A tourist day in Estepona

On Costa del Sol coast, sandwiched some between the glamorous Marbella and sumptuous Sotogrande lies a town often unfairly overlooking by traveller and resident alike. The first thing you ask yourself as you drive southwards on Andalucía’s coast road is, well. Where is Estepona exactly? There seem to be hundreds of different exits from the motorway all indicating “Estepona this way”. So where does one start? Well, I’ll tell you. Take the one marked Km.157 and head for the sea, via a series of roundabouts. You`ll pass several fountains, including a statue of a naked man straddling a huge water spouting fish (or is it a dolphin?).

As you drive by, the scenery seems to be nothing more than a vague sprawl of shops, businesses and apartments, all merging into each other. But stick with it, as eventually you´ll reach a coastal stretch of road flanked by wonderful and unrelenting sea views on your left. When you approach a roundabout with a fountain consisting of strange half horse/half fish creatures, you need to park (there`s plenty of newly constructed underground parking these days) and use the more conventional method of sight-seeing favoured by intrepid explorers throughout history – your feet.

Estepona history

Talking of history, and before we go any further, let`s take a brief interlude back to school (wake up at the back!) as I explain the origins of Estepona. As is the case with many towns in southern Spain, Estepona started off as not much more than a tiny fishing village. But further back little is known about its older origins because the record books were apparently lost during the Spanish Civil War. This is of course a convenient excuse for historians, who actually mean, “We haven`t got a clue”.

That said, there are obvious signs of Roman and Moorish influences. The latter stayed the longest, and today you can still see defensive stone walls and watch towns which helped to defend the coast from pirate attacks. Pleasingly, there remain seven of these ancient towers along the beach at Estepona which are still pretty good condition and a delight for visitors. You can just imagine an historical Johnny Depp planning cheeky pirate raids – though in those days probably with a lot less humour and a lot more brutality. I digress....

Estepona beach promenade - passeon.

So where were we? Ah, yes, we´ve ditched the car and are now at foot. Well, the beach is a good start. And Estepona boasts one of the finest stretches of sand anywhere on the Costa del Sol for you to enjoy. Often underestimated by locals, and neglected by visitors, the 21 kilometres of beach here is just great. And, as you´d expect. It´s populated by beach bars and restaurants along the way. The palm tree-lined promenade not only has lots of fountains (they like their fountains in Estepona) but is also home to one of the largest collections of cactuses on the coast (or should that be cacti! Who knows?). They`re just sprouting prickles everywhere. In the ends of the beach promenade is the new developments coming up, all sorts of property, luxury villas and front beach apartments.

From the beach there are great views over the Mediterranean to Africa, to south to the tip of Spain and the rock of Gibraltar. So, after a good dose of fresh sea air, you need to head to the tourist information office (opposite the roundabout with the half horse/half fish things). Now don`t sneer. The people in the tourist office are remarkable helpful and will give you detailed maps of the area, and information that you wouldn`t have had a hope of finding otherwise. I for one, even as a Costa del Sol resident was pleasantly surprised by the suggested walking route though the Old Town, which turned out to be rather excellent.

Estepona beautiful Old Town.

The Old Town here is a collection of packed tighter white-washed homes, clustered over a myriad of cobbled streets. The balconies are bursting with beautifully tended potted plants, and the residents seem happy to leave their front doors open to ventilate their homes – no fear of theft here, just a genuine community spirit. At 2 pm on the dot, all shops close down for a good old-fashioned three-hour Spanish siesta. What a delight. It is rate indeed to find a place as traditionally Spanish as this so close to the seafront; normally you´d have to travel inland for a taste of “real” Spain. And here in the Old Town of Estepona you will not find a word of English spoken.

Don`t miss the stunning old church on top of the hill. It used to be a monastery and still boasts the original inauguration stone, etched with the date 1772. Other highlights in Estepona are the remains of a Catholic castle built at the start of the 16th century, designed to reinforce the walls of the town and to encourage resettlement (I can hear the historians making this up again) and the Museum of Palaeontolgy (fossils, to you and me) situated within the grounds of the bullring. Also worth viewing is the 15th century Clock Tower, dating back to the Arabic period, when it was the minaret of the mosque. Later when the Catholics took over, the minaret was used as a bell tower.

Estepona marina, restaurants, bars and fishermen.

So that´s the old stuff, but what about the new? Well, if you`re feeling energetic or have some time on your hands, it`s possible to keep walking along the front until you reach the splendid marina. Yachts and small boats jostle for position in front of a line of good bars and restaurants. The food here is top-notch. I reckon it`s always good to try the local stuff, and Estepona is revered for its fish dishes and its goat`s cheese, made with milk from local herds. Act like a goat by trying a bit of everything, and then wash it all down with a glass of wine from vineyards situated just half an hour away.

On the opposite side of the marina in the wee hours of the morning, you can watch the fishermen moor their boats and action their catch to agents from the big supermarkets. They`re not allowed to sell to the likes of you and me, so make sure you keep out of the way(or you´ll get a slap around the face with a wet fish).