How to Organise a Hen Party Abroad - Marbella

Considering a Marbella hen party or already booked? Before you organise anything, check out our top-picks for clubs, bars, entertainment venues, and more to make sure you squeeze the very best out of this sun-kissed pleasure dome.

Marbella is one of the most fun, indulgent, luxurious, and entertaining destinations in the world, and an absolute top choice for a hen party abroad.

Puerto Banus, Marbella’s marina, is the party capital of the Costa del Sol in the minds of everyone who’ve been lucky enough to go there. Packed with clubs, bars, booze cruises, champagne parties, and golden beaches; Marbella is the perfect place to get away and celebrate your soon-to-be-bride’s last days of freedom in unbeatable style.

Clubs

If you’re looking for a lively hen party abroad, Marbella is Europe’s clubbing capital. After hours of debate, the venues we chose were: TIBU and Aqwa Mist — with a special shout out to Olivia Valera.

Marbella is a playground for the rich and famous, and TIBU is its main nighttime attraction. The electric atmosphere in the main club and huge open-air terrace attract the best DJs in the world for all-night partying. When you want to relax and chat, you have a dedicated cocktail bar and secluded VIP areas to chill out and enjoy the laid-back vibe.

Even from the outside, Aqwa Mist looks unreal. There’s a stunning silver waterfall that actually opens to let you into the club and it’s even attracted celebs like Ne-Yo and Tinie Tempah. Once inside, you’re hit by the ultimate in glamour and excess with cutting-edge sound technology pounding out music mixed by some of the world’s hottest DJs. Dance ‘til 6am and keep your energy up with regular visits to a VIP room — which features exclusive waiter service and a hot tub!

Olivia Valera is like the Don of clubs in Marbella, so we didn’t dare leave it out. This club has been at the centre of Marbella’s night-scene for the past 14 years. Countless stars have drank and danced here and its luxurious interior design, plush sofas and exclusive entertainment mean it’s still looking fabulous for its old(er) age.

Basically, just hit the famous (or infamous) ‘Golden Mile’ for a clubbing atmosphere you’ve never experienced before. You could even bring the hen spirit to the night with personalised sashes for the group.

Entertainment

A Marbella hen party is wall-to-wall good times. Night or day, sober or drunk; there’s always a fun way to pass the day in Marbella. But how do you find the ideal group activity that’s perfect for a hen do?

We insist you make the most of the coast and book a party boat. There are loads to choose from online and many of them leave before noon from Puerto Banus for three hours of dancing, drinking and sunbathing. Sip beer, wine and sangria, and then dance away on your floating disco floor to the boat DJ’s party tunes. Why not hire a private catamaran as a surprise treat for your bride-to-be? This gives your hen party hours of undisturbed chatting and laughing, where you can chill out, sunbathe and leap into the warm Mediterranean Sea!

You simply can’t do a hen party abroad in Marbella and not experience a beach club party. As you can imagine, the place is packed with them, but we suggest taking it up many gears and booking your hens into Ocean Club Marbella’s summertime SINTILLATE Champagne Spray Party. It’s exactly what you think it is: you go in, sunbathe, dance for the DJ, swim in one of Europe’s largest pools, and get drenched with about 6,000 bottles of bubbly. You bride-to-be will never forget this experience of luxury and indulgence, and there’s even a massage zone and award-winning restaurant.

Adventure

If you’re booking a hen party abroad; a Marbella hen party is an all-round choice. With this destination, you always have something to do, somewhere to go, and an experience to remember or regret for life.

We advise you get the gang together and do some watersports on one of Marbella’s 23 golden beaches. There’s everything from frisbee and volleyball, to jet-skiing and iconic banana rides! You could even treat the future bride to a flyboarding session, where’s she’ll strap on a jetpack and zoom across the water. Afterwards, unwind and catch the sun on Bounty Beach — Marbella’s coolest stretch with chilled out music and plenty of bars.

For a day of massive drops, spiralling slides and relaxing hot tubs; head to Aqualand in nearby Torremolinos. This is the largest waterpark on the Costa del Sol and is ideal for hen parties who want to act like big kids for a few hours. Race each other on the Twister, drop 12m with a partnering hen on the Black Hole, or plunge a massive 22m on the Kamikaze (Europe’s tallest!).

