Occidental Puerto Banus

At Occidental Puerto Banús, a golf break on the Costa del Sol can combine morning rounds with the easy rhythm of Puerto Banús afterwards. This four-star hotel stands beside the resort’s main square, 4.3 miles from Marbella, with Los Naranjos, La Quinta and Flamingos among the closest courses and many more reachable in around 15 minutes by transfer. All 294 rooms have a terrace and kitchenette, including a fridge and tea and coffee facilities, which makes the time before an early departure or after a late return pleasingly straightforward. Two large outdoor pools sit among the gardens, with hammocks beside the water and one pool reserved for children.

Los Arqueros brings the Ronda Hills into the round, a Seve Ballesteros parkland design where Mediterranean views accompany a course that rewards sound placement. At Los Naranjos, Robert Trent Jones Sr created a changing test, with a more open feel on one nine before orange trees close in around the fairways on the other. Higuerón Marbella Golf Resort moves through olive groves and hilly ground, asking for accuracy from the tee in its opening stretch before the large greens become the main consideration. Cabopino is another course where precision matters, playing through umbrella pines in the hills above the marina, with generously proportioned greens kept in notably good order. El Paraíso offers an 18-hole, par-71 alternative, designed by Gary Player, with streams and palms shaping its parkland fairways.

Back at the hotel, Arrozante focuses on rice dishes, while La Trattoria La Dolce Vita serves Italian and Mediterranean food. There is also a poolside gastrobar, plus a Parisian-style café for brunch or cocktails. Puerto Banús marina is 0.2 miles away and the beach is 0.4 miles from the hotel, so an evening walk needs little organisation. Málaga Costa del Sol Airport is about 39.8 miles away, with transfers taking approximately 40 minutes.