San Sebastian has come prime in a brand new Which? survey of Spain’s greatest and worst coastal resorts, whereas flashy Puerto Banus finishes all-time low, with holidaymakers writing it off as ‘cheesy’ and ‘a seedy dump’.
The patron champion invited travellers to charge their experiences of Spanish seaside cities, which have been scored on 11 standards together with the standard of the seaside and seafront, security, food and drinks, lodging, and worth for cash.
An general rating was calculated based mostly on normal satisfaction and likeliness to suggest after Which? acquired 2,259 responses to its survey.
Superyacht hotspot Puerto Banus takes final place within the desk with a rating of simply 55 per cent, receiving lower than spectacular client stories regardless of its repute ‘as a glamorous place to see and be seen and a playground for the wealthy and well-known’, says Which? Journey.
It provides: ‘A suburb of Marbella, its streets are lined with designer outlets, whereas its marina boasts a few of the world’s most costly yachts, however that might not save the seaside city from being the bottom ranked out of 30 seaside cities in Spain.’
Puerto Banus (above), not removed from Marbella, ranks final in a brand new Which? survey of Spain’s 30 greatest and worst coastal resorts
San Sebastian ranks as Spain’s greatest seaside city, with guests raving concerning the native snacks, pinchos, and selection of top-tier eating places
Nerja, on the Costa del Sol, takes second place with a rating of 81 per cent, and is the proper spot for these seeking to fly and flop down on the seaside, in keeping with Which?
The patron champion explains that the marina’s opening social gathering in 1970 – which featured Julio Iglesias crooning to friends together with the likes of Hugh Hefner, the Aga Khan and Princess Grace of Monaco – ‘set the tone for the party-loving city and it continues to draw superstar friends’.
Survey respondents, nevertheless, have been lower than impressed, in keeping with their testimonies.
Puerto Banus scores only one star for worth for cash – the one vacation spot within the Which? survey to take action.
The Which? survey requested 1,287 members about their experiences of Spanish coastal cities up to now yr
The excessive price ticket connected to a meal out or procuring journey was a recurring theme in survey responses, with one customer describing their expertise as ‘overpriced’.
It additionally scores only one star for vacationer points of interest and has little in the way in which of cultural websites, in keeping with the responses to the survey. As an alternative, people-watching and events are the important thing attracts, says Which?, mirrored in its one-star rating for peace and quiet.
It additionally receives simply two stars for security, attractiveness and friendliness, with one respondent saying their experiences of the city had ‘deteriorated’ over their years of visiting.
They lamented that ‘it is nonetheless a spot for the wealthy and to be seen however has turn into cheesy’, whereas one other holidaymaker who visited instructed the survey ‘it’s a seedy dump’.
It fared reasonably higher for its seaside, seafront, food and drinks choices and procuring, scooping three stars in every of the classes, with some respondents praising the ‘nice ambiance’ and ‘nice vary of eating places’.
Cartagena is the third best-rated Spanish seaside city, score nicely within the survey for friendliness and procuring
Well-known seaside city Marbella is ceaselessly seen on TV internet hosting luxurious superstar events, however finishes seventeenth within the Which? survey
Benidorm, typically dubbed ‘Blackpool within the Solar’, comes twelfth within the rating, scoring 5 stars for its seaside
Simply forward of Puerto Banus, with a rating of 56 per cent, is La Manga (twenty ninth), well-known for its place on the Mar Menor, a coastal saltwater lagoon.
It receives only one star for vacationer points of interest, and two stars for its seafront, general attractiveness, peace and quiet, and worth for cash.
Whereas some lamented that the city appeared ‘light’ and ‘cheesy’, with ‘too many high-rise lodges’, others stated it felt like a ‘house from house’ and appreciated the ‘conventional Spanish eating places, cafes and bars’.
San Sebastian takes the highest spot with an ‘glorious’ metropolis rating of 88 per cent.
Almeria, a metropolis in southeast Spain, comes nineteenth, with guests scoring it 4 stars for security however solely two stars for ‘seafront’ and ‘attractiveness’
Cadiz, an historic port in Andalusia, comes tenth with an general rating of 76 per cent. It scores three stars for its seaside and 4 stars for security and lodging
It’s rated a full 5 stars for its seaside, attractiveness and food and drinks by guests – the latter being an space the place it ‘significantly excels’, having the second-highest variety of Michelin stars per capita in Europe.
Guests ‘raved’ concerning the native snacks, pinchos – that is small parts of meals served with cocktails – and selection of top-tier eating places.
It scores 4 stars for its seafront, security, friendliness, lodging, vacationer points of interest and procuring – dropping to a few stars for worth for cash.
One customer summarised that ‘it was sufficiently small to stroll spherical simply, the seaside and environment have been stunning, and it felt very protected’, whereas one other stated ‘I want I may 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 rating of 81 per cent, and is the proper spot for these seeking to fly and flop down on the seaside, in keeping with Which?
It ‘simply surpassed’ its better-known neighbours on the Costa del Sol reminiscent of ‘Blackpool within the solar’ Benidorm (twelfth), Marbella (seventeenth) – ceaselessly seen on TV internet hosting luxurious superstar events – and Torremolinos (18th). The latter two end within the decrease half of the desk with scores of 68 and 66 per cent, whereas Fuengirola (twenty seventh) is within the backside 5 with a rating of simply 58 per cent.
Which? says: ‘Improvement has been reined in in comparison with different resorts on the coast, and Nerja nonetheless looks like an Andalusian city of many years passed by, boasting white-washed homes and swaying palm bushes.’
It receives a four-star score for its seafront, security, friendliness, food and drinks and lodging, with respondents saying it felt like a ‘conventional unspoilt Spanish city’.
Tied in third place is Cartagena, Javea and Sitges, with joint scores of 80 per cent.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Journey, stated: ‘This survey exhibits that there are many implausible Spanish seaside resorts that may simply beat the best-marketed locations like Marbella and Torremolinos. You do not even have to look far, with stunning Nerja and its quaint white-washed streets additionally to be discovered on the Costa del Sol.
‘For these on the lookout for a metropolis break with a dose of sea and sunshine, San Sebastian cannot be topped – it is rightly well-known for its glorious eating places and genuine delicacies, and comes full with a fairly outdated city and implausible seashores.’
