We interviewed Lisandro Vieytes, Councillor for Sports at Marbella Town Hall, to find out his views on the impact of sport in the city and the challenges he faces in his management. From his early days in university politics to his current position as Sports Delegate, Vieytes shares his passion for public service and how he looks for contributing to the integral development of Marbella through this key area.
In terms of offer and facilities, how would you say sport has evolved in the city in recent years?
The Marbella Town Hall is trying to create new facilities and promote different sports. In 2024 there have been a total of 45 different activities that are practised in fifteen municipal facilities, including three new ones, such as Marbella Urban Park, the Parque del Mediterráneo and the athletics track of Arroyo Primero.
At this point I would like to focus especially on the new Marbella Urban Park, a skate park of 6,600 square metres, which is also the largest free skate park in Andalusia and one of the best in Spain; on the other hand, the new Parque del Mediterráneo is an open-air sports centre of 50. On the other hand, the new Parque del Mediterráneo is a 50,000 square metre open-air sports centre with sand pitches for football, volleyball, tennis and beach handball that can host official national and international competitions, 3×3 basketball courts, an open-air gym, a calisthenics area, a climbing wall and a children’s playground themed around the marine environment and another related to mining, all in an area with 260 parking spaces. In addition, a new athletics track and football pitch have been built in Nueva Andalucía and the new sports pavilion in San Pedro; At the same time, existing facilities have been remodelled, such as the High Performance Centre for Rhythmic Gymnastics, the swimming pool in Marbella and Las Chapas, changes to the grass of the city’s football pitches, remodelling of the three tennis courts in Marbella and the four in San Pedro, complete remodelling of the sports courts in Rio Huelo and the creation of a pavilion dedicated to contact sports and, finally, the enclosure of the Carlos Cabezas Sports Centre.
In short, from the sports area we are aware of the need to create new facilities that are increasingly versatile and sustainable, but also to maintain and modernise the existing ones to meet the high demand of the citizens.
Marbella has a programme of sporting activities aimed at users of all ages. What sports are on offer?
This season we have offered a total of 3,555 places in the 2024-2025 sports activities programme, with an increase of more than 800 compared to last season. As I said before, we have 45 different activities, but our aim is to continue breaking down barriers by incorporating an adapted and inclusive category into all our sporting events.
In this line we have created the first Municipal School of Adapted Skateboarding, offering 84 places so that everyone in the city can practice sport. With this new school there are now six inclusive and adapted sports that can be practised: tennis, football, volleyball, basketball, athletics and skateboarding, being one of the cities in the province of Malaga with more options.
We want our city to be a reference point for urban sports. The aim is for the municipality to be a pioneer, not only for hosting top-level competitions, as has been the case of the Spanish and Andalusian Championships, but also for it to have a skateboarding-related youth academy.
The Marbella-sport binomial has been synonymous with success for years in terms of the celebration of major sporting events of the highest level. Are sporting events one of the municipality’s bets?
Indeed, sport is one of the commitments that the municipal government of Ángeles Muñoz has been promoting for years. In this line Marbella has hosted two Davis Cup qualifiers, we have hosted the lower categories of the Spanish Football Team, we host A1 Padel, FIP Premier Padel, Iron Man and an international rhythmic gymnastics competition as prestigious as the Grand Prix. As a novelty in next year’s sporting schedule, we will have the sand sports world championship.
We will close 2024 with the celebration of 160 national and international sporting events. As I said, the Marbella Brand is a unique destination to practice and enjoy sport and we will continue working to promote the city as a sports and tourist destination of reference.
Speaking of new developments in sports schedule, in February 2025 a golf tournament of the Legends Tour will come to the city, the circuit for players over 50 years old, which is part of the PGA European Tour, the DP World Tour and the European Challenge Tour. What does this tournament mean for the city?
As I said, we continue to host great sporting events, and Legends Tour will be another opportunity for golf fans to see their idols. Marbella has great golf courses that can host top-level tournaments and at Aloha Golf Club from 14th to 16th February we will see players of the stature of Miguel Ángel Jiménez and José María Olazábal, who have already confirmed their participation.
Marbella is an international reference for the quality and quantity of its golf courses. What is the city’s golf offer like?
Golf is an extraordinary attraction for many people who visit us and, in this sense, we work together with sector to offer a unique experience in each of our courses, first-class tourist facilities and an unrivalled complementary offer.
Marbella is a great golf destination with 14 golf courses, some of them among the best in Spain. We are aware of the seasonal role of sport, which attracts more than one and a half million golf enthusiasts to Malaga every year.
Our aim is to attract golf tourists who have a highly specialised profile and spend a lot of money in the destination. Undoubtedly, Marbella is a reference point for golf, with an incredible climate and infrastructures, which position us as a privileged enclave for visitors who look for golf and enjoy a complementary offer of excellence.
As head of the sports area, what are the new challenges facing your delegation?
The challenges are many and cover a wide variety of strategic areas. Continuing to create new quality, versatile, sustainable and accessible sports facilities is one of them. In this area, new municipal stadium is a project that brings together an undoubted public utility due to its complementary uses that will bring substantial benefits from an economic and social point of view. The 2024-2025 sports activities programme includes 45 different activities, and we have increased by 800 places, offering a total of 3,555, but our aim is to continue to increase the range of sports on offer for all residents. Finally, we will continue to support the city’s sporting quarry where we are committed to helping local sportsmen and women in their competitions. In short, sport is more than just physical activity, it is a tool for social transformation.