MARBELLA has been named one of the ‘best fishing destinations’ in Europe, according to a report published this week.

FishingBooker, the world’s largest website for booking fishing charters, named Marbella as one of the top 10 fishing destinations on the continent.

The luxury yacht hub came out shoulder to shoulder with Croatia’s Dubrovnik, Madeira’s Funchal and Greece’s Santorini, amongst others.

‘’Every year, millions of people head to the Costa Del Sol in search of sun, sea, sand, and sangria, and Marbella is the most popular spot of them all,’’ a FishingBooker spokesperson said.

‘’It is the perfect city to spend some time in the slow lane and enjoy the incredible restaurants, shopping, and beaches.’’

The online fishing charterer, which features trips in more than 1,750 cities worldwide, said its star-studded list was created based on a number of factors such as user reviews, variety of species and overall experience at the destination.

Captain of the Luna Pesca charter boat in Puerto Banus, Oscar Santos, 49, told the Olive Press that Marbella’s strength is the surrounding seabed.

‘’The surrounding seabed is very rocky, so young fish have a place to hide,’’ Santos said.

‘’The rest of the Costa del Sol is very sandy, so Marbella is the best for fishing.’’

The captain, who set up his charter company in 1996, said he held the Malaga tuna title for six years after he caught one weighing 780lbs, or 347kg.

He said tourists can rent his boat for 4, 5 or 8 hours and expect to catch red snappers, tuna, marlins, sea bass and grouper.

Jorge Lopez, 25, owner of the Lovit charter boat, said that Marbella is also high up in FishingBooker’s list thanks to its ‘sun, good weather and richness’ of the surrounding seas.

He said that he once caught a tuna weighing 320kg, but threw it back into the sea as it was not the right season.

The fishing season for tuna lasts from July to September, outside of which the majestic fish must be thrown back to preserve stocks.

He added that tourists may catch mackerel, bonito and frigate mackerel aboard his boat, which can be booked with or without a skipper supplied by Jorge.

The full list was as follows:

• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Marbella, Spain
• Bled, Slovenia
• Herceg Novi, Montenegro
• Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
• Inverness, Scotland
• Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain
• Santorini, Greece
• Lisbon, Portugal