Hire a small boat at Marina del Este, Motril and Nerja

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First things first: the rules have changed

For many years, tourists in Spain could hire a small motorboat without any kind of licence. The boat could be no more than 5 metres long with a small engine, you had to go out in daylight and stay close to land. It was popular – on the Costa Tropical too.

That has now ended. The Spanish government changed the rules in Real Decreto 1188/2025 of 26 December 2025, and the change applies from 1 October 2026. The exemption for small motorboats now only applies to private use – in other words, your own boat. The explanatory note to the law says it plainly: when the boat is hired out, the hirer must hold the relevant licence.

We have found no postponement of the rule. In September 2026 Spanish trade media ran the headline "Farewell to the hire boat without a licence from 1 October".

What the law says now

A nautical mile is 1,852 metres. So 2 nautical miles is about 3.7 km.

Licencia de navegación – a licence in one day

The easiest licence is called the licencia de navegación – in Spanish it is also known as the titulín, "the little licence". It lets you skipper boats and jet skis up to 6 metres with an engine suited to the boat according to the manufacturer. You may only go out in daylight and no more than 2 nautical miles from a harbour, a marina or a sheltered spot.

• Who issues it: Approved sailing schools and the Spanish sailing and motorboat federations. They report the licence to the authorities.
• Age: 18. From 16 with written parental consent.
• Health: You need a medical certificate (reconocimiento psicofísico), similar to the one for a driving licence. Ask the school where to get it.
• The course: Theory and time on the water with an instructor. The schools state 2 hours of theory and 4 hours of practice – about 6 hours in total in one day. There is no exam.
• Price: About 120–130 € (≈ 970 kr.) (see below).

If you have a licence from home, ask the hire company whether it is valid. Alborán Charters says that foreigners can use their own country's licence for the boats that require one.

Where can you learn and hire?

Marina del Este – Alborán Charters

The Marina del Este marina lies on the eastern side of Punta de la Mona, about 10.5 km west of Playa Tropical. From here it is only a couple of kilometres to the cliffs at Cerro Gordo. Alborán Náutica & Charters (registered tourism business AT/GR/00294) is based in the marina and has a branch in Nerja.

• Boats with licencia de navegación: Nireus 620 CL, 6 m, up to 10 people, from 350 € (≈ 2,611 kr.) (as of November 2026).
• Boats with skipper: The large Azimut 46 motor yacht is hired with a skipper. According to the company, the skipper costs 150 € (≈ 1,119 kr.) for half a day and 300 € (≈ 2,238 kr.) for a full day on top of the boat hire. Ask about a skipper for the smaller boats.
• "Without a licence": The company's website still shows small boats "with no licence required" (see the prices below). The website does not mention the new rule. So ask the company directly before you book what applies to you now.
• Course: The company says it offers a licencia de navegación course for 120 € (≈ 895 kr.) lasting 6 hours with no exam.
• Contact: Marina del Este, tel. 958 048 128. Website: alborancharters.es.

Nerja – Playa El Playazo

Alborán Charters also has boats on Playa El Playazo beach at the western end of Nerja (tel. 951 59 24 25). From here you head west towards Torrox and Torre del Mar, or east towards Nerja's cliffs and Maro. The small boat from Nerja, the Mareti 500, is 4.90 m long with a 15 hp engine and room for 5 people.

Motril harbour – courses and boats with skipper

In Motril harbour, about 18 km east of Playa Tropical, you will find the sailing club Real Club Náutico de Motril. There are several options here:

• NauticSur hires out boats with or without a skipper. Without a skipper you must hold the licence required by law and send a copy of the licence and your passport 10 days in advance. A skipper costs 150 € (≈ 1,119 kr.) per day plus meals. Fuel is not included in the price – the boat is handed over with a full tank and must be returned with a full tank. The deposit is paid in cash. The company says it runs licencia de navegación courses every weekend. Tel. +34 608 84 98 83.
• SailandSea is a sailing school approved by the Junta de Andalucía (EEND-GR-6). The company runs trips on a 12-metre crewed sailing boat. The licencia de navegación course in Motril was listed as "coming soon" in November 2026.
• On the booking portal Sailwiz a licencia de navegación course at the Real Club Náutico de Motril is offered from 130 € (≈ 970 kr.) with 2 hours of theory and 4 hours of practice.

Caleta de Vélez

The harbour in Caleta de Vélez (Axarquía, about 46 km west of Playa Tropical) is both a fishing harbour and a marina. On booking portals such as Click&Boat and Sailwiz you will find trips with a skipper and boats for licence holders from here. We have not found a local hire company with its own website and its own prices. So read the terms carefully if you book through a portal.

