Spanish seaside resort voted worst despite four major attractions praised

Puerto Banus, a popular destination among celebrities, has been voted the worst seaside resort in Spain by holidaymakers, despite being home to several highly praised attractions.

The resort, known for its glitzy atmosphere, received low marks across several key categories in a recent survey conducted by the consumer group Which?.

The survey, which gathered responses from over 1,280 participants, asked travelers to rate their experiences at 28 Spanish seaside towns based on 11 criteria, including the quality of the beach, seafront, safety, food and drink, accommodation, and value for money.

Puerto Banus found itself at the bottom of the list, receiving just one star for value for money and two stars for safety, attractiveness, and friendliness.

Despite these low scores, the resort did manage to earn three stars for its beach, seafront, food and drink, and shopping – highlighting some redeeming features of this otherwise poorly rated destination.

The town of Marbella, which is closely associated with Puerto Banus, also fared poorly in the rankings, coming in at 17th place out of 28.

Both Puerto Banus and Marbella were noted as the most expensive destinations in the survey, with visitors paying an average of £168 per night for a three or four-star hotel.

On the other hand, San Sebastian in the Basque Country topped the survey, achieving an impressive 88 percent satisfaction rating. This resort received five stars for its beach, attractiveness, and food and drink, along with four stars for its seafront, safety, friendliness, accommodation, tourist attractions, and shopping.

Although San Sebastian was the next most expensive destination, with an average nightly cost of £155, it was still seen as providing better overall value than Puerto Banus.

Nerja claimed the second spot with a score of 81 percent. Other high-ranking resorts included Cartagena, Javea, and Sitges, which rounded out the top five. British favorites such as Estepona, Alicante, and Benidorm also performed well, finishing in the top half of the rankings.

Among the resorts that struggled in the survey were Torremolinos, which came in 18th, and Fuengirola, which was ranked fourth from the bottom.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, commented on the findings, saying: “This survey shows that there are plenty of fantastic Spanish beach resorts that will easily beat the best-marketed destinations like Marbella and Torremolinos. 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.

“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.”

Find the official rankings from the survey below:

Spain’s Worst Seaside Towns

1. Puerto Banus

2. La Manga

3. Albir

4. Fuengirola

5. Torrevieja

Spain’s Best Seaside Towns

1. San Sebastian

2. Nerja

3. Cartagena

4. Javea

5. Sitges