San Sebastian has come top in a new Which? survey of Spain’s best and worst coastal resorts, while flashy Puerto Banus finishes rock bottom, with holidaymakers writing it off as ‘tacky’ and ‘a seedy dump’.
The consumer champion invited travellers to rate their experiences of Spanish seaside towns, which were scored on 11 criteria including the quality of the beach and seafront, safety, food and drink, accommodation, and value for money.
An overall score was calculated based on general satisfaction and likeliness to recommend after Which? received 2,259 responses to its survey.
Superyacht hotspot Puerto Banus takes last place in the table with a score of just 55 per cent, receiving less than impressive consumer reports despite its reputation ‘as a glamorous place to see and be seen and a playground for the rich and famous’, says Which? Travel.
It adds: ‘A suburb of Marbella, its streets are lined with designer shops, while its marina boasts some of the world’s most expensive yachts, but that could not save the beach town from being the lowest ranked out of 30 seaside towns in Spain.’
Puerto Banus (above), not far from Marbella, ranks last in a new Which? survey of Spain’s 30 best and worst coastal resorts
San Sebastian ranks as Spain’s best seaside town, with visitors raving about the local snacks, pinchos, and choice of top-tier restaurants
Nerja, on the Costa del Sol, takes second place with a score of 81 per cent, and is the perfect spot for those looking to fly and flop down on the beach, according to Which?
The consumer champion explains that the marina’s opening party in 1970 – which featured Julio Iglesias crooning to guests including the likes of Hugh Hefner, the Aga Khan and Princess Grace of Monaco – ‘set the tone for the party-loving town and it continues to attract celebrity guests’.
Survey respondents, however, were less than impressed, according to their testimonies.
Puerto Banus scores just one star for value for money – the only destination in the Which? survey to do so.
The Which? survey asked 1,287 members about their experiences of Spanish coastal towns in the past year
The high price tag attached to a meal out or shopping trip was a recurring theme in survey responses, with one visitor describing their experience as ‘overpriced’.
It also scores just one star for tourist attractions and has little in the way of cultural sites, according to the responses to the survey. Instead, people-watching and parties are the key draws, says Which?, reflected in its one-star score for peace and quiet.
It also receives just two stars for safety, attractiveness and friendliness, with one respondent saying their experiences of the town had ‘deteriorated’ over their years of visiting.
They lamented that ‘it’s still a place for the rich and to be seen but has become tacky’, while another holidaymaker who visited told the survey ‘it is a seedy dump’.
It fared moderately better for its beach, seafront, food and drink offerings and shopping, scooping three stars in each of the categories, with some respondents praising the ‘great atmosphere’ and ‘great range of restaurants’.
Cartagena is the third best-rated Spanish seaside town, rating well in the survey for friendliness and shopping
Famous beach town Marbella is frequently seen on TV hosting luxurious celebrity parties, but finishes 17th in the Which? survey
Benidorm, often dubbed ‘Blackpool in the Sun’, comes 12th in the ranking, scoring five stars for its beach
Just ahead of Puerto Banus, with a score of 56 per cent, is La Manga (29th), well known for its position on the Mar Menor, a coastal saltwater lagoon.
It receives just one star for tourist attractions, and two stars for its seafront, overall attractiveness, peace and quiet, and value for money.
While some lamented that the town appeared ‘faded’ and ‘tacky’, with ‘too many high-rise hotels’, others said it felt like a ‘home from home’ and appreciated the ‘traditional Spanish restaurants, cafes and bars’.
San Sebastian takes the top spot with an ‘excellent’ city score of 88 per cent.
Almeria, a city in southeast Spain, comes 19th, with visitors scoring it four stars for safety but only two stars for ‘seafront’ and ‘attractiveness’
Cadiz, an ancient port in Andalusia, comes 10th with an overall score of 76 per cent. It scores three stars for its beach and four stars for safety and accommodation
It is rated a full five stars for its beach, attractiveness and food and drink by visitors – the latter being an area where it ‘particularly excels’, having the second-highest number of Michelin stars per capita in Europe.
Visitors ‘raved’ about the local snacks, pinchos – that’s small portions of food served with cocktails – and choice of top-tier restaurants.
It scores four stars for its seafront, safety, friendliness, accommodation, tourist attractions and shopping – dropping to three stars for value for money.
One visitor summarised that ‘it was small enough to walk round easily, the beach and surroundings were beautiful, and it felt very safe’, while another said ‘I wish I could have stayed there longer’.
Tied in third place is Cartagena, Javea (above) and Sitges, with joint scores of 80 per cent
Nerja takes second place with a score of 81 per cent, and is the perfect spot for those looking to fly and flop down on the beach, according to Which?
It ‘easily surpassed’ its better-known neighbours on the Costa del Sol such as ‘Blackpool in the sun’ Benidorm (12th), Marbella (17th) – frequently seen on TV hosting luxurious celebrity parties – and Torremolinos (18th). The latter two finish in the lower half of the table with scores of 68 and 66 per cent, while Fuengirola (27th) is in the bottom five with a score of just 58 per cent.
Which? says: ‘Development has been reined in compared to other resorts on the coast, and Nerja still feels like an Andalusian town of decades gone by, boasting white-washed houses and swaying palm trees.’
It receives a four-star rating for its seafront, safety, friendliness, food and drink and accommodation, with respondents saying it felt like a ‘traditional unspoilt Spanish town’.
Tied in third place is Cartagena, Javea and Sitges, with joint scores of 80 per cent.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘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.’
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