Luxury holidays in Estepona

Nicknamed the Garden of the Costa del Sol, Estepona wears its Andalucian roots well. Colourful flowerpots line cobbled lanes, and tapas bars spill onto sun-drenches squares in the whitewashed old town. Beyond the blooms, there’s a palm-lined promenade, sandy Mediterranean beaches and a fishing port where the day’s catch rarely travels far before reaching your plate. Venture inland for mountain trails in the Sierra Bermeja, or head east to Marbella for a change of pace.

When to go

Spring sees Estepona living up to its garden nickname, especially during May’s flower-decked Cruces de Mayo festivities. June and September are sweet spots for beach days; winter is mild but wetter.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport is the main international gateway, around an hour’s drive from Estepona, with direct flights from cities across Europe and beyond. Gibraltar International Airport is closer, around 45 minutes away, but has fewer routes, mainly serving the UK.

  • Trains

    There’s no railway station in Estepona, but high-speed trains connect Madrid, Córdoba and Barcelona with Málaga María Zambrano, around an hour’s drive away. The Costa del Sol’s suburban railway runs as far as Fuengirola.

  • Automobiles

    Estepona’s old town is best explored on foot, but a hire car comes in handy for trips to Marbella, the Sierra Bermeja and Andalucian villages such as Casares. The free A-7 hugs the coast, but the AP-7 toll motorway is quicker, particularly in summer.