Opium Beach Club

Opium Beach Club

Opium Beach Club overlooks the western end of Playa el Pinillo. Just outside the central area of Marbella town. Opium Marbella has a swimming pool, sun loungers and a bar area and restaurant. Its special feature is the elevated nature of the beach club, built on wooden decks with excellent sea views and views over the beach and the Marbella coast.

Opium Beach Club Marbella was known for its day parties, making it a popular destination for those seeking a vibrant summer experience. This trendy and chic beach club offered a blend of relaxation and entertainment.

The area is also known locally as Funny Beach after the Karting track and entertainments area on the site opened in 1993 by Horacio Helmann.

There is a car park which is full in the high summer season. Leave the A-7 motorway (access from the east only) and quickly and carefully negotiate the steep path leading down to a car park. This is a difficult entrance to negotiate.

There is also access on foot from the Sendero Litoral (Malaga Coastal Footpath).

History of the site

The site was opened as Funny Beach after the Karting track and entertainments area on the site opened in 1993 by Horacio Helmann. The complex was closed from August to October 2015 by Marbella town council as the karting track still only had a temporary licence. A court ordered the track to be re-opened unill the dispute resolved. However the 'landlord' chose not to renew the contract complex closed permanently at the end of September 2016.

In 2017, the site opened as Funky Buddha Beach and was renamed Opium Marbella the following year.

The beach club called Opium opened for the 2018 summer season. It is run by the Bordas brothers: Ramón and Javier (manager of Barcelona football club). Other places they run in Marbella are Funky Budha Banus, music bar Seven and nightclub Kube. On the Marbella Golden Mile the night club Opera is converted to Bling Bling. In Barcelona Nuba, Nubar, Cachitos, Pacha Barcelona, Bling Bling and Opium. In Madrid the Nightclub Bling Bling. In London the nightclub Opium.

When Opium Beach reopened after the Covid pandemic, it was open as a popular night club as well as a beach bar.

Opium Beach Club Marbella attracted large numbers of revellers. Dancing to the DJ on the open elevated terrace was a popular feature. There were many official complaints from local residents noting that tthe complex had a restaurant licence and not a music licence. This resulted in the granting on 11 July 2022 of a new licece as an open air auditorium for 2.500 personas.

The dificult entrance from the highay was always a problem.'Demarcación de Carretera' road authority has objected to its use as an entrance to a 'discoteca'.

At 01:00 on 18 July 2022, a fight broke out at a table. Five people were taken to hospital with stab wounds and gunshot wounds. The incident attracted particular attention because Felipe Juan Froilán, nephew of Spain's King Felipe VI, was one of the patrons of the Opium Beach Club at the time.

In November 2022, Marbella City Council revoked the restaurant licence granted in 2014 and suspended the licence for the auditorium. Opium Beach Club did not open for the 2023 summer season.

The establishment applied for a licence for ‘hotel and catering establishment with music and terrace in a beach club’, however months later the application was resubmitted as ‘catering establishment without music, private terrace and swimming pool’

On 23 August 2023, Marbella City Council granted an Building licence to constuct a "restaurant without music, with private terrace and swimming pool" with a capacity of 388 people.

The Beach club opened for one day in early July 2024 advertting hours as 11.00 to 20.00 hrs and then closed, presumably because the town hall had not yet issued an opening licence.

On the 16th July Marbella City Council rejected the complaints presented by four neighbours and by Ecologists in Action - Aedenat Malaga.

Everything is now in place for the iminet granting of the opening licence for the return of Opioum Beach club. No dowbt in a quieter and more select form than previously.

Opening

Check for 2024 opening.

Contact

Tel: 657 62 71 44

Location

Ctra N340, km 184, Marbella