Search for boat rental in Benalmádena and the first thing you meet is Puerto Marina: excursion catamarans, dolphin watching trips and one-hour cruises sold by the seat. It is the most visible boating offer on the eastern Costa del Sol and it works very well for what it is.
This guide is about something else: what changes when, instead of buying a seat, you book the whole boat. Our home port is Puerto Banús, about thirty-five minutes from Puerto Marina.
What actually changes when the boat is only yours
The difference is not the boat: it is who decides. On an excursion sold by the seat, the route, the time and the pace are all settled before you arrive. On a private charter you settle them with the skipper, as the day goes and according to the conditions.
You anchor, and you anchor in the right place
A shared cruise rarely stops. A private four-hour charter spends most of its time at anchor: swimming, with the paddle board in the water and the snorkelling gear on. And the cove is chosen for how the sea looks that day, not for what the printed itinerary says.
The clock is yours
If the spot is good, you stay longer. If dolphins turn up, the skipper stays with them. If the group wants a slow lunch aboard, you get a slow lunch aboard. None of that fits inside a fixed return time.
Ten of you, not forty
A boat for up to 10 people with the whole deck to your group is nothing like sharing a departure. It is the difference between a plan and an activity.
Benalmádena to Puerto Banús: about thirty-five minutes
From Puerto Marina to Puerto Banús is around 50 km, which on the AP-7 takes roughly 35 minutes. The coastal A-7 takes longer, and in summer a good deal longer. Parking is inside Puerto Banús, next to the pontoons.
How does departure work?
Home port: Puerto Banús. Departure from Benalmádena available on request. The boat is berthed in Puerto Banús and that is where the charter starts by default. If you would rather board in Benalmádena, write to us with your date and we will look into it: it is something we assess case by case, not something we can take for granted in advance.
The usual thing is to drive to Puerto Banús: a little over half an hour and the boat is ready on the pontoon, with no transfers or intermediate timings to coordinate.
Tell us what you have in mind
Date, group size and what you feel like doing. We confirm availability in under 2 hours, with no obligation.
See availability and prices → Ask on WhatsAppThe boat: one De Antonio D50 for ten people
There is no fleet to choose from: there is one boat, a 15-metre De Antonio D50 built in 2026 with 2× Mercury V12 600 hp. Which means that when you book, you already know exactly which boat you are getting, who is skippering it and what condition it is in — precisely what you do not know when you book through a listings platform.
It takes up to 10 people comfortably: swim platform aft, bow sunbed and an interior cabin. A professional skipper is included in every charter, so no passenger needs a boat licence.
Rates
| Duration | What you have time for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | Banús bay and the Golden Mile, or a sunset run | €1,200 |
| 4 hours (half day) | Two or three anchorages with swimming, paddle surf and snorkelling | €1,800 |
| 8 hours (full day) | As far as Cabopino and the Artola dunes, or west | €3,000 |
Rates are for the whole boat, for groups of up to 10 people. They include the skipper, fuel for the usual route, insurance, paddle surf, snorkelling gear, light catering, water and soft drinks, a complimentary bottle of champagne and VAT.
If what you specifically want is to go looking for dolphins, we have a page on dolphin watching in Marbella — with the honesty up front: they show up often, but they are never guaranteed.
If you are coming from elsewhere on the eastern coast
The stretch between Fuengirola and Calahonda has its own wind and its own local offer; we cover it in our guide to boat rental in Fuengirola.
Frequently asked questions
Our home port is Puerto Banús. Departure from Benalmádena is available on request: send us your date and we will look at it for that specific day.
About 50 km and roughly 35 minutes on the AP-7. The coastal A-7 takes longer, particularly in summer.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no — they are wild animals and nobody can guarantee them. What a private boat does change is that, if they show up, the skipper can stay with them as long as you like instead of keeping to a timetable. We cover it on our dolphin watching page.
Up to 10, and the rate is for the whole boat. We do not sell individual seats: there will be nobody else aboard apart from your group and the skipper.