The 28 nautical miles between Estepona marina and Cabopino hold roughly a dozen workable anchorages, and on a good summer day you can string three of them into a single charter. This guide is the skipper-side view: where the sand actually lies, which bays die first in a Levante, and how long the runs really take from Puerto Banús. All distances are measured from the Banús harbour mouth.
The strip at a glance
Think of the coast as three zones. West of Puerto Banús (Guadalmina, San Pedro, Estepona) gives you Poniente shelter and quieter water in August. East of Banús (Río Verde, Marbella, Cala del Faro, Cabopino) has the cleaner sand and the dramatic lighthouse-and-dune backdrop. The middle — Banús itself — is the busiest mile of coast in Andalusia between June and September, so we treat it as transit rather than swim water.
| Anchorage | From Banús (NM) | Depth (m) | Best wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estepona Bay | 10 W | 5-8 | Levante |
| Guadalmina | 4 W | 4-6 | Light any |
| Río Verde | 1.5 E | 4-6 | Light Poniente |
| Levante Beach | 0.5 E | 4-5 | Light Poniente |
| Marbella roadstead | 4 E | 5-7 | Poniente |
| Cala del Faro | 2 E | 5-7 | Poniente |
| Cabopino / Cala Cortés | 8 E | 4-8 | Poniente |
Cala del Faro — the safe default
Two nautical miles east of Banús, tucked under the Marbella lighthouse cliffs, this is the bay we go to nine times out of ten on a Tier A charter. Sand bottom in 5-7 m, holding is excellent on a Danforth, and the cliff to the north breaks any breeze under about 18 kts of Poniente. Water clears up by 0900 most mornings and you can usually see your anchor on the bottom. It is also the closest swimmable anchorage to Banús, which matters on a 2-hour booking.
Cabopino and Cala Cortés — the clearest water
Eight NM east, past the Marbella sewage outfall and the Río Real, you cross a clean line: visibility jumps to 8-12 m and the seabed turns to white sand backed by the protected Artola dunes. Anchor in 4-8 m about 300 m off the beach, outside the swim-zone buoys. Cabopino marina is two minutes away if you want a long lunch ashore. This is the obvious destination for a full-day 8h charter on the Astondoa 40 or Azimut 39.
Río Verde and Levante Beach — the quick stops
If you have 90 minutes of swim time and the wind is light, the bays immediately east of Banús work fine. Río Verde at 1.5 NM holds in 4-6 m on sand with patches of weed — your skipper picks the patch. Levante Beach, just outside the breakwater, is the closest possible stop but gets busy with charter tenders and jet skis from noon onwards. We use it mainly as a calm-weather warm-up before pushing east.
The Estepona side — your Levante backup
When the easterly fills in above 15 kts, the eastern bays turn into a short, ugly chop on a lee shore and we run west. The roadstead immediately east of Estepona marina sits under Punta de la Plata and stays workable up to about 20 kts of Levante. Holding is sand in 5-8 m. The run from Banús is 10 NM — 28 minutes at 22 kts on a Pershing 46 or a Mangusta 80, slightly longer on the Tier A boats.
Anchorages we skip
The Guadalmina and Río Verde mouths after heavy rain drop visibility to nothing for a day or two. The stretch directly off San Pedro has more weed than the chart suggests and worse holding than it looks. The kilometre of water east of Marbella marina sits over the municipal outfall — fine to transit, not somewhere we drop the hook. None of this shows up on a basic chart plot, which is why local skipper knowledge matters more than the app.
Reading the day
The forecast call gets made at the dock. We look at three numbers: wind direction, wind strength at 1500 (the daily peak), and swell period. Anything under 12 kts and you can pick anywhere on the strip. 12-18 kts and we pick the lee side — east bays for Poniente, west bays for Levante. Above 18 kts we either tuck deep into Cala del Faro or Estepona Bay, or shorten the day. We do not push weather windows on charter — it is your day off, not a delivery.
