Regardless of the time of year in which you read this article, Estepona has a whole range of possibilities to offer you. And so that you don’t miss a single one of these wonders, I am going to propose a few activities to suit all tastes, combining nature with cultural activities.
I am sure you will find here a few tips to enjoy your visit to the fullest.
1. The beach.
Let’s not fool ourselves, if you are in Estepona in summer the beach can’t miss. So if you want to choose well where to go I recommend you to visit our selection of beaches. And of course, first, you have to know everything about the weather in Estepona.
2. Departure by boat.
With so much coastline and the wonderful marina, one of the best activities to do with a group, family or friends is a boat trip along our coasts. There are multiple possibilities: a romantic outing to watch the sunset, dolphin watching… You can even go and meet our volaores if you are in summer.
3. Beautiful villages.
It’s about time to take our feet out of the water. Why not visit some of our beautiful neighbors? You have everything you need to know in this article.
Gibraltar.
It’s not a town but it’s not much bigger either. The British colony The British Overseas Territory nestled in the strait is less than an hour’s drive to Britain.
Didn’t you know that you can have your picture taken with a llanito (that’s how they call them Gibraltarians) or a Gibraltar monkey? Well, for that and much more, here you have El Peñón.
A full day excursion in which you will be able to see:
- The airport, because you have to go through it to get to the city.
- The port with its marina, bars and restaurants.
- The defensive walls and the castle.
- The caves and particularly the cave of Saint Michel (worth a visit).
- Punta Europa. No, it is not the southernmost part of Europe but it is very nice to see the strait from there.
- Stroll down Main St (the main street) and mingle with everyone.
- Ride the Cable Car up and visit the wild monkey population (well, there are wild monkeys in Jimena, not far from here, but the ones in Gibraltar are more like their human neighbors).
Some tips to enjoy Gibraltar:
- Do not enter with your car: yes, gasoline is cheaper but you may have to queue for several hours to enter and leave (you have to go through customs in both directions) and the visit may become bitter if the wait is too long.
- Everyone speaks Spanish, don’t worry.
- Go into a pub and order a good English beer. Don’t worry, they serve it cold 😉
- Pay by credit card. Yes, despite being British territory and having the pound as currency in the vast majority of places you can pay with euros but the exchange rate is not usually very advantageous (not that they cheat) so you can pay with your bank card and benefit from the best possible exchange rate, although you should check that your bank does not charge you commissions!
- If you go to see the monkeys, don’t take out food and watch out for shiny objects.
5. Route of the murals.
We return to Spain so that without leaving Estepona you can enjoy an intense dose of Street Art like nowhere else: we promise.
Visit our article and get to know the route of the murals.
I recently took a mural tour of Paris in the 13th arrondissement and at the end I told the guide that I was disappointed. In my town there are more and better ones.
6. Baelo Claudia.
A little further than Tarifa (which also has a visit), an hour and a bit by car you will find the remains of the Roman town of Baelo Claudia.
Perhaps soon we will write a complete article about this wonderful site but we can anticipate that it was a port city with a great administrative weight in the area and dedicated mainly to fishing and canning by salting tuna, as well as the production of garum.
The archaeological remains are very well preserved and the dimensions of the city are impressive. In addition, right next to it, you have the beach of Bolonia. A wonderful beach and natural environment with its fine sand dunes.
A word of advice, avoid Saturday and Sunday in summer because the queues of cars at the exit of the beach are important.
7. Ronda.
Bandits, lost Frenchmen, a newly built bridge that falls down and a bullring. Everything is mixed together and the beautiful Ronda emerges.
An hour’s drive along a mountain road will take you to the wonderful Ronda. A lively and energetic city, but also full of traditions. It does not disappoint anyone who visits it.
It is split in two by the Tajo de Ronda.
Here you will find a very particular architecture, conditioned by the Tagus. One of the most important bullrings in Spain where bullfights are held: Las Goyescas. Roman and Arab remains and sites and a whole cult to the bandit of the sierra complete a menu of your visit that, if you want to stay for lunch, you must complete with a local specialty: mainly rabbit.
8. Tangier.
If after going to Gibraltar you still feel like leaving Spain, then get out of Europe and venture to Tangier in Morocco!
The city of Tangier is located in Africa, and yes, you can come and go in the day but ideally spend a night there. There is the possibility to stay in a Riad in the old town and immerse yourself in the daily life of the local people.
Going is quite simple: you have to go to Tarifa, get on a ferry and in about an hour you will have arrived. Just keep in mind that a passport is required!
9. Baths of the Hedionda.
In the municipality of Casares is a little known and magical place.
These are ancient Roman baths that take advantage of a sulfurous tributary, i.e., medicinal baths in the open air and free access.
There is a Roman construction and modern adaptations to secure and facilitate access. It is possible to enter an excavation in the river and, once inside the grotto, extract clay and apply it to the whole body.
Legend has it that Julius Caesar’s legions settled near this tributary to cure themselves of a scabies epidemic.
As I said, access is free but after the pandemic, the city council has regulated the entrance. A ticket must be requested from a website to avoid overcrowding. You can find out more here.
10. Enjoy Estepona.
In this tour we have spoken English, gone to Africa, visited Roman sites and traveled to the time of the bandits but in Estepona itself you have a multitude of activities to do and never stop.
For example, these four:
– A walk through the parks of Estepona.
– Have a drink at the Plaza de las Flores.
– Discover new artists at the Casa de las Tejerinas.
– Spending a day in the San Isidro Park.
We invite you to try each and every one of the options we put on the table. And then, if you feel like it, come back here and tell us about your experience.
You may also be interested in: visit-andalucia
