Held every Saturday near the Nueva Andalucia bull ring, the Puerto Banus Street Market is always a bustling event, packed with incredible deals and bargains. From local fruits and spices to traditional handicrafts to souvenirs, this is a shopping spot where you are bound to find just about everything that you could imagine.

Visiting the Puerto Banus Street Market
While the Puerto Banus Street Market officially opens at 9am, the majority of the stalls are not completely up and running until around 10am. Nevertheless, it is still definitely worthwhile heading to the market as early as possible, especially if you are visiting during the summer months, as the heat can become quite intense as the morning progresses. With the main section of the market being held around Centro Plaza and its roundabout, it is easy to imagine just how clogged the streets become later on in the morning. If you are driving to the market, you would be best off parking slightly further away and walking over, which would also save you from the parking fee that is required on market days.

Local Spices
One of the highlights of the Puerto Banus Street Market are the stalls that sell local spices, as you will find an incredible variety of these here at prices that are far more reasonable than anywhere else in Marbella. If you are looking to pick up something rare and prized, make sure to buy some saffron, which is sold at a number of stalls at this market.

Local Handicrafts
The spectacular array of local handicrafts available at the Puerto Banus Street Market is another of its strong points, as these Spanish crafts make for fantastic gifts to buy for friends and family back home. From ceramic plates to linen tablecloths to speciality olive dishes, many of these items cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Negotiating for a Discount
As with the majority of street markets around the world, negotiating for a discount is a must, especially if you are visibly a tourist. While this is much harder to do in the mornings, those of you who hang around the area until the end of the day will find it much easier to bag a few bargains, as the vendors will be trying to sell as much of their stock as possible before closing up for the day.

Food and Drink
With the market becoming increasingly crowded as the day wears on, your best bet for grabbing breakfast or lunch would be to head to one of the cafés or restaurants nearby. Centro Plaza itself boasts several different cafés with outdoor seating, meaning that you can relax in the sun and continue to soak up all of the atmosphere from the market. Alternatively, head to La Tahoma for some freshly baked pastries, or to Pasta Café for a glass of local wine.

The Puerto Banus Street Market has always been popular with both locals and visitors, and is definitely a must-see when in Marbella. However, keep in mind that, with such large crowds of people around, pickpocketing can often occur, so be sure to keep all of your valuables safe.