Puerto Banus

[Ade07]

So, I've been given the task of organising a lads 3 night break to Puerto Banus for a 50th birthday celebration. The birthday in question is next February, is it likely to be too quiet there around end of Feb or beginning of March time? Or is it busy pretty much all year round? Anyone been Feb/March time? Cheers

[Cupramax]

I'd say you'd be better off in Marbella at that time of year. The weather can be just as crap in the Costa del Sol at that time of year though. Perhaps consider Tenerife if you want a bit more warm fun for a few days.

[Kneetrembler]

I lived in San Pedro which is just about 2 miles to the south for 15yrs and that time of year we would be normally having our central heating on plus the log burner going, with snow on the mountains behind, yes it will be cold normally

[Ade07]

Any more suggestions for somewhere warm and also a busy night life in early March?

[a311]

You'd really have to be looking at the Canary Island to have a good chance of geting warm weather at that time of year. Probably Tenerife would be your best bet. Maybe Egypt if you don't mind a longer flight but it's pretty far for a 3 night break but thena gain so is Tenerife IMO.

[LuS1fer]

We went to Puerto Banus for a lads' weekend in January one year. It was very dead indeed but there were several bars and restaurants along the marina front that kept us plied with alcohol. It was certainly not warm but we had some pleasant sun and had a kick round on the beach.

The massive downside is that even when it's dead, the beer is extortionate - about 4 or 5 Euros a bottle. We tried to do a deal in a totally dead bar for 3 Euros a bottle and we promised to drink the bar dry but it was no dice.

As indicated, you're better off going to the Canaries - we went to Caleta de Fuste in Fuerteventura in January one year and while all these resorts tend to be a bit dead, you do get a fair few out of season revellers and there are some nice restaurants. The pubs are cheaper and some of the more desperate bars will also give generous servings. Chuck in a bit of karaoke and you're done. Again, the weather was far more pleasant. Oddly, I found Caleta de Fuste more lively than Lanzarote out of season, maybe because the resort was smaller so you had more people in a limited area filling the pubs more.

[Shnozz]

To be fair, €5 for a beer is pretty common place in most parts of non-backwater Europe these days, but I agree Puerto Banus takes the piss with its prices. We were there last October and €15 for a G & T was ridiculous. Having spent a huge amount of tie in Spain over the last 15 years it was my first visit to PB and I thought it was a hole to be honest. Grubby, seedy place where the front line of bars was a c0ckfest of wannabe gangsters mixed with no doubt a few real ones. The second line was full of ste bars that stunk of bleach, with various brothels in between full of rather sad looking mid 50 year old husbands on a 'golf holiday'.

Really could not understand why it had the reputation of being a playboy mecca. Far, far nicer parts of Spain. In fact every other place I have visited in Spain...

As has already been suggested, I would head to the Canaries for a bit of life and no doubt better temperatures too.

[Rapid rental]

Hmmm, that time of year it will be cold, possibly raining like Birmingham on a saturday night and even the prolific amount of skanky hookers will be wearing raincoats, oh and its at least 5 euros for a beer! There are so many nicer places to go.

[messcotti]

I'd rather go to Blackpool than Puerto Banus; what a st hole.

Lads weekend - Dusseldorf. You'll not get any sun, but the 260 odd bars in a 2 mile square radius makes up for it!

[JQ]

Having also been to PB, I struggle to see what the appeal is and won't be heading back there anytime soon.

Munich - good quality beer and food in lovely surroundings

Tenerife - sun and sand all year round

Reykjavik - It will be cold, but sitting in a boiling hot glacial lake sipping Viking Beer is no fun if it's warm outside. There's also plenty of PH'er type activities to keep you entertained - 4x4 safari on glacier, ski-doing on glacier etc.