Estepona
Estepona is the Costa del Sol's most westerly resort and lies 75 km from
Malaga airport at the foot of the Sierra Bermeja mountains. Originally a fishing
village Estepona has developed as a mainly Spanish resort and has managed to
avoid too many high rise hotels and apartment blocks. You can find a selection of highly recommended hotels and apartments at
discount rates on our Estepona Hotels page.
Alternatively take a look at our Estepona Villas
page and our Estepona Apartments page.
It has a much more
authentic atmosphere than many of the other resorts of the Costa del Sol with
typical Andalusian whitewashed houses and balconies decorated with flowers. The
houses are whitewashed and iron gates painted every year to maintain the feeling
of a cared for town.
Locals can often be seen chatting
outside these houses. In the old part of the town the streets are still cobbled
whilst along the seafront runs a very pretty promenade lined wih palm trees and
flowers. Some chiringuitos (beach bars) are to be found along this promenade.
The beaches in Estepona were originally of fairly coarse, grey sand but work has
been done to improve them and they now tend to be a bit better than before. Of
course all the usual beach and water activities are available such as
jet-skiing, parasailing, diving and pedalos. If you have your own transport and
want to find some quieter beaches with golden sand these can be found anywhere
beyond Tarifa.
Estepona
is a perfect resort for families and people looking for a quiet holiday away
from the busy nightlife of some of the more commercialised resorts along the
coast although there are some disco pubs around the marina. There are many
traditional tapas bars around Plaza Las Flores and some excellent restaurants
specialising in seafood and fish dishes such as sardines on the spit (espeto de
sardinas).
There is plenty to do in and around Estepona. For the early risers the fish
market at the harbour is an interesting sight. A large variety of fish are
auctioned off but you must be there by 6am as it tends to be finished by 7am.
The 18th century Church of Los
Remedios in the Plaza de San Francisco was once a Franciscan monastery. The
Torre Reloj (clock tower) has organised tours every Thursday starting from the
tourist office. The bull ring, on the outskirts of the town, has four museums in
it one of which has has an interesting collection of bullfighting memorabilia.
Ronda, famous for its incredible gorge provides a fabulous day out. The little
known town of Casares is a typical white Andalusian town set on a hillside and
you can find out how to get there from the tourist office in Estepona.
The
village of Manilva has some Roman sulphur baths which are interesting if
somewhat smelly. For the kids there's Selwo Aventura, a safari park where you
can see animals such as tigers, lions and elephants, go on a camel ride, have a
go at archery and walk on the overhead walkways.
Golf, of course, is a big pastime in this area. There are many world class
Costa del Sol golf
courses around Estepona some of which have 5 star hotels and sports facilities
attached. The mild, dry winter climate make it a pleasure to play golf all
through the year. If you do intend to use any of the courses do remember to
bring your handicap certificate with you as it will be almost impossible to find
a course which does not require it.
Estepona , like all other Andalusian towns, takes the opportunity to celebrate
and party as much as possible. Three of its main festivals are San Isidro
celebrated on May 15th with processions and a party in the countryside, the
local town festival celebrated during the first week of June in the fairground
and the festival of the Virgen del Carmen on July 16th when a statue of the
virgen is carried out to sea and back on fishing boats.
You can find a selection of highly recommended hotels and apartments at
discount rates on our Estepona Hotels page.
|
