Marbella’s gorgeous Puerto Banus marina and seafront development come at a price – holiday homes in this area are considerably more expensive than in other ports or marina areas. Nearby resort Estepona offers house hunters an excellent alternative at a slightly lower price but with pretty much the same amenities right on their doorstep.
Holiday Resort since ancient Roman Times
Boasting 21 km of glorious sandy beaches, the town and municipality of Estepona occupies approximately 137 square km in the fertile valley between the sea and the Sierra Bermeja Mountains, where the highest peak, Los Reales, lies 1,449 metres above sea level. The area provides holidaymakers with more than 325 days of sunshine per annum, something already favoured by the ancient Romans some 2,000 years ago.
Two of the resort’s breaches are designated EC Blue Flag areas. Estepona is regarded as a year-round holiday destination, and its modern sports marina, picturesque squares, abundance of shops, restaurants, cafes and tapas bars make the resort very popular with European holidaymakers, especially families.
Just five minutes from the port lies Playa del Cristo (Christ Beach), a small cove with a lifeguard station and two beachfront bars and restaurants – it’s an ideal spot with shallow waters where families can relax. To the east of the marina, past Estepona Old Town, lies La Rada, just a 2-minute stroll away. The 1.5 km long beach does get very busy in summer, being the main centre for water sports.
Perfect Portside Pad with great Amenities within a short Walk
Estepona Port offers tourists and semi-permanent residents staying in their holidays homes just as much fun and excitement as Puerto Banus. There may not be the same Prada-handbag clutching, Rolex-wearing crowds promenading along the piers, but there is the same number of fine dining restaurants and great fashion boutiques to choose from. Fancy an evening of Irish song, dance and dark ale or do you rather try something strictly Mediterranean?
There are classic Irish bars, tapas bars and other gastronomic delights in Estepona’s marina development as there are in nearby Puerto Banus and house hunters soon discover that the smaller resort also boasts a well-established expat community. The cosmopolitan character of Estepona’s port is particularly well documented with the international cuisine on offer: from Thai to Chinese, Indian, Italian and British, plus everything in between, punters in search of gastronomic adventure won’t have to stray far.
Apart from eating out in a “different culture” every day of the week, the marina has many other pleasures in store for holidaymakers. Every Sunday the lower level of the port hosts a market, brimming with stalls selling everything from Moroccan knick knacks to designer accessories.
Several times a day boat tours leave the port, some to go sea creature spotting, and others to introduce tourists to sailing as a leisure activity. Clients can rent boats or even buy their own yachts.
Still a working fishing port, where daily fish auctions are one of the exciting things to watch, Estepona Port is nonetheless close to numerous tourist attractions, including Selwo Safari Park just 20 minutes away. Selwo is a themed African safari park, where more than 2,000 animals live practically wild in habitats as near to their native homelands as possible.
Estepona town is home to the Palacio de Exponsiciones y Congresos, a congress centre staging cultural events, commercial exhibitions, trade fairs and concerts throughout the year.
Overlooking the marina are various tastefully designed apartment complexes, ideal for those who haven’t quite made up their mind yet, if the Costa del Sol would suit them as a permanent domicile. Here resale holiday apartments can be as little as 100,000 Euros, a marked difference in price from what’s on offer over in Puerto Banus.
With Gibraltar Airport located just 45 km away, offering direct flights between European cities like London Gatwick, Manchester and London Luton Airport, Estepona is ideally placed for digital nomads and “commuters”, high flyers not willing to give up their well-paid jobs in the city of London, Paris, Brussels or Frankfurt. Malaga Airport is also do-able, being just 80 km distance from Estepona.
The resort is well connected by road with the nearby A7 Autovista spanning nearly all of the Costa del Sol. Marbella with its amazing cultural events is just a short drive away. Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Casares and Puerto Banus are all easily reached by road, the latter being a mere 30-minute drive away.