Prices, deposit and fuel

The prices are from the hire companies' own websites, as of November 2026. Remember that the small boats without a licence are still listed under the old rules on the website.

• Half day is 4 hours, e.g. 11–15 or 15.30–19.30 at Marina del Este.
• Deposit: 400 € (≈ 2,984 kr.) held on a credit card (Mareti). The price includes comprehensive insurance with a 400 € (≈ 2,984 kr.) excess.
• Fuel: Alborán states "fuel included" for the small boats, but it is not clear which hire periods this applies to. Ask when you book. At NauticSur in Motril fuel is not included.
• Bring: Passport or ID card – and your licence, if the boat requires one.

Good trips

1. Marina del Este → Cerro Gordo and Cantarriján

Start: Marina del Este. Distance: About 3.7 km to Cerro Gordo and about 4.6 km to Cantarriján bay as the crow flies. Time: 2–4 hours with a swimming break. Licence: licencia de navegación or skipper.

From the marina you head west round the lighthouse on Punta de la Mona and across La Herradura bay. On the other side Cerro Gordo rises with the old watchtower on top. This is where the Paraje Natural Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo nature area begins: steep cliffs, small caves and clear water. Behind Cerro Gordo lies Cantarriján beach.

Off Cantarriján there is one of the nature area's three marked anchorages (the other two are at El Cañuelo and El Pino further west). Here you may anchor and swim from the boat from sunrise to sunset. You may not take a motorboat in to the beach (see the rules below).

Note: Cantarriján is about 2.5 nautical miles from Marina del Este as the crow flies – a little more than the 2 nautical miles from a harbour that the licencia de navegación allows. All the way, however, you are close to La Herradura bay. Ask the hire company exactly where the limit is for your boat.

2. Marina del Este → Almuñécar and Peñón del Santo

Distance: About 2.9 km east to the rocks at Peñón del Santo (about 1.5 nautical miles). Time: 1–2 hours. Licence: licencia de navegación or skipper.

A shorter trip that stays well within 2 nautical miles of the harbour. You sail along the small coves at Cotobro and see Almuñécar from the water: San Miguel castle on the hill and the Peñón del Santo rocks in front of the town. Keep well clear of the swimming zones – in summer the beaches are packed.

3. Motril → Calahonda (with skipper)

Distance: About 10.5 km from Motril harbour to Calahonda as the crow flies (about 5.7 nautical miles). Licence: It is too far for a licencia de navegación. Take a boat with a skipper.

East of Motril the coast becomes high and steep. At Calahonda a large rock rises above the fishing village, and in summer dozens of small boats lie at anchor in the bay. The route is well suited to a trip with a skipper from Motril – for example with NauticSur or SailandSea. Ask about price and route when you book. If you would rather paddle here, read Kayaking at Calahonda and Castell de Ferro. You can read about the watchtowers along the coast in Pirates and watchtowers.

Pedal boats on the beach – no licence needed

Pedal boats (hidropedales or patines) are among the "floating craft" that may still be used without a licence. The same goes for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. You may only go out in daylight and no more than 2 nautical miles from the beach – but the hire company decides how far you may go, and most want you to stay close to land.

• Almuñécar, Playa Puerta del Mar: Náutica Aurori is right below the Protección Civil post, about 2 km from Playa Tropical. The company hires out pedal boats, kayaks and paddleboards. Open every day 9–14 and 16–20. Prices are not on the company's website – ask at the stand. Tel. +34 623 609 751.
• Other beaches: In summer there are often pedal boats on the large beaches. We have not been able to confirm regular hire companies with prices on other beaches. Look out for a stand.

Many pedal boats have a slide, and it is a lovely outing for families with children and grandparents on a calm morning. Wear a life jacket, and keep away from the boat channels where boats come in and out.

If you would rather paddle, read Kayaking and paddleboarding in Almuñécar and La Herradura.

Protected areas and swimming zones

The Maro-Cerro Gordo nature area

The sea from Cerro Gordo to Nerja is part of the Paraje Natural Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo. The plan for the area (Decreto 6/2015) states, among other things:

• Motorboats must not come closer than 200 m to the beaches and 50 m to the rest of the coast.
• You must not take a motorboat in to beaches, coves and cliffs. Only boats without engines, such as kayaks, may go right in.
• You may only anchor in the three marked zones at Cantarriján, El Cañuelo and El Pino – and only from sunrise to sunset. Anchors tear up the seabed and the seagrass (posidonia).
• Jet skis are banned throughout the area.
• You may not collect animals or plants, damage the rocks or disturb the wildlife. In the protected sea caves at Cerro Gordo all diving is banned – including free diving with a snorkel.

