Estepona Holidays

Estepona. Costa del Sol Southern Spain.

Estepona on the Western Costa del Sol in the Southern Spain, lies 75 km from Malaga International Airport at the foot of the Sierra Bermeja mountains. Estepona is one of the few coastal towns that has succeeded in maintaining its Spanish charm and character.
Estepona has an authentic atmosphere not like many of the other resorts of the Costa del Sol, there are still Andalusian whitewashed houses and balconies decorated with flowers.
Notwithstanding, Estepona got all the tourist facilities, leisure and cultural activities, sports activities likegolf, diving, kyte-surf, and shops. The numerous street cafes, tapas bars and bodegas still serve traditional Spanish food in a very friendly atmosphere.

Estepona Marina.Costa del Sol.

Located at the west end of the front seaside promenade, Estepona Port and Marina is a working fishing port offering abundance of restaurants and bars. The port is also the location of the Estepona Sunday street market. The fishing port is located to the west of the marina and you can watch the fishing boats land their catch. There is a great restaurant in fishing area: La Escoyera, noisy, Spanish, cheap and fabulous.
Although Estepona is a coastal town, it is home to several historical monuments.

Estepona Historical Monuments.

El Castillo del Nicio. El Padron

To get there, from Estepona drive in direction Marbella, after the Kempisky Hotel, pass under the bridge and first drive direction to the Forest Hills urbanization. After Forest Hills you will lose the tarmac road, and a four-wheel drive is preferable. As you walk up the slope towards and through the gap in the ruined walls which marks the castle's entrance, your attention will be drawn to the immense amount of rubble, broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. To the right of the entrance are the remains of a wall and then follow this wall up the hill to the summit and you will find the ruins of the central hall. There is also a large defensive tower at the east, which would have prevented any approach from this side.
Regarding the history of this Castle there is no evidence of occupation during the Bronze Age but Roman occupation is more certain as the discovery of coins dating from the reign of Emperor Honorio indicates that it was used during the latter days of the Roman Empire. In 1485 the area around Estepona was invaded by Christian forces and fleeing Moors are said to have moved to the site and re-fortified it but the site was quickly taken. The received wisdom is that the Christians subsequently `built` the structure which survives today.

La Torre del Reloj. Estepona town.

Enrique IV of Castile ordered the building of a church on the site of the old Mosque. The church was completed around 1473, but today only the clock tower survives. In the 18th Century a neo-classical dome was added. Inevitably since the site is now a school, the square is usually noisy in the morning and around 3 PM.

Flowers Square. La Plaza de las Flores.

You will find in the square the Casa de la Cultura, which is itself worth a visit, and contains a good library. Until forty years or so ago, the building was a hospital - the Hospital de la Caridad de las Madres Carmelitas Terciarias. There is an abundance of restaurants all around, all are not very good, but Los Rosales is famous for his fabulous sea food. It is really a place no to miss. The square was inhabited until the end of the 18th century, when the town began to grow once more.

The Watchtowers. Torres Almenarras.

There are numerous watchtowers along the coast of Southern Spain. Some of Moorish origins others from the Christian re-conquest, Estepona has seven such towers that remain to this day.

• La Torre de Saladavieja is signposted on the southern extremity of Estepona, turn off the main road at Punta Doncella and drive up the incline into the urbanization. The tower has been incorporated into the development as a natural traffic roundabout????????? Yes it’s true. No comments.
• La Torre de Guadalmansa. it is unusual in that it is square rather than round, which suggest it may be Moorish and it is situated near the Hotel Las Dunas.
• La Torre del Padron is situated within the grounds of the Kempinski Resort Hotel at the exit of Estepona Town in direction to Marbella.
• La Torre del Velerin. This tower, on some wasteland next to a small wood, can be seen from the main N340 at km 161 and is located just a few meters from the beach, it a great location for picnics or beach day. There is a Chiringuitos on the Beach.
• La Torre de Bahia Dorado. Medieval tower now within the urbanization of Bahia Dorado like the Torre de Saladavieja, Spain didn’t have any interest for historic monuments.

La Ermita del Calvario.

The hermitage building was built at the beginning of the nineteenth century, with records dating back to 1829 and it is believed that this hermitage was at first constructed for lepers who were encouraged to reside out of town.

Nuestra Senora de los Remedios.

The church Remedios is close by in the Plaza San Francisco. It was built in the 18th Century of local sandstone, which is rich in iron ore, it was a Franciscan monastery - the hermitage of Vera Cruz. Later it became for a time the hospice of La Purisma. The main door of the church, indeed the church as a whole, is an odd mixture of American colonial architecture and rococo, and in the entrance archway stands a statue of the Virgin Mary with a relief showing the sun, moon and stars.

The San Luis Castle.

The construction followed the seizing of the town in 1457 by Enrique IV. From the college, head for the indoor market and the Plaza Casa Cañada, where a small garden has been laid out beneath the walls for visitors to rest among the flowers.