Pelican

Hello All

I have been reading this forum for a couple of days and now i've decided to join up hoping to get to know a few of you in here, and maybe we can learn from each others experiences.

We are thinking about buying a house in Estepona south Spain, and thought we'd join up on here to find out from other people what the area is like before we buy!

Many thanks

Allen

Tolly

Estepona is a lovely litle town - has a nice old town - which is great to walk around in the evening - to go for a drink or meal - lots of families out and about - good range of shops and some large supermarkets around the area - has nice beaches and promenades - Easy access to Marbella and Gibraltar - not far to Costa del Sol hospital (if you need it) - can't think of anything i don't like about it!

jdr

Not enough info to get answers.
Holiday home or moving over ?
Need to work, etc ?

Veleta

I just got back from Estepona last weekend. I have to say I wasn't overly impressed.

The sand is a near black colour and very rough. The town seems to mainly comprise of 5 storey buildings in need of a bit of a face lift. The port area was uninteresting...nowhere near as nice as some other ports I have seen and most of the shops were selling tatty tourist stuff. Loads of restaurants with pictures of food instead of proper menus.

I also bumped into a few 'gangs' of those stereotypical Brits abroad...the ones that make you cringe with embarrassment....about 20 lads with shaven heads walking down the street, football shirts, pint glass in hand (stolen from whichever bar they were last in), blinding drunk by 1pm, F'ing this F'ing that VERY loudly, shouting abuse at the police as they walk past, totally oblivious to the spectacle they were making of themselves. Oh the shame.

jackytoo

I don't go to Estepona regularly but I have never seen anything similar, only in Benalmádena puerto late at night.

sandiewk

I live in Cancelada which is very close to Estepona and must say I do not recognise your description of the place. There is a variety of shops catering for the very many Spanish people who live there. The old part of the town is typically Spanish and quite pretty. As for the gang of Brits you encountered - unfortunately they could be found anywhere, especially along the coast. I have always thought of the town as very family orientated and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

jimenato

Veleta - I lived in Estepona for six years and I simply don't recognise it from your description. Either it has gone seriously downhill in the last three years (which I doubt) or you have had an unlucky experience or you're just not too good at judging a place.

Are you sure you were actually in Estepona?

manamama

I know Estepona well and would agree that from the roundabout to the marina is a bit yuk. The apartment blocks are awful eyesores.

The other end..is much nicer from San Jose School down the main roundabout in the town. Past that is not so nice...the port area is not great but I remember a fantastic fish restaurant on the beach there.

But Estepona is the nicest spanish town on the CDS. San Pedro town is a close second.

Veleta

Just sayin' what I saw! Maybe it's not what it used to be....I don't know, I've never been there before.

But the gangs of cringeworthy Brit lads abroad aside (or the old fogeys in socks and sandals), it's not an attractive place.

agoreira

Think that says it all!
Many years ago, we used to stay at Benahavis, but got fed up with the constant traffic jams in San Pedro whenever we hit the coast road. Went through there about a fortnight ago, and what a mess! The road system in a complete lash up! Probably 7/8 years since we were last there, definitely won't be rushing back. Veleta, you're not alone.

manamama

True the traffic is/was horrendous, but arn't they are sorting it out ?- a flyover I think?? not sure but should be a hugh improvement passing that way eventually.

Benahavis is not so great now either...I wouldn't recommend you rush back either. Only spoil your memories.

jimenato

Aww come on everyone!! San Pedro is a long way from Estepona Town and they are building a tunnel to alleviate one of the worst bottlenecks on the southern CDS - got to be a little bit of congestion - be fair... and there is a bypass - the AP7!

HBG

I remember Estepona as one of the first parts of the CDS catering for the more demanding Brits, with a lovely old town and some quite expensive housing near to the port area. The busy coast road in those days, if you travelled north and stayed on it, would take you all the way to the French border and back to the UK from there.

It did take you right through the heart of Malaga, right past the big fountain in the middle, and if you were in a right-hand-drive car with the windows open, you could easily get wet.

I was back in Estepona two years ago, and found that the old town had been vastly improved but the port area looked a bit run down.

Bakeja

Benahavis, at least around the A7, has got a bit ordinary and unattractive. Agree with you about the San Pedro roadworks - they seem to be going on forever but presumably when it's finished all those lights and queues around that area will be history.

As for the Estepona debate - I live near there and I think it's great. The beaches are good, I have rarely seen any yobbish Brits and it's simply a nice Spanish town. Not so up itself as Marbella and more Spanishy. Also good if you want to drive onto the Gib, to the white villages inland or the Tarifa coast. The only area I would agree with the knockers is the marina - it's not as good as some along the coast.

agoreira

They said that several years ago when the bypass opened! Didn't seem to make a blind bit of difference. The problem with toll roads is hardly anyone seems to want to use them, heading down to Costa de la Luz you can often have stretches of autovia all to yourself. I'd like to think you are right, but I can't see queues in that area being history.