ski excursions, enjoy waterskiing, sailing and parasailing trips. This company covers the coastline from Malaga to Sotogrande, offering more than 400 holiday activities, including many water sports and boat charter combinations that start from Estepona, Cabopino and Puerto Banus.
Why not head to Gibraltar by speedboat on a private excursion or go on a 2-hour jet ski expedition off the coast of Marbella? The company also offers kite surfing lessons, stand-up paddle tuition, sea kayak excursions and rental, pedal boat hire and sailing hobbiecat rental. The Costa del Sol also offers plenty of scope for fans of canyoning, a truly spine-tingling experience.
Away from the Beach
And if you want a day off from the beach and water, there are quad bike tours, paintballing adventures, archery, crazy minigolf, treasure hunts with metal detectors and treetop zip lining you can enjoy just a few kilometres inland from Marbella. The company's own quad circuit is based just a 30-minute drive from the centre of Marbella and here petrol heads can experience quad bike driving even without a driving license. There is also an archery target area and guests can compete in an air rifle contest to test their shooting skills.
Elviria and Cabopino Marina
Both districts lie to the east of Marbella and are fantastic places for year-round and temporary living. Buy a luxury 2-bed holiday apartment here for less than 225,000 euros and simply stroll across the street to reach the beach and Marina. Elviria and Cabopino are far more affordable than the Sierra Blanca development or Marbella's famous Golden Mile and offer water sports fans an abundance of leisure activities right on their doorstep.
Blessed with excellent local restaurants and bars, a good smattering of shops and supermarkets, both districts are popular with families. If you love water sports and the outdoor life, this is as good as it gets within Europe. It takes only 15 to 20 minutes to drive to the centre of Marbella, where several large shopping centres provide everything one could possibly need for comfortable and pleasant living.
Marbella also offers families with children several activity centres, where little ones can splash about, learn how to swim, have their first snorkelling experience or receive sailing tuition. For sea kayaking excursions a minimum age of 8 typically applies, but if your child is old enough for a kayaking adventure, it will be a family team effort your child will remember for a long time to come. Or at least until your next Costa del Sol visit, by which time a new water-based sports craze will have arrived in Marbella!