Estepona, Costa del Sol

Villa and Apartment Holidays

Estepona, in the province of Malaga, is on the Costa del Sol in the autonomous community of Andalucia. It is a popular tourist destination, especially during the summer, because of its Mediterranean climate and its 20km of beaches.

Estepona is also known for its fishing and farming. The population has one of the highest percentages of foreign population in Andalucia.

Estepona is bordered on the north by Jubrique, Juzcar and Benahavis on the east by Marbella. The town is set in a fertile valley, with over 20 km of coastline, and enjoys a mild climate throughout the year.

Estepona has many interesting places to visits, making it a popular all year round holiday destination. It has two EC Blue Flag beaches, a modern sports marina with tapas bars and restaurants, and a white-walled town with good shopping and picturesque squares. The port and marina is a working fishing port with a selection of restaurants and bars. There are daily auctions at the port selling a wide variety of fish and shell-fish, and each week the Estepona street market is held here, a collection of stalls selling textile and leather goods.

The Playa del Cristo beach, a few minutes west of Estepona marina, is a small cove guarded by lifeguards and two beach front bars. La Rada beach is the other side of the marina, and extends from the marina past the old town. There is also a popular naturist beach to the west of Estepona, which was the first official nudist beach in Spain.

Estepona has a good variety of restaurants and bars, ranging from local Spanish to international cuisine and specialising in seafood. Many restaurants have open terraces serving meals outside during the late evening, and most have menus in several languages. Many of the most popular restaurants are near the seafront, along the main promenade and Calle Real. There are several of small squares adjoining Calle Real with many more restaurants, including a few fast-food restaurants.

Boutiques in the town centre sell international clothing brands as well as locally produced leather goods. There is also a busy weekly market selling clothing, food and vegetables. There are several supermarkets in Estepona including the large Carrefour complex at the edge of the town, a smaller Carrefour express store in the town centre, Mercadona, Supersol selling fresh produce, meat and seafood and an OpenCor - a subsidiary of El Corte Ingles selling mainly convenience foods. There are no large shopping complexes in Estepona, the nearest large department stores are near Marbella or Puerto Banus.

Gibraltar Airport, 45 km away, is the nearest international airport serving Estepona, with direct flights to London. Malaga Airport is the next nearest international airport, about 80 km north on the A7 Autovía which runs along the Costa del Sol.