La Bajadilla marina to transform Marbella’s waterfront with more than €200 million investment

Marbella is preparing for one of the biggest port transformations in its history. After years of delays, legal procedures and stalled proposals, the redevelopment of La Bajadilla marina has taken a major step forward with planned private investment of more than €200 million.

The Andalusian Public Ports Agency has awarded the concession for the project, which will almost triple the marina’s current capacity. The new concession holder is expected to take control of the facilities from 1 January 2027.

The plan goes far beyond adding new pontoons. La Bajadilla is set to become a larger marina capable of welcoming bigger vessels while strengthening its commercial, tourism and fishing activities.

From 268 to around 750 berths

One of the biggest changes will be the increase in mooring capacity.

La Bajadilla currently has approximately 268 berths, while the redevelopment plans to increase this figure to around 750.

The expanded marina will be able to accommodate everything from conventional leisure boats to large yachts of up to 70 metres in length, while also creating possibilities for certain cruise ship calls.

This could significantly change La Bajadilla’s position within Marbella’s nautical sector, which is currently dominated internationally by Puerto Banús.

A new breakwater more than one kilometre long

The expansion will require major marine engineering works.

Plans include a 1.13-kilometre main breakwater protecting the new marina from the east and south.

A 450-metre western breakwater will also be built, together with a new structure connected to the channel of Arroyo Primero.

This intervention is intended to separate the stream from El Cable beach and help protect sand along this section of Marbella’s coastline.

The wider project also includes environmental measures and the redistribution of sand along the beaches of Venus, La Bajadilla, El Cable and El Faro.

Shops, boatyard and around 1,000 parking spaces

The transformation will also extend onto land.

The future marina will include new services and facilities, commercial areas, upgraded spaces for the fishing industry, a boatyard and approximately 1,000 parking spaces.

Fishing activity will therefore remain part of La Bajadilla rather than disappearing as a result of the redevelopment.

The aim is to modernise the fishing facilities while integrating them with the marina’s new leisure and tourism functions.

This will be especially important in an area of Marbella with a long-standing connection to fishing and located close to both the town centre and several of the city’s beaches.

When will work on La Bajadilla begin?

The first major date is 1 January 2027, when the new concession holder is due to take over the existing marina.

Before the main construction phase begins, the final technical project will need to be completed and approved.

The announced timetable allows 11 months to finalise the detailed construction design, followed by 36 months for the building work itself.

If the schedule is maintained, the new marina could therefore be largely completed by around the end of the decade.

In any case, 2027 is expected to mark the point when one of Marbella’s longest-running infrastructure projects finally begins to take physical shape.

A project delayed for years

The redevelopment of La Bajadilla is not a new idea.

An earlier version of the project was awarded around 16 years ago, but that concession was eventually cancelled and the development stalled.

The Andalusian Regional Government restarted the process in 2019, beginning a new administrative route involving environmental procedures, coastal authority reports, legal analysis and a fresh tender process.

After years of uncertainty, the current concession brings the project closer than ever to becoming reality.

Marbella strengthens its focus on its marinas

La Bajadilla is not the only nautical infrastructure undergoing change in Marbella.

The council is also investing in improvements at the Virgen del Carmen marina, while Puerto Banús is pursuing its own strategy of modernisation and business expansion.

In the case of Puerto Banús, the focus is not on dramatically enlarging its existing basin. Instead, its owners are modernising the facilities and have discussed expanding the brand beyond Marbella by managing other marinas.

La Bajadilla represents a very different type of project: a major physical expansion with more water area, more berths, new infrastructure and the ability to accommodate substantially larger vessels.

La Bajadilla could reshape the Costa del Sol’s marina market

The impact of the redevelopment could extend well beyond the harbour itself.

A marina with around 750 berths and capacity for yachts of up to 70 metres would significantly expand Marbella’s nautical offering and allow the city to compete for a segment of the Mediterranean yachting market where demand for larger berths remains strong.

At the same time, new commercial areas, parking facilities and upgraded fishing infrastructure are intended to connect the marina more closely with everyday life in eastern Marbella.

After years of delays and failed proposals, La Bajadilla is entering a new phase.

If the current timetable is met, the existing marina will gradually give way to a much larger complex over the coming years, capable of receiving new types of vessels and becoming another major maritime gateway for Marbella.

The planned investment, increase from 268 to around 750 berths, new breakwaters and the rest of the redevelopment can be found in the official information published by the Andalusian Regional Government on the expansion of La Bajadilla marina.