Estepona is a closely guarded secret on the Costa del Sol and although it features in a few holiday brochures it has managed to avoid the package holiday' stigma of so many of the other Costa del Sol holiday resorts.
Located just fifteen minutes west of Marbella, Estepona has virtually everything the other resorts have to offer whilst still retaining it traditional Spanish charm. If you are looking for a wild party resort then Estepona is definitely not for you.
Estepona is quite a large town with a great coastal area as well as an industrial area. It is home to the western Costa del Sol's ITV testing centre (the equivalent to an MOT) and many new car garages.
Back on the coast the promenade is lined with the vey popular chiringuitos (wooden restaurants serving fish and other local cuisine) and now there is even a beach club with comfortable sun beds and evening entertainment.
The shopping in Estepona is also very good with many high street names and some great smaller boutiques. As you wander around the shops you will stumble upon the old town and the plaza (square) which is always crowded with Spanish families eating together or tourists just enjoying the ambience.
Estepona is a great destination if you want to experience a real Spanish holiday away from the busy holiday resorts bustling with English tourist. You will find that Estepona is a popular holiday location for the Spanish and during August it gets very busy as many of the Spanish from Madrid come down for their holidays.
There are fewer hotels in Estepona centre but being a large area there are quite a few that come under the postal district of Estepona such as the famous five star resort called the Kempinski and the newer spa hotel called the Selenzo.