Estepona, a picturesque seaside town on the western Costa del Sol, is just a 20-minute drive from Marbella. Recently, Estepona has gained popularity over its better-known neighbour. Significant investment in public spaces has transformed Estepona with abundant flowers, beautiful parks, and an extended seafront pedestrian zone. Known as the garden of the Costa del Sol, Estepona looks stunning. With a theatre, great restaurants, a packed event calendar, and traditional Spanish charm, Estepona has much to offer.
Many foreign buyers now have Estepona on their radar, thanks to high profile promotion, including the towns recent inclusion in Monty Don’s Spanish Gardens. Property buyers are also being pulled away from Marbella by the high prices and lack of stock. Planning problems in Marbella have also helped Estepona and there are a lot of new developments being built there, offering overseas buyers all the mod cons and competitive prices. You can browse properties in Estepona on our website and talk to us about what’s available there to suit your budget and your needs.
In this article, we’re going to give you five reasons why our Spanish real estate experts and our clients are so impressed with Estepona. If you like the sound of it, please do get in touch and let us show you around!
Five Reasons to LOVE Estepona
It’s as pretty as a picture!
Estepona has transformed significantly in the last decade, with the Town Hall enhancing its beauty. Colorful plant pots and flowerbeds adorn every street in the charming Old Town. These efforts earned Estepona the name "Garden of the Costa del Sol." The town also features murals on buildings and an expanded seaside promenade. The wide sandy beaches, blue skies, mountains, and natural parks add to Estepona's appeal.
- It’s a foodie’s paradise
Estepona’s gastronomic scene has flourished, boasting a fantastic selection of restaurants. Calle Real is filled with lovely dining spots, while Plaza Ortiz offers excellent places to eat and drink with various international cuisines. Favourites include Tapas Diez, Pizzeria da Marco, La Bulla Gastro bar, and Tolone Bar. Calle Caridad features great Spanish restaurants and tapas bars. Additionally, beachfront chiringuitos and the Old Town's numerous restaurants and bars ensure you’ll always find a great place to eat in Estepona.
Two dates for your diary if you are a foodie –
- The annual tapas festival in March or April (Ruta de la tapa Estepona), showcases star tapas dishes from most bars and tapas restaurants, offering them at a special price with a drink. A booklet with a map of participating places and their dishes helps visitors explore the town and discover amazing restaurants. This year, the festival runs from April 12th to 14th, coinciding with a cheese fair.
- Ham Festival (IX Certamen Mundial de Jamón ‘Popi’ Ciudad de Estepona) in August - Award-winning ham cutter Popi from Estepona created this event, which has become a must for foodies. Celebrating one of Spain’s finest products, “jamon” or Iberian ham, the festival runs from August 8th to 15th this year. During the event, ham cutters, producers, and sellers from all over Spain showcase their wares. Over 50 stalls line the seafront promenade, selling plates of ham, cheese, and cured meats for 5€ per plate every evening. Bars along the promenade offer refreshments, and free concerts take place every evening.
There’s so much to do
Estepona has an active Town Hall that organizes many events throughout the year. Numerous associations and clubs host activities like a Cinema Club, art exhibitions, talks, and sports events. The town has a modern theatre for plays and concerts, a large athletics stadium, skate parks, playgrounds, and a top competition climbing wall, one of Europe's biggest. Plans for more shops and a concert venue are underway, ensuring there's always something to do in Estepona
It combines Spanish charm with a strong international resident population
Estepona retains its strong Spanish identity and charm, while embracing the many nationalities that call the place home. Foreign residents are celebrated each year in April during their Foreign Residents Day and there’s even a tourist day in the summer, with lots of activities and special deals available. The local cinema club regularly shows English and French films for free, there are language exchanges, meet ups and networking events for new arrivals and it’s a really friendly place to move to and make new friends.
There’s an excellent selection of properties
Estepona is becoming very popular for international buyers, because prices still offer good value for money and there’s a good level of stock available.
There’s a wide range of properties in Estepona too. In the Old Town of Estepona, you'll find traditional, whitewashed buildings that are beautiful and central. Many apartments and penthouses are for sale on the seafront, by the port, or in town. Estepona offers a wide range of apartments for buyers. There are also townhouse developments in the centre, on the outskirts, near golf courses, and in modern areas away from the coast. Villas are less common but available outside the centre, and there is land for development if you want to build.
You’ll see a lot of building going on in Estepona, as the Town Hall took advantage of the planning problems in Marbella and the available space to attract developers. This means that there are lots of excellent new developments in Estepona, with contemporary properties available below market value for buyers who are able to wait for the properties to be completed. We can support you with choosing the right off-plan development and offer a free legal service for off-plan buyers to make sure you’re protected and make the process run smoothly.
If you want to buy property in Estepona, we can help. Our licenced real estate agents have the experience and local knowledge you need to guide you through the whole process. Contact C2C Properties today and let’s get your property search underway.