Bars

Like the its club scene, Marbella is overflowing with drinking/pre-club spots. From ultra-chic cocktail venues and welcoming beer terraces, to cheap-and-cheerful haunts and lively sports bars, there’s something open at all hours and for all occasions.

Out of them all, we reckon no Marbella hen party should miss out on a trip to Linekers Bar. Owned by Gary Lineker’s brother, Wayne, this is a top spot to chill out near the marina and watch out for celebrities. At night, the place is one of the liveliest in Marbella with a friendly, party atmosphere and lots of groups out for a good time — an excellent opportunity to get the fancy dress gear on and show Marbella what your hens are celebrating!

Hen party abroad or hen party at home; if you’ve got the chance for a sing-along, grab it. The very best place for songs, applause, good vibes, and great drinks is Crystal’s Karaoke Bar. Channel your inner diva at the mic with a solo set, or get the hens together for your own Spice Girl reunion. A trip to Crystal’s Karaoke Bar is a perfect, pre-club pit-stop to put the hen party mood through the roof. It’s also the type of place you can whip out the Dare Cards without any shame.

Restaurants

In between drinks, you might want to eat. Marbella is one of the most fashionable and up-market places on the Costa del Sol, attracting celebrities and millionaires from across the globe. So, its food scene is amazing.

Thinking about this logically, if you’ve chosen a hen party abroad theme, and have brought along a big hen party, then you don't want to waste any holiday time. So, we suggest at least one dinner visit to Infuschia, which is conveniently attached to TIBU. This trendy restaurant is perfect for large groups and has a tasty international menu to choose from, plus VIP entrance to both Linekers Bar and TIBU nightclub once you’ve finished eating!

When in Spain, eat as the Spanish eat. Head to Bar El Estrecho for some of Marbella’s best tapas and try a bit of everything from the region’s finest cuisine in one sitting. Tapas are best enjoyed on the sun terrace with lots of red wine and they’re ideal for not making you feel too uncomfortable or bloated in the heat.

Cocktails

You’ll have your pick of the drinks throughout your Marbella hen party. Cocktails are always high on everyone’s list, which is why you need to know the best to look out for.

Another difficult category, but we suggest the stylish Freudenhaus cocktail bar for a taste of ‘Deep Sea, Dark Stormy’. An amazing concoction of muddled pear and limes, Aztec chocolate bitters, Kraken Spiced Rum, and ginger beer; we’re sure this will be a taste sensation.

Moving away from creative and quirky recipes; a Marbella hen party demands a cocktail in honour of the occasion. What better way to celebrate everyone getting together and jetting off in style for the bride-to-be’s fleeting last days of freedom than with a ‘Marbella Sunset’. This one, you might have heard about. A ‘Marbella Sunset’ is a burst of fruity fun made from rum, strawberry liqueur, and pineapple and orange juice. You can order these from most bars, or even buy the ingredients and make a private cocktail party with special hen do drinking accessories in your hotel room before heading out.

 

Top tips

• Book ahead; if you want to make sure your large hen party won’t be turned away, book events like boat parties and VIP places in advance, if you can.

• Pick a leader; probably the maid of honour, but it’s handy to have a leader in charge of organising your hen party abroad. Just in case you double-book or need a main contact for reservations.

• Insurance; this should be a fun, carefree and wild affair, so make sure everyone has travel insurance.

• Passports; every hen’s passport needs to be valid for more than six months.
• Arrange transport; not life or death, but it’s handy and cheaper to sort out airport transfers rather than splitting off into taxis.
• Verify itinerary; just make sure the hen party schedule and planned activities are OK with everyone to avoid bickering during your holiday.
• Kitty; it’s fine for you all to have your own spending money for odd things, but it’ll save a lot of effort if you can pay for group meals and drink rounds with a kitty. Marbella can be expensive in certain bars and clubs, so check these pieces out beforehand rather to make sure you’re not left with a small budget after the first night.

Fun extras

• Book a ‘Cheeky Butler’ to host a tasty, champagne breakfast for all the hens.
• Arrange cocktail-making to start off your evening.
• Get out of the centre and try off-road driving expedition in the Costa del Sol mountains.
• Check in at a spa and have a relaxing massage after a heavy night out.

Now we’ve gone over everything you need to experience during your Marbella hen party, print out our checklist below and keep it with you to make sure you don’t miss anything out!