Marbella crowned Europe’s Best Sports Destination for 2026 

Marbella has been crowned Europe’s Best Sports Destination for 2026 by European Best Destinations, taking first place ahead of Monaco, Oslo, Paris and Nice.

The city achieved a final Sport Excellence Score of 19.6 out of 20, placing it at the top of a ranking that recognises more than headline events alone. Marbella was assessed for its sporting infrastructure, the impact of international competitions, its potential for an active lifestyle throughout the year, and its commitment to women’s, youth and inclusive sport.

The process began with a shortlist of 39 European cities, selected in collaboration with sports journalists and international correspondents. The final ten were then voted for by 17,823 sport-oriented travellers, including athletes, cyclists, golf travellers, marathon runners and active families.

Marbella’s strongest individual score was 19.8 out of 20 for active lifestyle, reflecting the practical advantages of its setting: year-round outdoor conditions, coastal running routes, access to the sea, cycling terrain and a broad range of clubs and facilities. It also achieved 19.7 for sporting infrastructure, 19.5 for inclusivity and women’s sport, and 19.4 for international events.

The award follows a particularly significant period for Marbella’s sporting profile.

In November 2025, Marbella hosted the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, becoming the first Spanish city to stage the championship. The city had already built experience hosting IRONMAN 70.3 events since 2018, but the two-day World Championship marked a major step up, bringing elite professionals and athletes to the Costa del Sol. 

Just two months earlier, Puente Romano Tennis Club hosted Spain’s Davis Cup Qualifiers tie against Denmark. Played on clay from 13 to 14 September 2025, the tie brought one of tennis’s most prestigious international team competitions back to a club with a long Davis Cup history. Spain won the tie 3–2.

Puente Romano also hosted the Reserve Cup in September 2025, marking the tournament’s first edition in the city. The event brought some of padel’s leading names to the Golden Mile, with Arturo Coello, Agustín Tapia, Alejandro Galán, Juan Lebrón and Franco Stupaczuk among the players involved.

Reserve Cup returned to Marbella from 18 to 20 June 2026, expanding its format to introduce a women’s division in Marbella for the first time. It was during this second edition, at Puente Romano Tennis Club, that Marbella mayor Ángeles Muñoz received the European Best Destinations award.

Puente Romano continues to host Marbella’s tennis and padel sporting calendar, not only because of its location on the Golden Mile, but because of the calibre of events it can host.

The Tennis Club has eight floodlit clay courts, eight floodlit glass padel courts and indoor and outdoor gym facilities, alongside its academy and training programmes. Its Centre Court has hosted major competitions for decades, including the 1988 Davis Cup final between Spain and Mexico, WTA tournaments, senior tennis events and more recently the Davis Cup Qualifiers and Reserve Cup.

That continuity is what makes the club especially significant. It is capable of transforming into a venue for international competition, while remaining an active tennis, padel and fitness club throughout the year.