Estepona

As you enter the town, you will be blown away by the vibrant colors of blossoming hibiscus, fragrant orange trees and gentle geraniums, beautiful palm trees line the promenades and streets, Moorish fountains add some freshness on a hot summer day in most of the squares, many of the old monuments are inviting to dive into their history.

In the most historic part of Estepona, el Casco Antiguo, every street is decorated with colorful flower pots with different plants hanging from the facades of the houses. Each street has its own color. Estepona is therefore named ‘El jardín de la Costa del Sol’ – the garden of the Costa del Sol in Spanish.

Estepona is well known for its beautiful long sand beaches, such as the Playa del Cristo and the Playa de la Rada, that hold the European Blue Flag standard for cleanliness, safety and numerous facilities.

Sierra Crestellina is situated in the municipality of Casares. In 1989 it was given a protected status. This nature reserve has some very interesting features. These include the orography with the mountains that have high unaccessible peaks. It is a paradise for bird watchers – Los Buitres viewpoint is an excellent place to see carrion birds – here you will find the largest colony in the whole province. From the numerous viewpoints on a clear day you can enjoy some breathtaking views of the Rock of Gibraltar, the Los Alcornocales Natural Park and the African coastline.

Points of interest in Estepona:

– Orchidarium: A botanical park with more than 8000 species of plants, including 1300 species of orchids settled in a building with a glass dome, which you can see from afar. It is a lovely place with a waterfall of 17m high that simulates the original habitat of the orchids and other tropical and subtropical plants.
– The Murals’ Route offers an exquisite outdoor cultural attraction. Scattered throughout the city the murals of all sizes and themes are painted by artists from all over Spain. It is without any doubt a very nice way to discover the town on a bike or just on foot.
– The Poetry Route has the same concept as the Murals’ Route, but instead of the beautiful wall paintings it offers a trip to the world of poetry through the works of famous Spanish and international poets, painted on ceramic tiles.
– Archaeological Museum: The museum has more than 400 artifacts from different time periods, with the oldest piece dated from the Paleolithic period, also known as the Old Stone Age. Some artifacts are up to 100.000 years old.
– Bullring: The bullfighting arena of Estepona was built in 1972 and was designed by Juan Moro Urbano. Its asymmetrical design is the only example of this kind of architecture in the world. In the past there were up to 16 bullfights a year in the arena, but today bullfights are only held during the feria or abolished forever. The arena is also used for concerts and outdoor theater performances in the summer.