Punta de la Mona

The sea around Punta de la Mona, right next to Marina del Este, is protected as a special area of conservation (ZEC). According to the Junta de Andalucía, passengers may not go ashore from a boat onto the rocks, jet skis are banned, and groups of more than five pedal boats, kayaks or canoes need a permit.

Swimming zones

Many beaches have a swimming zone marked with buoys. Where there are no buoys, the zone is 200 m from the beach and 50 m from the rest of the coast. Boats with engines or sails may not go there. If you need to get in to a beach, use the marked channels (canales) and go slowly.

Safety and weather

• Check the weather: Look at AEMET's forecast for the beaches and the sea the evening before and in the morning. The easterly wind, the levante, can make the sea choppy, and the wind often picks up in the afternoon. The morning is usually calmest.
• Life jackets: The boat must have life jackets for everyone. Put them on – especially the children.
• Stay close to land: Keep within the limits set by your licence and the hire company. Turn back if the wind gets up.
• Phone: Keep your mobile in a waterproof pouch with the hire company's number saved. The emergency number is 112.
• Sun and water: There is no shade on a small boat. Take a hat, sun cream and plenty of water.
• Swimmers and divers: Slow down near beaches, and keep your distance from swimmers and buoys with diving flags.

How to get there

Marina del Este: About 10.5 km, about 19 min by car west from Playa Tropical along the N-340 and down the road towards Punta de la Mona. There is parking at the marina. We have not been able to confirm whether it is paid.

Motril harbour: About 18 km, about 23 min by car to the east. There is plenty of parking along the harbour by the Real Club Náutico.

Nerja, Playa El Playazo: About 31 km, about 33 min along the A-7 to the west. According to OpenStreetMap there is a free car park by the beach.

Caleta de Vélez: About 46 km, about 42 min along the A-7 to the west.

Calahonda: About 29 km, about 31 min to the east. There is free parking by the beach.

Almuñécar, Puerta del Mar (pedal boats): About 2 km – walk along the promenade in about 25–30 min, or drive 6 min to the El Altillo pay car park just above the beach. See also parking.

The buttons below the map will open the route directly from Playa Tropical in Google Maps.

Toilets, food and what to bring

• Marina del Este: At the marina you will find the restaurants El Barco, Salazón, Mussö Funky Food and Pizzería Altamar as well as the bar Atraque7 (OpenStreetMap). The toilets are for customers.
• Motril harbour: The restaurants La Taramela and El Dorado by the harbour. There is a fuel station for boats in the harbour.
• Calahonda: Public toilet by the beach and several restaurants, including El Ancla, Bar Calasol and Chiringuito El Rebalaje Playa (OpenStreetMap).
• Nerja, El Playazo: The restaurant Miguel el Manga by the beach.
• Bring: Passport, licence, credit card for the deposit, water, sun cream, hat, swimwear, towel and mobile in a waterproof pouch.

Maps and routes

Red star = Playa Tropical. Click on a point for the name and distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap.

Good advice

• Get the licence first. The licencia de navegación takes one day and costs about 120–130 € (≈ 970 kr.). Book the course in good time, and remember the medical certificate.
• Ask before you book. Many websites still show boats "without a licence". Ask the hire company what applies after 1 October 2026.
• Take a skipper. If you just want to enjoy the trip, a boat with a skipper is the easiest option – and the skipper knows the anchorages.
• Check fuel and deposit. Get it in writing whether fuel is included and how the deposit is paid.
• Set off in the morning. The sea is usually calmest before lunch.
• Only anchor in the right places. At Maro-Cerro Gordo you may only anchor in the marked zones – never on the seagrass.
• Pedal boat without a licence. For a couple of hours with the grandchildren, the pedal boat on the beach is still the easy option.

The rules for boat hire have just changed, and the hire companies' websites are not always up to date. Never hire a boat without a licence if the hire company cannot explain why it is legal – you could be fined yourself, and the insurance may not cover you.

More trips in the series: Sea kayaking at Maro, Kayaking at Almuñécar and La Herradura, Kayaking at Castell de Ferro and Calahonda, Kayaking on the lakes and Kayaking at El Chorro. See also The sea at La Herradura, the beaches and active holidays.

Krone amounts are converted at 1 € ≈ 7.46 kr. and rounded.