Things to See

Things to See

By Morwenna Francis

THE MARINA

Puerto Banús marina is without doubt the main sight of this town. With space for over 900 boats, this is where the rich and famous, including the King of Saudi Arabia, moor their impressive yachts. Many of these boats don't leave the marina and are simply used as 'holiday homes'. Along the marina you will also see plenty of luxury sports cars being driven, or simply paraded, by their owners alongside the numerous designer boutiques and restaurants that line the water's edge. This is the perfect location for people-watching. At the marina you will also find a statue of Jose Banus, the architect who designed the town in the 70s, and a harbourside shrine to Nuestra Señora del Carmen ('Our Lady Carmen'), the patron saint of fishing.

AVENIDA JOSE BANUS

This is the avenue that leads from the bus stop down to the marina. Named after the town's designer, this is the Puerto Banus 'Walk of Fame' ('Bulevar de Fama') where Marbella town council has placed starfish tributes to local people who have done a lot for the town and other celebrities. You will find names such as Dani Garcia, Julio Iglesias, Lola Flores and Jose Banus, himself.

LA VICTORIA STATUE

One of Puerto Banus' landmarks is the statue that stands in the middle of the roundabout at the coastal end of Avenida de Nacionales Unidas. The statue, called 'La Victoria' is built of bronze and copper and stands on top of a 26m (85ft) tall column of granite. It was designed by the famous Georgian sculptor, Zurab Tsereteli, and gifted to Puerto Banus in 1994 by the Mayor of Moscow.

DALI'S RHINO STATUE

On the roundabout at the other end of Avenida de Nacionales Unidas stands Dalí's statue of a rhinoceros called Rinoceronte Vestido con Puntillas ('Rhinoceros dressed in lace'). The famous artist created it in 1956 after his 1954 film 'La Aventura prodigiosa de la encajera y el rinoceronte' ('The prodigious adventure of the lacemaker and the rhinoceros'). The 3 tonne statue was unveiled in Puerto Banus in 2004.