Our latest visit was in April 2023
An easy hour's drive from Malaga airport takes you to the picturesque floral town of Estepona on Spain's Costa del Sol.
Often overlooked for the more well-established resorts along this coast, Estepona has a unique feel; a great mix of an authentic Spanish town, holiday resort and wide sweeping beaches.
Sightseeing in Estepona
A good place to park free of charge is here. You can then walk towards the town passing several chiringuitos (restaurants/bars on the beach).
A popular activity, whether for exercise or relaxation, is to walk, run, cycle, roller blade or scoot along the pedestrianised promenade/boardwalk which runs for miles either side of Estepona.
Take some time simply to stroll through the streets of the old town. Many of the streets have different colour schemes of flower pots and foliage.
For something a bit different, visit the Orchidarium. An indoor botanical garden dedicated to the amazing world of orchids. The indoor waterfalls were undergoing maintenance when we visited, but we are sure they would look amazing when running.
Tucked away you will comes across hidden gems like a water cascade, wall fountains and more.
There is a wide range of shops providing everything you could need; Estepona is, after all, a working town, not just a holiday resort.
Places to eat in Estepona
There are far too many places to eat in Estepona to list them all here! Below is a selection we have visited and would recommend.
Just back from the promenade is the lovely Plaza del Flores, dominated by the lovely looking Hotel Silken El Pilar Andalcia. Sit at one of the restaurants admiring the wonderful fountain in the middle of the square and the amazing flower borders.
Our favourite place in the Plaza is La Sureña; a small, cheap and cheerful tapas bar. You get the same view as the other places, with great service, simple tapas and good wine. The friendly, efficient waiters soon recognised us and the table where we liked to sit to get the best view of the flowers. We used to get there around noon to get our table of choice; 30 minutes later, people are queuing for a table.
After a drink and tapas, a short stroll takes you to Casa del Rey (reservations recommended). An eclectic menu of varied tapas, poke bowls, main courses and a good wine list. Excellent service.
For a more traditional Spanish meal, Sabores Gourmet provides an amazing selection of charcuterié and cheeses.
There are several chiringuitos (beach restaurants and bars) along the beach. Each has a lightly different feel. Our favourites are Bikini Beach and Palm Beach.
Healy's Irish Bar is a good choice if you want a drink overlooking Estepona's marina. OK, so it's an Irish bar in Spain; it is what it is and serves good beer and wine with a lovely view. We haven't eaten here so cannot comment on the food.
We love Estepona and have been several times. We recommend either staying in or around Estepona rather than just visiting on a day trip. To appreciate all that this wonderful town has to offer, you really do need spend a few days soaking it all in!
Booking.com has several choices in the area. We have stayed in good accommodation in Estepona booked through them.
Note: this is the first time we visited in April. Lots of flower bed planting and maintenance was going on as well as repairs to the promenade. However, don't let this put you off going in April.
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