Estepona is a very pretty seaside town on the western Costa del Sol. Located just 20 minutes’ drive from Marbella, Estepona has been gaining in popularity over its better-known neighbour in recent years. There has been significant investment in Estepona’s public spaces, with flowers all over the town, beautiful parks and the extended pedestrianised zone along the seafront. It is now known as the garden of the Costa del Sol and really is looking stunning. Add in a theatre, great restaurants and a packed event calendar, plus a traditional Spanish charm, there’s a lot to love about Estepona.
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!
There’s been a lot of change in the last decade in Estepona and the Town Hall has been working very hard to get it looking its best. This all began by putting colourful pots of plants in every street of the charming Old Town, and creating beautiful flowerbeds throughout the town. This makes it look absolutely gorgeous and has given it the name the Garden of the Costa del Sol. As well as all the parks, there is a striking selection of murals on buildings throughout town, and they have been widening the seaside promenade to create a stunning pedestrian walkway all along the seafront. Add to this the natural beauty of the wide sandy beaches, blue skies, mountains and natural parks behind the town and it really is spectacular.
- It’s a foodie’s paradise
Estepona’s gastronomic scene has been growing in recent years and the town now boasts a fantastic selection of restaurants to enjoy. The street of Calle Real is packed with lovely restaurants and bars, with the charming square of Plaza Ortiz surrounded by some excellent places to eat and drink, with lots of international cuisines represented. A few of our favourites include – Tapas Diez, Pizzeria da Marco, La Bulla Gastrobar and the Tolone Bar. The street parallel with Calle Real is Calle Caridad and is lined with great Spanish restaurants and tapas bars and is very charming. Add to that a wide variety of beachfront chiringuitos and an Old Town packed with restaurants and bars to discover and you won’t be struggling to 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), where most of the bars and tapas restaurant showcase their star tapas dishes and offer them at a special price with a drink. There’s a booklet with a map of participating places and their dishes, and it’s a great way to explore the town and discover amazing restaurants at the same time. This year it’s being held from the 12th to the 14th of April and there’s a cheese fair running at the same time.
- Ham Festival (IX Certamen Mundial de Jamón ‘Popi’ Ciudad de Estepona) in August - This event was created by award winning ham cutter from Estepona known as Popi and it has become an absolute must for foodies. It celebrates one of the very best products in Spain “jamon” or Iberian ham every August and this year runs from the 8th to the 15th of August. During that time, ham cutters, producers and sellers from all over Spain come down to show off their wares. You’ll find over 50 stalls lining the seafront promenade, selling plates of ham, cheese and cured meats every evening during the festival for 5€ per plate. There are also bars along the promenade for some liquid refreshment and free concerts every evening.
- There’s so much to do
Estepona has a very active Town Hall, which organizes a lot of events throughout the year. There are also lots of associations and clubs organizing things like a Cinema Club, art exhibitions, talks and sporting events. There’s a large modern theatre which hosts lots of plays and concerts, a great athletics stadium, skate parks and playgrounds a plenty and they’ve even got a competition level climbing wall, which is one of the biggest in Europe. There are also plans for more shops and a concert venue, so Estepona is a place where you never need to be bored!
- 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. You can find traditional, white washed buildings in the Old Town, which are beautiful and great if you want to be at the heart of the action. There are many apartments and penthouses for sale in Estepona, on the seafront, by the port, or back in the town. If you’re looking for an apartment to buy in Estepona, you’ll have a lot of choice. There are also developments of town houses within Estepona centre itself, on the outskirts, around golf courses, or back from the coast in modern developments. Villas are less common in Estepona, but you can find them away from the centre, and there’s even land for development if you want to build yourself.
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.