Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

I'm going to Estepona next weekend for a couple of days. I'll probably just mooch around on the beach whilst OH is working unless there is an absolute MUST SEE in the area.

I wanted to know if there are any Japanese restaurants in the area. Japanese is our favourite and so we like to try and hunt down a good one when we are away.

Any suggesions?

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Thanks Fred. To be honest I'm more of a museum/cathedral/old building type person than a zoo person. Plus I have to do something that I would feel comfortable doing by myself as my OH is going to be working.

Do you know Estepona? Any ideas re good Japanese restaurants??

Thx

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

I lived in Estapona in 1980, and although now not too far away I don't know any restaurants

Have you been to Gibraltar ?

30 mins drive from Estapona

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Yes, I've been to Gib. It doesn't matter if there isn't too much to do in and around Estepona.....I can pass the time with my laptop in a bar. Get some work done.

But after a long, hard days slog for my OH I'm keen to choose a good restaurante for the evening.

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

There is an excellent Japanese restaurant on the outskirts of Sotogrande in the San Roque area. You could drive there or go by taxi from Estepona (say 20 minutes). Some say it is the best Japanese restaurant on the coast. The owner is Japanese. It is called the Kamakura and is within the San Roque Golf Club (CN 340, Km 127). Think it closes Sundays and Mondays but best to check by phone. www.sanroqueclub.com. Tel:956 613 012.
There is a large Sunday morning market in tEstepona port with plenty of coffee bars. Touristy - clothes, jewellery, gifts, CDs - but it's somewhere to potter around on your own. If you have a car, there is another Sunday morning market at Sotogrande which is much smaller but with better stalls - clothes, jewellery, ceramics, "antique objects", books. Also excellent coffee and cake at the adjacent coffee bar in the Yacht club.
As for Saturday, Marbella is reachable by car or public bus. The casco antiguo is charming with tapas bars, coffee stops, restaurants, shops and the famous Orange Square, a couple of churches and an art museum (which I haven't visited yet) - Museo Ralli in the Urbanization Choir Beach of Marbella (Argentine paintings and European sculptures by Dalí and Maillol, paintings by Marc Chagall, Miro, Paul Wunderlich, and German painter Max Ernst, among others. Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 to 14:00 and 18:30 to 21:00.)
Finally, San Roque has a very good tourist officer, Carlos Jordan, E-mail: [email protected] who could maybe suggest something (he doesn't cover Estepona). There is a site with some Roman remains for example. Hope this helps, Triana :) PS Went to the feria de Jerez and had a great time!

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Veleta, forgot to say:
- if you go to the Kamakura, take the CN 340 and turn off at the Km 127 exit. Go up the slip road and turn right. Very quickly you'll come to a T junction - go left. Apart from fields the first thing you'll see on the right (very soon) is the entrance to the San Roque Golf Club. Enter and go up the drive, stop at the security hut and they'll give you directions. The Japanese chefs all trained in Japan and I know maybe a dozen or more people who have travelled extensively in Japan and think this restaurant is very good.
- re-reading my earlier post, you might think that the art gallery is in the casco antiguo. It isn't and I can't give you directions as I haven't been. But you could google it if you wanted to go....
- in Marbella, just outside the casco antiguo, there's a cafe called Lepanto which has fabulous French-style cakes (beautiful pastries with confectioner's custard topped with fruit) and chocolates. The cakes adjacent to the Sotogrande market are more English style - eg carrot cake with a lovely frosting or lemon cake with a lemon glaze icing. You can tell I like cakes.....
- if you want directions to Marbella/Sotogrande, or parking info, just say.
Triana

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Triana, are you sure that resteraunt is still there?!

I lived in San Roque Club about 2 years ago, and have never seen or heard of this place lol

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Hi
I was there a few weeks ago, I visited the old town which was really lovely, There were squares, churches, narrow streets and all the usual Spanish charm.

At night it looked like a lovely place to visit as all the streets were pedestrianised so al fresco dining must be quite atmospheric.

I saw a little ex pat bar called "Raffles" which reminded me of an expat bar from the 70s/80s, next time I will have a drink as I am sure there must be a few characters in there!

lph

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

I'd spend some time mooching around Estepona old town just back from the beach - very nice. There is a vast market on Sunday at Sabinillas about 10 mins drive. It has everything from Car boot,antiques, arts and crafts to clothes/tourist tack.

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Thanks Triana, this sounds perfect. The Kamakura it is. You seem to know the area rather well!!

I think I'll be quite happy bimbling around the town centre (be it Estepona or Marbella) all by my lonesome and I'll probably check out the museum too.

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Yes, absolutely positive. It has been there for probably 10 years, maybe more, and I ate there 2 weeks ago. If you go from the Bar Jerez of the Casa Domecq building out to the terrace overlooking the enclosed patio and gateway to the pool, it is to the right.

Triana

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Veleta, hope you have a great weekend!

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Sorry to revive this old thread but I'd like to ask if someone can confirm if it's really just 30 minutes from Estepona to Gibraltar - Google maps has it as nearly an hour.

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

In a Harrier Jump Jet it is

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

I used to drive from frontier to Estapona every Sunday a few years ago and it took me on average using the toll road 35 minutes to where the toll road becomes the Estapona bypass.

So it really depends on where in Estapona you want to be.

P.S. I drive sensibly

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Wow, that was fast! :)

How much's the toll road? I'm thinking of moving there and then commuting once I found a job, but want to know if it's something that has an impact on monthly spendings or if I can pay it out of the coffee cash pot.

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

If I remember right about €1.65 in the winter & €2.65 in the summer.
The coast road has toooooo many roundabouts

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Great, that's really useful to know, thanks!

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

You can get a VIA T from your bank (our bank supplied ours) - you swipe as you go past the toll - the more you use, they say the charges get cheaper - to be honest i have not really noticed - although we probably don't use it enough, but it is certainly more convenient) - there is an annual charge for the device - but from memory it is only about 10€.

We go to Gib quite a bit from Estepona and it takes us about 35mins - it just depends on the traffic as you go into La Linea

Re: Estepona - does anyone know it?
 

Thanks for the reply, all good information.

Estepona looks more and more interesting :)