Estepona

With an overall population of 70,000, the 'old town', as it is known, is a bustling and atmospheric centre.

Estepona is a town and municipality in southern Spain. Its district covers an area of 137 square kilometers in a fertile valley crossed by small streams and a mountainous areas dominated by the Sierra Bermeja, which reaches an elevation of 1 449 m at the peak of Los Reales.

Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline. It is a popular resort and holiday destination.

Due to its natural environment, surrounded by the sea and the mountains, Estepona has a micro-climate with over 325 days of sunshine per year.

Estepona is a popular year-round holiday destination; it has two EC Blue Flag beaches, a modern sports marina with many tapas bars and restaurants. The white-walled town centre has many shops and picturesque squares. In the early 1990s, the Walt Disney Company chose Estepona as the original site for its Eurodisney project, but Paris, France was later awarded the installation.

Estepona is one of the few coastal towns that has succeeded in maintaining its pueblo charm and character, despite the onslaught of tourism. It still retains some of the ambiance and atmosphere of the Andalusian fishing village it once was. 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 very inviting, very friendly - and very cheap! Popular with tourists in the holiday periods, but the resort settles down out of season to become more of a working town where people come to do business, shop and eat.

The palm tree lined Paseo Maritimo promenade runs from east to west virtually along the whole beach front, one of the few that has managed to stop high rise development that is kept to the other side of the road that runs through the town.

The Sunday morning market, held here between 10 am and 2 pm is more for the tourist, with souvenirs sitting amongst stalls selling ‘look alike’ designer goods. The Wednesday morning open air town market is where the locals go to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also a daily covered market.

Golf enthusiasts are well catered for with four courses surrounding the area; Estepona Golf, Los Almendros, Los Flamingos Golf and Atalaya.

There is still a bullring in Estepona where about 16 bullfights are held each year. The building also houses the Municipal Museum of Bullfighting and a Museum of Agriculture, Fossils and Archeology and during the summer months the venue hosts concerts.

For families looking to relocate to this area there are several good local and international schools from which to choose.