San Sebastián wins the new Which? study of the best and worst coastal resorts in Spain, while the flashy Puerto Banús ends up hitting rock bottom, with tourists calling it “tacky” and “a sleazy dump.”
The consumer champion invited travelers to rate their experiences in Spanish coastal cities, which were rated on 11 criteria, including beach and boardwalk quality, safety, food and drink, accommodation and value for money. price quality.
An overall score was calculated based on overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend after which? received 2,259 responses to its survey.
Superyacht destination Puerto Banús comes last in the table with a score of just 55 percent, receiving unimpressive consumer reports despite its reputation “as a glamorous place to see and be seen and a playground for the rich and famous,” he says Which? Travel.
He adds: ‘A suburb of Marbella, its streets are lined with designer shops, while its marina boasts some of the most expensive yachts in the world, but that couldn’t save the coastal town from being ranked worst out of 30 cities. coastal areas of Spain. ‘
Puerto Banús (above), not far from Marbella, comes last in a new list Which one? Survey of the 30 best and worst coastal resorts in Spain
San Sebastián is Spain’s best coastal city, and visitors rave about the local sandwiches, pinchos and variety of top-notch restaurants.
Nerja, a town on the Costa del Sol, comes in second with a score of 81 per cent, and is the perfect place for those looking to fly and lay on the beach, according to Which?
The consumer advocate explains that the marina’s opening party in 1970, at which Julio Iglesias sang to guests such as Hugh Hefner, the Aga Khan and Princess Grace of Monaco, “set the tone for this party-loving city and continues to attract famous guests.
However, respondents were not very impressed, according to their testimonies.
Puerto Banús earns just one star for value for money – the only destination on Which? survey to do so.
Which? The survey asked 1,287 members about their experiences in Spanish coastal cities over the past year.
The high price associated with a meal out or a shopping trip was a recurring theme in survey responses, with one visitor describing their experience as “too expensive.”
It also gets only one star for tourist attractions and has few cultural sites, according to survey responses. Instead, people-watching and partying are the key draws, says Which?, reflected in its one-star rating for peace and quiet.
It also receives just two stars for safety, attractiveness and friendliness, with one respondent saying their experiences in the city had “deteriorated” over years of visiting.
They lamented that “it is still a place for the rich and to be seen, but it has become tacky,” while another tourist who visited said in the survey that “it is a seedy dump.”
It performed moderately better for its beach, promenade, food and drink offering and shopping, earning three stars in each of the categories, with some respondents praising the “great atmosphere” and “great variety of restaurants”.
Cartagena is the third highest-rated Spanish coastal city, with a good survey score for friendliness and shopping
The famous coastal town of Marbella frequently appears on television hosting lavish celebrity parties, but ends up 17th in the Which? survey
Benidorm, often nicknamed ‘Blackpool in the Sun’, is 12th in the ranking, with five stars for its beach
Just ahead of Puerto Banús, with a score of 56 percent, is La Manga, known for its position on the Mar Menor, a saltwater coastal lagoon.
It receives just one star for its tourist attractions and two stars for its promenade, general appeal, peace and quiet and value for money.
While some lamented that the city seemed “colorless” and “tacky”, with “too many high-rise hotels”, others said it felt like “a home away from home” and appreciated the “traditional Spanish restaurants, cafes and bars” .
San Sebastián takes first place with an “excellent” city score of 88 percent.
Almeria, a city in southeastern Spain, ranks 19th, with visitors giving it four stars for safety but only two stars for “waterfront” and “attractiveness.”
Cádiz, a former port in Andalusia, comes in tenth place with an overall score of 76 percent. It gets three stars for its beach and four stars for safety and accommodation.
It is rated five stars by visitors for its beach, its attractiveness and its food and drink; The latter being an area in which it “particularly excels”, having the second highest number of Michelin stars per capita in Europe.
Visitors were amazed by the local snacks, pinchos (small portions of food served with cocktails) and the choice of top-notch restaurants.
It gets four stars for its promenade, safety, friendliness, accommodation, tourist attractions and shopping, dropping to three stars for value for money.
One visitor summarized that “it was small enough to walk easily, the beach and surroundings were beautiful and it felt very safe,” while another said “I wish I had stayed there longer.”
Tied for third place are Cartagena, Jávea (above) and Sitges, with joint scores of 80 percent.
Nerja comes in second with a score of 81 per cent and is the perfect place for those looking to fly and lay on the beach, according to Which?
It “easily surpassed” its better-known neighbors on the Costa del Sol, such as “Blackpool in the sun”, Benidorm (12th), Marbella (17th), often seen on television hosting lavish celebrity parties, and Torremolinos ( 18th), finishing in the bottom half of the table with scores of 68 and 66 percent, while Fuengirola is in the bottom five with a score of only 58 percent.
Which? says: “Development has slowed compared to other coastal resorts, and Nerja still feels like an Andalusian town from decades past, with whitewashed houses and swaying palm trees.”
It receives a four-star rating for its seafront, safety, friendliness, food, drink and accommodation, with respondents saying it felt like a “traditional, unspoilt Spanish town”.
Tied for third place are Cartagena, Jávea and Sitges, with joint scores of 80 percent.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘This survey shows that there are many fantastic Spanish beach resorts that will easily outperform better marketed destinations such as Marbella and Torremolinos. You don’t even have to look far, as beautiful Nerja and its picturesque whitewashed streets are also located on the Costa del Sol.
“For those looking for a city break with a dose of sea and sun, San Sebastián can’t be beaten – it is rightly famous for its excellent restaurants and authentic cuisine, complete with a pretty old town and fantastic beaches “.