A day charter out of Puerto Banús runs ~€2,000–2,300 a day for a mid-size motor yacht like the Astondoa 50 or the Sunseeker Predator 63, up to ~€6,500 a day for a crewed Maiora superyacht – or skip the private boat and join a shared sunset cruise from ~€80 a head.
Rental, hire and charter all mean the same thing here, and operators quote a teaser rate then bill a different one, so every figure below was checked against live Click&Boat listings in July 2026.
Click&Boat works like the Airbnb of yacht rental: boats are verified, deposits insured, and every cost – APA, port fees, cleaning – is shown before you pay. That transparency is what the rest of this market lacks.
What a day on the water actually costs
| Boat | What it is | Full-day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Astondoa 50 | flybridge motor yacht, up to 12 | ~€2,300 |
| Sunseeker Predator 63 | performance motor yacht | from ~€2,000, less outside June–August |
| Maiora 25 m | crewed superyacht | |
| 4-hour catamaran tour | Bali catamaran, up to 12 | from ~€1,500 for the whole boat |
| Shared sunset cruise | a seat on a group boat | ~€80/person |
Rates are per boat unless marked per person, and every one of them climbs further with APA, port fees and tip – covered below. The Astondoa and the Predator land close together on price despite the size difference: the Astondoa's per-week bareboat rate looks far cheaper on the listing page, but a single skippered day out costs about the same as the Predator.
Puerto Banús is the Mediterranean's showroom
Puerto Banús is the Mediterranean's showroom for wealth: you motor past superyachts in calm water, anchor off Nikki Beach, and swim where the day-trippers can only look. Most people book it as the highlight of a luxury villa stay or a stag, hen or birthday on the water – which is why "yacht party" and "boat party" are half the bookings the marina takes.
The catch is the pricing. Operators know you are on holiday and will not read the fine print, so the quote and the bill rarely match. The table above, and the fee section further down, fix that.
The boats worth booking
The Sunseeker Predator 63 is the Marbella icon – speed, style, and Gibraltar in 90 minutes – listed from ~€2,000/day, with the lower end of that closer to €1,400 outside the June–August peak.
The Astondoa 50 is the flybridge option for a couple or a family of four who want quality without performing for anyone: a skippered full day runs ~€2,300, though the listing's headline "from €367/day" is a week-long bareboat rate, not what a single day out actually costs.
Above both sits the Maiora 25 m, a crewed superyacht where staff outnumber guests and the bill clears ~€6,500 a day (or ~€4,000 for a half day) before fuel.
For a shorter group outing, the marina's 4-hour Bali catamaran tour out of Puerto Banús – skipper, drinks and a snack, snorkel gear and a paddleboard included – runs from ~€1,500 for the whole boat, up to 12 people. It is not a full private day charter, so do not book it expecting one; it is the better fit for a half-day sail than a full day at sea.
Open yachts (Mangusta, Fjord, VanDutch) are the see-and-be-seen option below the Maiora tier: enormous sunbeds, no shade, brutal fuel use – a Mangusta 80 lists at ~€7,965/day with crew and fuel included. At the entry point, the shared sunset cruise puts you on deck with a glass of cava for ~€80 – touristy, no swim stops, but the views are real.
The Sunseeker Predator and the Maiora book out 3+ weeks ahead in July and August. If a specific boat is the priority, lock it in before you land.
The hidden costs nobody quotes
APA, the fuel and provisioning allowance, is the big one on larger crewed boats. Under MYBA terms it typically runs 25–40% of the charter fee – higher for motor yachts than sailing boats – with the crew tracking fuel, marina fees and drinks and refunding whatever is unspent.
It mainly bites on boats like the Maiora; smaller day boats such as the Astondoa or Predator usually have fuel built into the quoted rate, but ask before you sign either way.
Then the Puerto Banús fee. Some boats are based in Cabopino, 15 km east, so departing from Puerto Banús marina itself can cost ~€400–800 extra. Ask directly: does this price include departure from Puerto Banús?
Skipper tip and drinks come last. The captain is included; the tip is not – about 10% in cash at the dock. "Open bar" often means local beer and cava, with champagne ~€90 a bottle extra or ~€50–100 corkage to bring your own.
Where to sail
Three routes cover most days. Nikki Beach is 15 minutes – anchor offshore, swim in, the staff fast-track your bed. Gibraltar is 90 minutes by fast yacht and the dolphins ride the bow wave on the way. Estepona is the quiet alternative, 30 minutes west to the turquoise water off Playa del Cristo.
Based further along the coast? See how yacht charter compares across the whole Costa del Sol before you book.
Booking it right
Book through Click&Boat for private charters – the verified listings and disclosed costs are the whole point in a market this murky – and use GetYourGuide for the shared sunset cruise. Time it for May–June (15–20% below peak) or September (25% below August, 22°C water); July–August needs four to six weeks' lead and runs 30–40% higher.
Get the weather policy in writing: most operators cancel free above 20-knot wind or 1.5 m waves, so ask who makes that call. After a good trip, ask the captain for their direct contact – returning clients often get ~10% off the next charter.
Images: kallerna / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
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