How many stops fit in a day
On a 2-hour Tier A charter (€749 all-in) you get one stop, almost always Cala del Faro. On 4 hours, two stops — typically Río Verde plus Cala del Faro, or Cala del Faro plus a quick Cabopino tease. On the full 8-hour day at €2,299 you can string Estepona Bay or Guadalmina in the morning, Cala del Faro for lunch on board, and Cabopino in the afternoon. The Mangusta 80 at €4,719 for 4 hours covers the same ground 25% faster and lets you skip further down to Sotogrande if you want.
What is included on every anchor stop
- Licensed Spanish skipper who actually knows these bays
- Fuel for the whole charter — no surcharge
- Water, soft drinks, beer, white wine, cava on ice
- Light snacks aboard
- Towels, snorkel masks, paddle board on most boats
- Full insurance and safety equipment, Spanish IVA (21%)
The drinks list is honest and unlimited within reason — no hidden bar bill at the end. See the full pricing breakdown or message us on WhatsApp to lock a date.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the single best anchorage near Marbella for a first-time charter?
Cala del Faro, 2 NM east of Puerto Banús. It sits under the Cabopino lighthouse cliffs in 5-7 m of clear sand, holds a Danforth or Bruce instantly, and is sheltered from westerlies up to about 18 kts. You are 12 minutes from the marina at cruise, so it works on a 2-hour Tier A charter without burning your swim time on transit.
Can we anchor right off Puerto Banús beach?
Yes, the Levante Beach roadstead just east of the breakwater takes 4-5 m of sand and is fine in light Poniente. It is busy with tenders and jet skis in July-August, so we usually push 1.5 NM further to Río Verde or Cala del Faro for cleaner water. Holding is mediocre on weed patches — your skipper will pick the sand.
Where do you anchor when the Levante is blowing?
We run west. The bay just east of Estepona marina, plus the lee of Punta de la Plata, both flatten out under easterlies up to 20 kts because the headlands break the fetch. Cabopino and Cala del Faro become untenable above 15 kts of Levante — short, steep chop on a lee shore. The call gets made at the dock based on the morning forecast.
Is Cabopino worth the run from Puerto Banús?
For a full-day charter, yes. Cala Cortés and the dune-backed beach east of Cabopino marina give you the clearest water on the strip — 8-12 m visibility on calm mornings — plus a marina you can pop into for lunch. It is 8 NM east of Banús, about 25 minutes at 20 kts cruise, so it eats roughly an hour of your day round-trip.
How deep do you anchor and how much chain goes out?
We work in 4-8 m on sand wherever possible. Standard scope is 4:1 in settled weather, 5:1 if any breeze is forecast — so 25-40 m of chain on a typical stop. The skipper sets the hook with reverse thrust and stays aboard the whole time you swim. No anchoring inside swim-zone buoy lines, which run 200 m off most beaches.
Can we combine two or three anchorages in one charter?
On 4 hours you realistically get two stops — say Río Verde plus Cala del Faro. On 8 hours we routinely do three: a morning swim near Estepona, lunch at Cabopino, afternoon at Cala del Faro. Plan transits at 18-22 kts and budget 45 minutes per swim stop minimum, otherwise it feels rushed.
Are there any anchorages we should avoid?
The Guadalmina and Río Verde rivermouths after heavy rain — runoff drops visibility to near zero for 24-48 hours. The stretch directly off San Pedro beach has patchy weed and worse holding than it looks on the chart. We also skip the area around the Marbella sewage outfall, roughly 1 NM east of Marbella marina.
What does an anchorage-hopping day cost on your fleet?
A Tier A boat (Astondoa 40 or Azimut 39) is €749 for 2 hours or €2,299 for the full 8 hours, skipper, fuel, drinks, snacks and 21% IVA included. The Mangusta 80 is €4,719 for 4 hours with a jet ski thrown in. Bigger or different boats — Pershing 46, Ferretti 94, Canados 86 — priced on request via WhatsApp.