Estepona is located on the Costa del Sol in Spain.
Estepona has maintained much of its original charm giving it that pueblo ambiance and isn’t like its neighbours Marbella, Benalmadena and Torremolinos which have been massively built up to deal with hordes of tourists.
Estepona has two airports a short transfer away of which Gibraltar Airport is the closest. Malaga International Airport, a little further away has many daily services to the United Kingdom and beyond.
Seafront promenade, Estepona – Photo by Jay Cross, Wikimedia Commons
Our Estepona car hire page has a good section on getting here and how to get around.
Many expats are enjoying retiring to Spain and if this tempts you we have plenty of advice on how to move to Spain.
Are you an expat in Estepona? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know in the comments box at the bottom of the page.
Hotels and Accommodation
When it comes to accommodation Estepona has over forty hotels in all categories and price ranges. Estepona hotels that have been recommended include the Hotel Senator Banús Spà Hotel, Kempinski Hotel Bahia, Gran Hotel Elba Estepona Thalasso & Spa and the Marriott’s Plaza Andaluza.
People who wish to book self catering holidays to Estepona will find plenty of villas and apartments that they can rent either privately through the owner or with a tour operator.
What To See and Do
Marina
Estepona has a picturesque, modern, stylish marina and is well known for it’s fish restaurants and luxurious yachts moored there.
Puro Beach
Just outside Estepona you will find the luxurious beach club Puro Beach and next to it is the fabulous shopping centre the Laguna Village. Puro Beach is an experience not to be missed and is located next to the Kempinski Hotel. For more information on Puro Beach you can look at www.purobeach.com.
Restaurants
There are over one hundred and eighty highly recommended Estepona restaurants by Tripadvisor of which the top ten to visit includes La Pampa, Itapu Bar & Restaurant, Cocomo, Tandoori Nights, Tehuelche Grill Argentino, Cinnamon, La Alcaria de Ramos, Le Petit Paris, Casa Miguel and Tanino.
Consider Kokomo restaurant on Avenida Pernet 26, Nueva Atalaya which is a elegant modern restaurant serving an International cuisine. “Set in a mature garden, the covered terrace captures a cooling breeze on the hot summer evenings. Exclusive Gin Menu and have over 25 exquisite Gins to choose from. Our fresh Sunday lunch, 2 courses for 18.95, is simply delicious and changes weekly to reflect the local produce available. Simply the best quality and value roast dinner on the Costa Del Sol.”
Nightlife
Night life revellers in Estepona should make their way to the Marina and here they can dance the night away at Tolone’s and Lola’s also come highly recommended.
Estepona bars worth spending an evening at include Bar Caleu, O´Donoghues Irish Pub, El Duende, Comic and Vanilla.
The main beaches of Estepona are La Rada Beach and El Cristo Beach while Costa Natura Spain’s very first nudist gated community can be found on the outskirts of the resort.
Beach in Estepona – Photo by Jay Cross, Wikimedia Commons
Golf
Estepona is located in the heart of the “Costa del Golf” and in the resort and its vicinity there are a number of different courses on which to play which are the Club de Golf Los Almendros, Valle Romano Golf & Resort, Estepona Golf, the Finca Cortesin Golf Club, Casares Costa Golf and the Doña Julia Golf Club.
To the north of Estepona are the tourist resorts of Punta Pinilos and Playa del Sol-Villacana which are great for spending a day away from the tourist crowds or playing golf at the nearby golf courses of La Resina Golf & County Club, Flamingos Golf Club, El Paraiso Golf Club, Monte Mayor Golf Club and the Atalya Golf and Country Club.
Selwo Safari Park
Days out for the whole family can be spent at Selwo Safari Park Estepona which is a zoo with natural surroundings. The park is open from March until November and ticket prices for adults are around €24.50 and €17.70 for children. For more information and opening times you can look at www.selwo.es.
Water and Theme Parks
The nearest water park is located in Mijas and goes by the name of the Aqualand. Ticket prices start at €15 for children and €20 for adults. The park is open from late April until early October. For more information you can look at www.aquamijas.com
In Benalmadena a little further up the coast you can visit Tivoli World and Sea Life while Fuengirola is home to the Fuengirola Bioparc and in Torremolinos you can visit the Crocodile Park.
Gibraltar with its shopping and attractions is less than twenty minutes away by car and is well worth visiting.
Estepona is definitely the place to come and enjoy a golfing holiday amongst some very luxurious surroundings.
Tourist Information Office
Estepona City Hall – Photo by Luzzy Acentillo, Wikimedia Commons
Oficina de Turismo Centro
Address: Plaza de las Flores s/n
Telephone: +34 952 802 002
e-mail: turismo@estepona.es
web: www.estepona.es/turismo
Oficina de Turismo Centro – Winter Timetable:
Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and
Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Oficina de Turismo Puerto
Address: C/ Torre Almenara s/n
Telephone: +34 952 808 081
E-mail: turismo2@estepona.es
web: www.estepona.es/turismo
Oficina de Turismo Puerto – Winter Timetable:
Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Are you an expat in Estepona? What do you like/dislike about it? Let us know in the comments box at the bottom of the page.
Moving to Estepona
If you are thinking of moving to Estepona, then you must read our expat interview with Adam Neale of Terra Meridiana below:
Estepona remains very much a Spanish village with a large and beautiful historic old town situated minutes from the towns amenities and fantastic wide beach. Estepona´s Spanish identity makes it a unique location in the Costa del Sol and also ensures it has a life of its own outside the busy tourist season.
Would the area not suit certain types of people, i.e. are there any possible downsides?
If you are looking for expensive shops and glitzy nightlife then Estepona is not for you. It is a normal town with fabulous local restaurants and a vibrant nightlife which is the antithesis of Puerto Banus.
