These spots don't appear on Google Maps and are completely inaccessible from shore. Compiled by BoatAway's fleet captains who sail this coast every single week of the season.
The Costa del Sol has 160 kilometres of coastline. Perhaps forty kilometres of it is accessible from shore — by road, by path, by beach. The other 120 kilometres belongs entirely to those who arrive by water. These are ten of the best spots our captains return to every season.
1. Cala del Pino (east of Marbella)
A narrow cove flanked by pine trees running to the waterline. The bottom is sand over rock at three to five metres — perfect holding for anchor. No road access, no buildings visible from the water. Morning light here is extraordinary.
2. La Herradura Bay (near Almuñécar)
A protected bay with consistently calm water even when the Levante is blowing along the open coast. The village is visible from the anchorage and accessible by tender — good fish restaurants, cold beer, and a beach promenade. Best visited on a weekday.
3. Punta de la Mona cliffs
Not an anchorage — a drifting spot. The cliffs west of La Herradura drop vertically into 15 metres of crystalline water. Switch off the engine, drift slowly along the face, and look down through water so clear the rock detail is visible at depth. One of the most beautiful ten minutes you can have on this coast.
4. Cala Sardina
A tight cove that requires local knowledge to enter safely — there's a submerged rock at the mouth that claims props from the careless. Inside, the water is flat, shallow, and green-tinged from the reflected limestone. Snorkelling here is exceptional in July and August when the visibility reaches 20 metres.
5. Playa del Cañuelo (Los Acantilados de Maro)
Protected as a nature reserve. No facilities, no noise, no cars. The beach is accessible by a very long dirt path, which means the only people you encounter arriving by boat are the handful of walkers who made the two-hour trek. Park National waters — no anchoring on the seagrass, use the sandy patches to the west of the beach.
6. Peñón del Cuervo (Málaga)
A rocky islet just east of Málaga city that catches the current and concentrates fish. Our fishing charter captains rate the wrasse and sea bream fishing here as some of the best on the coast. Anchor to the lee side and let the current work for you.
7 — 10. The Fuengirola reef system
A series of low-profile underwater reefs stretching from Fuengirola east to Mijas that never break the surface. Invisible from shore, invisible from satellite imagery, known only to the captains who learned them from the generation before. The best snorkelling on the western Costa del Sol is directly above these reefs on a calm morning.
Our Marbella fleet captains know every one of these spots and will adjust the day's itinerary around conditions to make sure you reach the best one. When you book through BoatAway and your skipper asks what kind of day you want — tell them you want the spot tourists never find. They'll know exactly what to do.
