Steady, wide and with plenty of deck: the best choice for large groups and for spending the day at anchor.
| Boat | Seats | Marina |
|---|---|---|
| Catamaran, 11.5 m | 12 | Marbella Marina |
| Catamaran, 23.7 m | 100 | Málaga |
Catamarans get asked for almost always for the same reason: they have two hulls, so they barely heel and they are far steadier than an ordinary boat. For a group with people who are not used to the sea, that difference shows from the first minute.
There are two in the fleet: an 11.5-metre one for 12 passengers, moored in Marbella, and a 23.7-metre one that takes up to 100 passengers, in Málaga. The big one is used mainly for events and celebrations.
Catamaran hire on the Costa del Sol is asked for above all by groups and for celebrations, and the reason is the deck: there is room to sit, lie down and eat without getting in each other's way, and you can get in and out of the water easily at anchor.
Because it rests on two separate hulls instead of one. That wide base is what stops it leaning with the wind or with the weight of people moving about the deck.
In practice it means you can walk, eat and stand without holding on, and that anyone not used to the sea does not have a bad time. It is the reason almost every group trip ends up on a catamaran.
The small one is 11.5 metres, takes 12 passengers and is moored in Marbella marina. It is the format for a group of friends or a large family spending the day at anchor.
The big one is 23.7 metres and takes up to 100 passengers, moored in Málaga. That one is event format: company celebrations, weddings and groups that will not fit on any other boat on this coast.
From the stern platform between the two hulls, with a bathing ladder. It is the biggest practical difference from a motor boat: no jumping from the side and no climbing a vertical ladder.
For children, for older people and for anyone who is not a confident swimmer, that platform is what turns anchoring into something comfortable rather than a problem.
Book well ahead — weeks, not days — and arrange the catering separately, because it is not included. For large groups you need to give an approximate head count in advance, since it determines the crew required.
It is also worth setting the timings: an event trip is usually three or four hours with a long stop at anchor, not a passage. And respect the marina's hours for music, which are regulated.
The Marbella catamaran, yes: it is booked by the half day or by the hour like any other boat, and sunset from a cove is the most requested plan from June to September.
The Málaga one, given its size and crew, is always arranged as a closed event. It is not a boat you take out for two hours.
Per boat, yes, because it is more boat: more deck, more berthing and, on the big one, more crew. Per person it usually works out cheaper, which is what counts when it is split between twelve.
The honest comparison is not against a six-seat boat, but against hiring two boats so the whole group fits. There the catamaran wins on price and wins on the day itself: the group stays together instead of split between two boats that lose sight of each other as soon as they get going.
Very little, and that is why it gets chosen for groups with people who suffer from seasickness. The two hulls act as a stabiliser: where a single-hulled boat pitches and rolls with the swell on the beam, the catamaran stays almost still.
At anchor during a meal the difference is obvious: you can serve at the table without anything spilling and people move about the deck without holding on. It is the real reason almost every celebration on board ends up on a catamaran and not on a motor boat of the same price.
The 11.5-metre catamaran in Marbella has cabins and allows trips of more than one day, although the sleeping capacity is far lower than the daytime passenger number.
The Málaga one, the hundred-passenger boat, is an event boat and not a cruising one: it is designed for trips of a few hours with a lot of people, not for overnight stays. For a passage of several days the choice in the fleet is the yacht.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
Because it has two hulls and barely heels over. For a group with people who are not used to being at sea, that is the difference between a good day and a bad one.
It depends on the boat: the 11.5-metre one takes 12 passengers and the 23.7-metre one goes up to 100. The big one is used mainly for events.
Yes, and that is what they do best: plenty of deck and easy in and out of the water, with no impossible ladders.
For more than twelve passengers, well ahead, and with the catering arranged separately. It is not a trip you improvise on the day.
Leave us your number and we will call you. In July and August it is worth booking ahead.
Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, local 367. You can drop in and see the boats before you book.
At no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
Life jackets for everyone on board, included in the price.
