Puerto José Banús has been the Costa del Sol’s yacht harbour since 1970 and still sets the tone for the coast: a front row of large yachts facing a promenade that does not go quiet until very late, and a season that runs longer at both ends than the Mediterranean average because the Andalusían climate allows it.

That length of season is the practical difference here. A yacht based in Banús can be entertaining in April and still be entertaining in October, which means the cellar is not a single summer push but a rolling restock. We plan for that rather than shipping one large delivery in June — orders travel from our French cellar on EU logistics, no customs frontier, typically two to three working days from confirmation.

Banús drinks late and drinks sparkling. The back-bar matters more here than on almost any other coast we serve, and the Champagne volumes through a season are closer to a nightclub’s than a cruising yacht’s. We hold the grande marque houses in depth alongside grower Champagne for the owner’s table, and a full premium spirits range for the bar, all openly priced online.

Andalucía is also the most under-used wine region on any yacht list in Europe. Proper sherry — a cold fino or manzanilla with the seafood, an old amontillado after dinner — is one of the great wine experiences and it is made two hours from this berth. Add the mountain reds from Ronda, directly inland, and there is a local list here that will genuinely surprise guests who thought they knew Spain.