The name Estepona probably comes from the Moorish “Astabbuna or Alextebunna”. The Battle of Estepona was in 1342 and in 1457 Henry IV of Castile won the city from the Moors. The city was built around a church but was later destroyed and only the church bell tower remained. However, there are historical excavations in the city that extend as far back as Roman times (under the Plaza del Reloj). Since 1729 the city has its own city rights.
Despite its huge popularity with tourists, the old coastal town Estepona has managed to retain its charm and Andalusian character. The city has 70,000 inhabitants and offers a wide range of hotels, restaurants (with a traditional tapas culture), shopping and nightlife.
The atmosphere here is something very special. The narrow cobblestone streets are lined with small shops and cafes and from the walls of the houses hang plants and flowers in all their colors. A fun thing to mention is that each street has its own color on the flower pots. Here it is better to walk or ride a horse than to drive. These old, colorful neighborhoods are a photographer's wet dream.
Strolling around the alleys of Estepona is peaceful and relaxing. Here you see the cozy houses and wherever you look you will find orange trees and beautiful flowers. In Plaza de las Flores, the central square, you can sit surrounded by vegetation and enjoy a cup of coffee in the sun.
Along the popular bar and restaurant street Calle Real you will find many restaurants serving typical Spanish dishes. There are quite a few “hidden” bodegas and tapas restaurants in Estepona that serve delicious food for a cheap price. Ask the friendly locals for tips!
There are not many large shopping complexes here, but the range of clothing stores is large and there is everything from budget to luxury brands. The only large supermarket is the Hipermercado, which is located outside the city. There are plenty of small supermarkets around the city.
At the far west of the long promenade lies Estepona's marina.
Here you can buy fish and seafood and there is a wide range of bars and restaurants. Esteponia's street market is also located here and where you can buy textile and leather goods.
This is also the starting point for planning excursions at sea, such as fishing, boat trips and diving.
Beach guide Estepona
There are a number of beaches to choose from in and around Estepona. The child-friendly beach Playa El Cristo is located in a bay which means that there are many hours of sunshine and the water is warm. There are two beach bars, a lifeguard station and showers. In the centre Estepona is the beach La RadaHere you can sit at one of the many beach bars and drink cava, eat sardines and paella. El Padron Beach is another popular beach where there is also a small shopping town center with fashion and interior design stores. Puro Beach Club is also located here and where you can enjoy a drink in the pool and eat delicious food in the restaurant.
Attractions in and around Estepona
There are a number of different attractions in Estepona. Among them is the adventure park Selwo Adventure Park where you can experience adventure, wildlife (the zoo houses lots of different exotic animals such as rhinos, crocodiles, elephants, etc.)) and nature, Castillo San Luis (castle ruins from the 15th century) and a bullring, which was built in 1972.
Estepona's botanical garden is well worth a visit as it is home to over 8,000 different orchids.
The very special project, "La Route de Murale Artisticos de Estepona" (Estepona Route of Artistic Paintings) is well worth a visit. As the city is keen to promote its cultural attractions, a map of all the murals in the city has been made. This is available at the tourist office.
There are also two statues worth seeing: “Monumento a la Peseta”, which is a tribute to the peseta, and “Monumento al Turista”, a tribute to the tourist.
Sierra Bermeja (1449 meters) is a mountain outside Estepona that is part of a natural park. There are many nice hiking trails here and you can see wild mountain goats wandering around on the steep cliffs. The unique conifer Pinsapo also grows here.
In the small residential area Cancelled, located between San Pedro and Estepona, has a typically Spanish atmosphere all year round. There are small residential areas, schools, churches, restaurants and shops.
A very popular activity is golf. There are many golf courses around Estepona. Some golf clubs worth mentioning are Watchtower and Paradise.
If an accident occurs – important telephone numbers
- The Swedish Consulate is located in Malaga, more precisely at Calle Córdoba 6. Opening hours are normally 10-13. Telephone number for the consulate: +34 952 604 383
- Embassy of Sweden in Madrid +34 917 02 20 00
- If you are involved in a crime, it is best to visit the police station in Estepona. Calle Valle Inclán, 1, 29680 Estepona, Málaga, Spain (see map below). Phone: (0034) 952 800 600
- Emergency number in Spain is the same as in Sweden: 112.
- If you need to contact the police by phone, call 091.
- Swedish Church in Fuengirola is still active. Even though so many people may not turn to them when they encounter problems, it is still good to know that they have a hotline: +34 675 945 929.
Estepona housing market – houses and apartments for sale
For many, Estepona is a cheaper alternative to expensive Puerto Banus, Marbella.
Estepona is a town that is on the rise in popularity and that is constantly doing many people right. New Golden Mile between Estepona and Marbella is recommended primarily when looking at prices and range of housing.
As prices have risen for a longer period of time on used homes while not falling despite the Corona crisis, combined with the fact that they are starting to get old and worn out (there are a lot of problems with leaks etc. in older Spanish buildings, built before the new building standards in 2006), new development is recommended primarily during the 2020s . See our overview article with new development on Costa del Sol (including Estepona and New Golden Mile).
Write to info@spanskafastigheter.se and tell us what type of apartment or house you are looking for in Estepona and we will return with a report on the top picks here and now.
We have hundreds of listing in and around Estepona for sale. Prices start from €75,000 (studios). Expect an apartment with sea view to cost around €200,000 at least. Do you want to buy a 2-bedroom apartment with sea view in a popular Cancelled you can expect slightly higher prices (there are occasionally slightly cheaper apartments, but this is becoming increasingly rare). A 3-bedroom apartment with sea view in Cancelada is around €280,000 and up.
As for bank repossession in Estepona , the supply, as is usually the case for prosperous areas in Spain, is very meager. At the time of writing, there are no apartments and houses in the largest bank's database, none of which are recommended (there are bigger bargains to be had in the resale segment).
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Hotel accommodation in Estepona
Do you want to rent an apartment or house, or book a hotel in Estepona? Then the following operators are recommended as they have the best prices and offer:
Hotels-com is recommended because of the lowest price guarantee on hotels
If you are going to rent a car, it is recommended that you read this article.
Most of our clients rent a car in the area via cheap Holiday Auto
Read also:
Cheap flights to Malaga among others (which is the airport you land at if you are going to Estepona. It is about 80 km away).
About renting a house or apartment in Spain
Overview of the best the new development on Costa Del Sol