What proportion of the local population are Spanish?
In the town probably close to 90 percent. Outside of the town probably 60-70 percent.
What are your favourite things to do in the area?
Eat at many of the excellent local fish restaurants with a group of friends, crawl the various tapas bars around town, cycle along the paseo to the port, enjoy a drink in one of the beach chiringuitos, relax on the beach with friends.
Can you give us some insider tips to the best bars or restaurants?
El Pescador – One of the main stays in Estepona, by the beach with a good playground on the beach for families. Excellent fish and rice dishes, tartar de atun, fish of the day a la plancha
La Rada – Another institution in Estepona, incredible value set course lunches, excellent fish and in fact very good meat also
Simonitos – Old school fish restaurant, sit at the bar with a caña and order fried tuna and a tapa of marinated peppers
Plaza las Flores, Estepona – Photo by Tyk, Wikimedia Commons
Casa del Rey – Beautifully refurbished tapas restaurant in the main square of Plaza las Flores with a great selection of tapas and the best wine selection in town
Taberna de Miguel – Traditional tapas and formal restaurant on one of the main streets in Estepona, very good revueltos, fish, meat and tapas
Taberna de Andalucia – A fish tapas restaurant in the centre of town offering very good food where you can watch the world go by. They also have a restaurant of the same name in the port.
Sur Restaurant – Charming Argentinian restaurant in one of the main plazas with excellent meat, empanadas, wine and good Moroccan tagines
La Bulla – Experimental and excellent tapas bar in one of the main squares
Tolone – A place to have breakfast or an illy coffee or one of their excellent smoothies and homemade cakes and cookies
El Caliente – The place for breakfast after a night out unless you want churros, good montaditos (little sandwiches) or pan con tomate y sal and aceite
Churreria la Cordobesa – The best churros in town
Chiringuito el madero – Open only in summer, reasonable seafood and good mojitos!
Rincon Toscano – The best pizzas in town
La Escollera – Very traditional fish restaurant in the port, best to arrive early at the weekends as it gets packed, eat in the bar for the real experience!
Plaza Dr Acre, Estepona – Photo by Tyk, Wikimedia Commons
Are there many facilities such as doctors and dentists, shops etc?
Yes there are many both private and state doctors and dentists. Estepona has a good range of shops and new shops are opening all the time.
Are there smaller villages nearby that you might also recommend?
Yes. Casares, Gaucin, Genagaucil.
What are the nearest international schools and how good are they?
There are a lot of choices. In Estepona town is the excellent San Jose School. Close to town is the Mayfair International school and the new school in Benahavis.
Is crime an issue for expats?
Crime is not an issue in Estepona.
Coming onto buying property, what is the market like now in terms of prices going up, or down or staying the same?
In line with other areas on the coast, prices are rising slowly. Estepona, since the rejuvenation program by the mayor, has changed significantly and has seen a massive increase in demand.
Is this a good time to buy and are there any repossessions or very cheap properties still available to buy?
Prices are still cheap compared to the highs of 2006. Sales volumes are nearly the same as 2006 so this is why we predict sales prices will increase.
Castillo de San Luis de Estepona – Photo by Panarria, Wikimedia Commons
What urbanisations are there and can you describe each one and how they might differ from each other?
A selected few would include:
Alcazaba beach – built in 1986 but still one of the best urbanizations on the coast
Los Granados del mar – Luxury Apartments walking distance to Estepona
Torre Bermeja and Cabo Bermejo – Luxury Apartments, very high quality by Las Dunas hotel
Seghers – for buyers wanting to be in town but owning a villa near the beach
El Paraiso – established leafy villa community with excellent golf courses
Casasola – beachside luxury villas on the border of Marbella
Estepona old town – flower filled streets and convenient living by the sea and close to amenities
How much are the typical property prices in Estepona for apartments, villas etc?
There is a huge range. Apartments can be as low as 200,000 euros and reach over 2 million euros. Villas can be as low as 400-500,000 euros and reach 15 million euros for fabulous beachside pads.
Any tips and advice to people looking to buy in Estepona or surrounding area?
Use a good agent!
Adam, thank you so much for taking the time to help our readers with your experiences in Spain. If you want to contact him, you can find his details below.
77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona
Tel: +34 951 318 480
Mobile: +34 678 452 109
Fax: +34 952 803 188
Skype: Terra Meridiana
Email: adam@terrameridiana.com
www.terrameridiana.com
Is Estepona near Benidorm?
People who like Estepona would love Benidorm but they are not at all close. Benidorm is far away on Spain’s Costa Blanca coast which is a distance of 600 km and a drive time of 5 hours and 50 minutes. If you want more bars and clubs try Fuengirola, Marbella or Torremolinos instead.
We also have another highly informative article on moving to Estepona from estate agent Celeste Alonso of The Property Agent.
Contact us to be featured – we want more expat interviews for our newsletter and website. You don’t need to be an estate agent, we want to hear from anyone who lives in Spain whether you are working or retired.
Related Estepona Pages:
- Costa Natura
- Estepona Car Hire
- Estepona Estate Agents
- Estepona Map
- Estepona Weather
- Estepona Webcams
- Moving to Estepona
Near to Estepona:
ESTEPONA FLORAL ART CLUB meet on the third Tuesday of the month from September to May when different qualified floral artists from create five or six arrangements which are raffled at the end of the meeting. Demonstrations are held at the AgroJardin Garden centre (Km 164 A7/N340) starting promptly at 3pm. All are welcome to come along. Entrance is €10. Visit our Facebook page – esteponafloralartclub – for more information or email esteponafloralartclub@hotmail.com.