A viral TikTok video has laid bare the ‘abusive’ costs of parking in Marbella during the high season.
The clip shows a group of friends left stunned after discovering their ticket for parking just two hours in the centre of the town comes to just over €60.
According to a study by Malaga Hoy, the average price comes in at €4.70 per hour, with no special discounts for locals.
By contrast, the town’s Blue Zone, established more than 15 years ago, charges just 72 cents an hour.
But with much of the Old Town pedestrianised, including Avenida Miguel Cano, and spaces on streets like Juan Alameda or Huerta Belon few and far between, free or low-cost parking is practically impossible.
In the most central spots, charges quickly escalate. On Calle Huerta Chica, parking costs €4.80 per hour, climbing to €28.80 for six hours in the summer.
A full day sets drivers back €31.90, while leaving a car there for a week racks up €114.85.
Rates are similar in the Municipal Market car park on Calle Jacinto Benavente, where parking is €4.85 per hour and €34.90 per day in peak season.
Manager Lorenzo Campomar told Malaga Hoy that his company’s four central car parks ‘operate like a hotel by season; the more people come, the more demand there is.’
All of his car parks – on Gomez Agüera Square, Calle Rafaela Aparicio Street, and Calle Juan Ramon Jimenez – offer the same tariff.
Most also include a ‘multipass’ deal which consists of 20 uses of up to 12 hours each for €60, designed for residents and workers. Partnerships with local traders also provide one-hour discount tickets for purchases over €10.
Further towards the coast, rates vary. The Avenida del Mar car park is the cheapest in the centre at €2.50 per hour or €20.90 per day.
Meanwhile, on Calle Notario Luis Oliver, prices range from €1.30 for 15 minutes to a staggering €50 per day, with an hourly charge of €5.35.
A separate operator controls three garages near La Fontanilla beach and the Golden Mile. The cost at Avenida Arias Maldonado begins at €5.85 per hour, rising to €27.40 for five hours and capped at €29.95 for a full day.
El Molino, on Calle Ramon Gomez de la Serna, applies the same tariff. By contrast, the La Ermita car park in the El Calvario area is cheaper, charging €4 for one hour and a daily maximum of €19.95.
Two public car parks – on Calle Doha to the north and Parque del Mediterraneo at the eastern entrance – remain technically free, though users are asked to make a donation to Fundatul, the foundation managing the spaces on behalf of Marbella Council.
For those heading west, parking in Puerto Banus and along the Golden Mile is even costlier. In the marina itself, prices average around €5 per hour, while in the Golden Mile, daily charges can reach an eye-watering €20 per hour, depending on location and season.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
