Estepona is a resort town on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain
Estepona is one of the few coastal towns that has succeeded in maintaining its pueblo charm and character, despite the onslaught of tourism. Notwithstanding, all the tourist facilities are here, including hotels, restaurants, leisure and cultural activities, and shops. The flip side is that the numerous street cafes and tapas bars still serve traditional Spanish delicacies and the steep, cobbled, narrow streets seem more suited to horses than cars. You’ll also find unusual shops and bodegas in Estepona, where you’d least expect them, all very inviting, very friendly – and very cheap!
Access : Coordinates: 36.433333, -5.133333 / There are direct busses from Malaga and Algeciras for those travelling on a budget. The bus station is between the marina and the town centre.
Highlights :
- Promenade – A spacious esplanade nearly three kilometres long,running from Playa de La Rada to the Fishermen/s Port. A place to enjoy stunning sunrises and sunsets.
Plaza de las Flores – A cosy, friendly square in the old quarter where you can enjoy a drink or tapas. Remains of San Luis Castle – Built by the Catholic Kings to reinforce the town walls. Clock Tower – The tower of the Old Remedios Church, built during the 16th century. The church was seriously damaged in the 1755 eartqueake and later demolished, leaving only the tower. A neo-classical belfry was added in the 18th century. - Our Lady of Los Remedios Church – Built in the 18th century, it was originally a convent for Franciscan friars. The main facade combines Marian, Franciscan and colonial iconographic elements. House of Tejerinas – Standing on Plaza de las Flores, this building has a rectangular base and characteristics from the 18th century. Today it houses different art exhibitions.
- Calle Villa Roman Tower – An octagonal room corresponding to the crypt of a mausoleum, this is a monumental funeral building constructed towards the end of the 4th century AD. It preserves an underground room with walls more than a metre thick and a floor with rounded edges.
- Beacon Towers – Running along 21 kilometres of coastline, Estepona has seven beacon towers of Muslim and Castilian origin, witnesses to a defense system which lasted until the 19th century.
The towers are: Arroyo Vaquero, Saladavieja, Padron, Velerin, Guadalmansa or Desmochada, Saladillo and Banos or Casasola. - Punta Doncella Lighthouse – 20th century. This lighthouse and the one at Almina in Ceuta emit the two beams that help guide vessels through the Strait of Gibraltar. The nearby area features various lookouts with views to the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and Africa.
- Bullring – Opened in 1972, its asymmetrical design, the work of the architect Juan Mora Urbano, makes it a bullring unlike any other in the world.
- Botanical Gardens and Orchid House – The gardens cover a total area of 16.230 m2 and are divided into three zones: an outdoor area, an entrance square on top of a large 17-metre-high waterfall and an orchid house countaining over 5.000 plants, including more than 1.300 species of orchids from around the world, a pool, three waterfalls and three glass domes, the tallest one standing around 30 metres high.
- Typical streets – Estepona conserves the charm of a typical Andalusian town, with peaceful squares and white houses. Discover its recently renovated old quarter, one of the most beautiful in Andalusian. It is a joy to wander around and discover the true essence of an Andalusian town, with its white streets network featuring bright coloured flower pots, so close to the sea.
- Murals, poems and sculptures – Estepona is committed to culture and exhibits art in its streets. Open-air sculptures by renowned artist, poems in different languages, artistic murals that decorate building facades and bring life to the streets…a rich and diverse heritage will surprise visitors, who can wander through the different neighbourhoods and areas with buildings that host pictorical works of great quality and originality, and discover a new way of enjoying art.
- Museums : Ethnographic , Antonio Ordonez Bullfighting Museum , Paleontology Museum , Archaelogical Museum , Corominas Prehistoric Necropolis Interpretation Centre
Beaches : The low-lying, sandy coast of Estepona runs for more than 21 kilomentres, offering a total of 17 beaches, most equipped with the facilities needed to guarantee the safety of locals and visitors, with service modules that include changing rooms, showers, toilets, first aid equipment, handicapped facilities, a hammock area, sailing areas, snack bars and areas with recreational games. - Playa de la Rada is the most emblematic beach in Estepona, ditinguished on various occasions with the Blue Flag distinctions for its hygiene, sanitary and environmental conditions. In addition to hosting a full range of services, it has excellent lifeguard facilities. One of its big advantages is that it is close to the main streets of the town, making it very convenient for people who wish to enjoy the beach after visiting the centre. A promenade runs along the beach/s three-kilometre length, where al sorts of recreational activities take place during summer.
Playa del Cristo is a pretty bay and ideal at any time of the year. This small bech, 680 metres long, has been awared the Blue Flag. It is a perfect setting for children, the water is very clean and warm because it is protected. One part of the beach features a grove.
Other beaches: La Galera, Bahia Dorada, Arroyo Vaquero, Costa Natura (nudista), Guadalobon, Punta de la Plata, Punta Pinillos, El Padron, Del Castor, El Velerin, Playa Bella, Guadalmansa, El Saladillo, Casasola y Atalaya.
NATURE : Estepona has become one of the most dynamic tourist cities on the Costa del Sol. Its special location between the sea and the mountain makes it possible to enjoy many activities in a small geographic area. It has a varied landscape with gentle changes of height and is crossed by dozens of streams and small rivers. Nature lovers can enjoy paths and excursions around places of great beauty, such as the “Sierra Bermeja”, declared a Natural Space, where you find the “Paseo de Los Pinsapos” track and the “Pico de Los Reales”; or “San Isidro Municipal Park”, with its network of forest paths where you can practise outdoor activities.
Activities : Its fine climate makes it possible to practise numerous outdoor leisure activities, such as visiting a corner of the African Savannah, looking out for the dolphins that live along the coast, go diving, learn about the local seafaring tradition, take a guided tour on segway of bicycle, have a game of paintball, karting or enjoy horse-riding, among other activities.
Selwo Aventura offers you the chance to experience an African adventure in the middle of Costa del Sol, with an exciting expedition across its wild lands to discover the legendary continent/s most representative species.
The Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol is one of the most notable and renowned horse-riding centres in Spain, offering some of the most modern facilities in Europe. Its main aim is to practice horse-riding among horse lovers.
The Felipe VI Auditorium is the largest perfomance space on the Costa del Sol. It features a main hall with room for 600 people and an adjacent hall with seating for a further 100, where you can enjoy theatre performances, concerts and other shows. It also boasts the most modern technical equipment tailored to the congress sector
