The €18 Ice Cream at Puerto Banús

It was our first evening in Puerto Banús and we made the classic mistake.

The children wanted ice cream. There was an ice cream shop directly on the marina front, positioned for maximum visibility, with a cheerful sign and a long list of flavours. We ordered four scoops — one each — without asking the price.

72 euros. Four ice creams. 18 euros each.

I do not tell this story to complain about Puerto Banús. The marina exists precisely to sell premium experiences at premium prices to people who can afford them, and in that context 18 EUR for an ice cream is entirely consistent with the surroundings. You are paying for the view of the superyachts, the location, the theatrical setting.

The lesson — obvious in retrospect — is to walk five minutes away from the marina front before buying anything. The same street, two minutes inland, had a perfectly good gelateria charging 2.50 EUR a scoop. The ice cream was arguably better.

Puerto Banús is worth visiting. The marina is genuinely spectacular — the yachts are extraordinary, the people-watching is unmatched on the coast, and on a warm evening with a glass of something cold the atmosphere is hard to beat. But go with clear expectations about what it is: a premium tourist experience, priced accordingly throughout.

Walk five to ten minutes from the quayside for coffee, ice cream, food, or drinks at prices that bear some relationship to the rest of the universe. Your bank account will thank you.

And if you do order the 18-euro ice cream, at least get the pistachio. We're told it's excellent.