Surfing in Marbella is possible. Don’t expect the best tubes you’ve ever scored. Expect surprisingly okay-ish river mouth waves in the buzz of the town and the bath-warm Med. Not bad, but Tarifa is too near to resist TBH.
An introduction to surfing in Marbella
Marbella is a land of glittering yachts of chic cocktail bars and the Golden Mile, where celebs and – mainly – celeb wannabes strut their stuff. To holiday here is to holiday in the company of billionaire sheiks and exiled dictators. But it’s also about the tacky, classic, Costa del Sol stuff, from melting ice creams to full English breakkos. Surf. Not so much.
Not so fast, though. There are spots that work and work pretty surprisingly well up and down the Marbella strips. For the most part, they are the points where the coast bends either west or south, which are the prime angles for sucking up wind swells and refracting W pulses off the Atlantic. When there are waves, the locals will be out, so don’t expect the lonely novelty of surfing before the promenades. The prime seasons are late fall and winter, when regular levant winds can be offshore and strong.
We’d never consider Marbella to be a surf destination in its own right. If you’re serious about surfing, head the hour or so to the west where Spain touches the Atlantic, for the upcoming surf schools of Cadiz and Tarifa.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Spain
Surfing in Marbella at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to surfing in Marbella?
Where is Marbella?
Marbella is a famed resort area located on the southern coast of Spain, specifically on the Costa del Sol in the province of Malaga. It’s a part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, which covers almost all this southwestern end of the country. Marbella town is the centerpiece of a whole strip that’s known as the Golden Mile, which includes places like Puerto Banus. The main surf locations are strewn up and down that.
Do I need to hire a car to surf in Marbella?
Whether to rent a car or not depends on what you’re doing. If you’re reading this to see if there happens to be a surf spot right by where you’re staying in Marbella, then there’s no need. If you’re planning a proper Spanish surf trip and want to string together the major spots of the Med, then a car is probably a must, not least of all because it will be a ticket to the far-superior surf regions of Tarifa to the west.
The other good news is that car hires in Spain are generally very cheap. We use RentalCars.com to search for ours cos’ they offer late cancellations on most bookings.
Marbella surf spots
There aren’t all that many spots that work consistently in Marbella town, though it’s actually possible to surf any of the urban beaches that pick up windswell, so long as there’s a wave there. A few key locations and nearby towns do stand out…
Tarifa
Okay, so Tarifa is about an hour’s drive to the southwest of Marbella. But we think it’s worth a mention here because it’s a WAY better option if you’re really focused on surfing. Don’t worry if you’re reading this guide to see if there are any urban spots where you can try your luck while sunning it up in Marbella. Good luck to you. But if it’s serious surf tripping you want, then head across to the Spanish Atlantic coast, which begins with Tarifa. From there, the Costa de la Luz has some seriously fantastic beginner-level beach breaks and some intermediate points, plus an upcoming array of surf schools.
We’ve got a complete guide to Tarifa surf right here.
Río Guadaiza/Tuga Beach
There’s a short lip of south-facing coast where the Río Guadaiza enters the Med on the western side of chic Puerto Banus. S and SW ground and windswells hit it real nice in the spring and fall to give some of the very best waves in Marbella. It’s often a waiting game, but good sets do offer 50-meter rides over the cobblestones. With a bit of size on it, the spot can be a shortboarder’s dream, with hotdogging potential and some nice clean faces to rip up. Paddle out literally at the river mouth. The take off is at the spot where the coast bends around the corner. Sometimes a crowd, but they’re not a bad bunch at all. Just glad to be surfing in such a rad spot.
Cabopino
Cabopino is probably best known by the bronzing body crowd as one of the main nudist beaches within Marbella city limits. Come for that if you like, or for the surf, which is kinda’ good throughout the summer. It’s mainly for beginners and longboarders cos’ it’s often small. The opposite ends of the beach work best, with the jetty at the eastern side (where most of the naked folk go) offering some nice right-hander wedges when it’s bigger. The western side of the bay is our prime secret spot in Marbella. We’ve seen 3-foot peelers coming off the river mouth there, and it’s over reef so the sets can keep their shape nicely.
Playa de Santa Amalia
If you’re one of those people who counts Fuengirola as part of the Marbella stretch, then Playa de Santa Amalia is worth a look in. Summers are flatter than a Spansih tortilla here. Winters and even the fall can see good windswells whipped up by the levante east winds and they work well on the softly-sloping beach shelf. It’s all mainly beginner slop but some days it will hold at 4-5 foot for those willing to pump heavy on the shortboard. The best spot of all is just off the river mouth, where there are some night rights. Just be wary of pollution that can come after rains.
Malaga
As you head further east from Marbella, you’ll enter the part of the Costa del Sol that comes under the wing of Malaga. There are a couple of half-decent spots in the region, but they are always reliant on messy winter wind swells, so don’t expect Uluwatu. Nice towns, though, painted white and looking downright lovely under the Andalusian sierras.
Check our complete guide to surfing in Malaga.
Surf camps in Marbella
We can’t really recommend any surf camps in Marbella because there aren’t any. The Mediterranean coat here is just too fickle to justify a permanent surf lodge. You will find options – and pretty darn good options at that – over in the west around Tarifa and Cadiz. In particular, theres…
- 9 Pies Surfschool in El Palmar – If you want to learn to surf but don’t want to leave behind the balmy waters and weather of south Spain, 9 Pies El Palmar is the perfect pick. They make use of the very learner-friendly Atlantic beaches north of Tarifa and have some excellent tuition with qualified instructors. It’s about 1.5 hours’ drive here from Marbella.
Where to stay when surfing in Marbella?
You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels in Marbella. The town is brimming with them. We’ve hunted down the pads that put you close to the main surf spots mentioned above…
- Beach Front Flat with Sea Views – Spacious, bright, uber-stylish and with room for up to four people, this apartment rental gets you as close as it’s possible to get to the break at the Río Guadaiza river mouth, our personal favorite surf spot in Marbella.
- Paloma Blanca Boutique Hotel- Adults Recommended – If you want to surf the Río Guadaiza but want hotel service, this one’s the doozy. It’s a great spot with a lovely pool fringed by cacti gardens. Rooms have a nice Moroccan-esque vibe.
- Marbesa Playa Casa Del Mar – A three-bedroom villa that’s right on the seafront beside Cabopino. For us, it’s the perfect combo. You get that classic Costa del Sol R&R hol with a pool but can keep an eye on the surf and paddle out if anything does hit town.
Step-by-step guide to planning your [yoast_kw] trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the [yoast_kw]…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Marbella?
The fall and the winter tend to be the peak times to surf in Marbella. Eastern – levante – winds kick most of the action through the Med then, while occasional push-through SW-W Atlantic groundswells can also make their mark, but that’s rarely. The summer is often completely flat, which is why folks flock to Marbella for lazing on the sand. There’s a longer, more reliable season down in Tarifa on the western Atlantic coast of south Spain, which is all-round better for surfing and not that far away (1-2 hours in the car max).
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
