Boat rentals in Port of Caleta de Velez
Caleta de Vélez marina, in Vélez-Málaga (Axarquía), is the only leisure marina on the eastern Costa del Sol and HydraBoats' home port. From here you sail to the Maro coves and to the waterfall that drops into the sea beneath their cliffs. We rent with and without a licence, with or without a skipper, and you pick the boat up at its own berth.
The marina in figures
| Location | Caleta de Vélez, Vélez-Málaga (Axarquía), Málaga |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36.7488 N, 4.0672 W |
| Berths | 274 |
| Maximum length | 25 m |
| Maximum draft | 3.8 m |
| Harbour entrance | 80 m wide, 9 m deep |
| Award | Blue Flag |
What you will find at the marina
Caleta de Vélez is the only leisure marina on the eastern Costa del Sol: 274 berths with water and electricity, vessels up to 25 metres, a maximum draft of 3.8 metres and a Blue Flag every year. The harbour entrance is 80 metres wide and 9 deep, so you are out at sea a couple of minutes after leaving the berth. It shares its basin with a working fishing fleet, which gives the port a character the marinas further west do not have.
Getting to the marina
The marina sits in Caleta de Vélez, between Torre del Mar and Algarrobo-Costa, with direct access from the A-7 and N-340 at the Caleta de Vélez exit. Every one of our boats departs from here: you pick it up at its own berth, and we send you the exact meeting point and its map when your booking is confirmed.
What you can reach from Caleta de Vélez
Approximate straight-line distances from the marina at cruising speed. Actual navigation may be slightly longer.
13.3 nm · ~60 min
Maro waterfall
The most spectacular spot on this coast: a roughly 15-metre waterfall dropping straight into the sea between the cliffs, ringed by turquoise coves. It can only be reached from the water. It runs hard in spring after the rains and eases off in summer.
15.8 nm · ~70 min
Cerro Gordo cliffs
Where the Sierra de Almijara falls into the sea, right on the Granada border. The steepest stretch of coast you can reach from this marina, with small coves hidden between the rock walls.
1.4 nm · ~5 min
Torre del Mar
The short run: you barely leave the bay before you are cruising along the longest seafront promenade in the Axarquía. Ideal for a first outing or an unhurried afternoon.
Do I need a licence to rent here?
No licence
You can take out our licence-free boats with no qualification, within the power and navigation limits set by regulation. No document needs to be submitted beforehand.
See licence-free boatsWith a licence
Where the boat requires one, your qualification has to be uploaded and approved before departure. You can also book with a skipper and need no licence at all.
See boats requiring a licenceBoats departing from Caleta de Vélez marina
Coming soon
Hydra II
6 people
Licensed
Coming soon
License
Frequently asked questions about renting a boat in Caleta de Vélez
At its own berth inside Caleta de Vélez marina. There is nowhere else to travel to: we send you the exact meeting point and its map when your booking is confirmed.
Yes. We have boats you can take out with no qualification, and for those that do require one you can book with a skipper. In that case you need no licence: the skipper is on board.
Yes, and it is free. The marina has a good amount of parking inside its grounds, though it does tend to fill up in high season, so allow yourself some time. There is also a fuel station, showers, and several bars and restaurants on the quayside. The entrance is on the N-340 at Caleta de Vélez.
The available departure times appear in the booking form as soon as you pick a duration: each duration has its own times, and only the ones still free for the day you choose are shown.
Yes, all year. What decides whether you sail is the state of the sea that day rather than the month: winter has calm days that are good for it, and if the weather does not cooperate we move your booking to another date.
We move your booking to another day. The reason has to be a justified one and both the boat and the slot need to be free on the new date, so get in touch as soon as you see it coming — the earlier you tell us, the easier it is to find a day that works for you.
From Caleta de Vélez, Torre del Mar is 1.4 nautical miles away and the Maro coves and waterfall 13.3, a little under an hour at cruising speed. Half a day is plenty for the Axarquía coast; reaching Maro and coming back unhurried is more of a full-day trip.
Yes. The waterfall drops into the sea between the Maro cliffs and is visible from the water, which is the only way to reach it — there is no land access. Its flow depends on rainfall, so it runs hard in spring and is calmer in summer. When it is running hard you cannot take the boat right underneath it.
Yes, keeping the safety distances: 200 metres from buoyed beaches and 50 metres from the rest of the coast. Inside the Maro-Cerro Gordo protected area anchoring is limited to designated zones and to daylight hours.