Is Estepona a nice place to live?

Estepona is a great place to live and has a thriving ex pat community. Many ex-pats are attracted to Estepona because it is so well connected. It boasts excellent transport links to other towns and cities along the Costa del Sol, and is well placed for international travel too. Estepona is located less than an hour’s drive from the provincial capital of Malaga, meaning that you are less than an hour from the airport if you’re looking for a holiday home in Spain, or to regularly travel between Spain and your home country.

The best areas to live in Estepona will be determined by your personal tastes and interests, but some of the most popular areas for ex pats in the city include the Estepona marina and port (particularly if you sail or have a boat to moor), the Casasola and El Paraiso communities.

Estepona boasts everything you could want from a small community. You’ll find a fantastic choice of bars, restaurants and shops, as well as first-class cultural and sporting facilities. Perhaps the most picturesque part of Estepona is the old town, which has retained much of its charm and authenticity, and boasts historic squares where local residents often gather to talk and share the news of the day.

Expat Community

Expat residents of Estepona are friendly and welcoming, meaning that if you choose to move to Estepona you will find an already established expat community that you can fit straight into. The city boasts an incredible expat population and the number of foreigners living here is the highest in Andalusia (about 25%). The quality of life, amenities and entertainment available for expats in Estepona are second to none. Here expats can enjoy a laidback, classic Spanish way of life in their own slice of paradise.

Estepona is popular with expats of all ages, but European retirees love Estepona. It offers everything you want for a happy retirement, from leisure facilities and excellent health and medical centres too.

The Estepona Climate

Like much of the Costa del Sol, Estepona boasts an excellent year-round climate. In fact, thanks to the protection of the Sierra Bermeja mountain range, Estepona enjoys an even more appealing micro-climate than the rest of the region, with more than 325 sunny days a year.

Summers in Estepona are swelteringly hot and sunny, but the cool breeze from the ocean prevents the town from feeling too warm during the summer months. These same warm breezes also mean that Estepona has cool and mild winters. You can enjoy a lot of sunshine during the winter season as there is very little rainfall, meaning that this is the perfect place to escape if your home country has a cold and wet winter climate.

What’s On in Estepona

Estepona is best known for its beaches, and many of the best things to see and do in the town revolve around the sea front and the marina. But away from the beach, many ex-pats choose Estepona thanks to its great selection of golf courses. You will find seven golf courses within the municipal area of Estepona, with courses designed to suit golfers of all abilities. They range in size from par-3, 9-hole rounds to full-length, 18-hole championship courses, designed by some of the most famous names in golf.

Estepona also celebrates regular cultural and religious festivals, which adds to its vibrant and lively atmosphere. The annual carnival celebrations attracts visitors from all over the Costa del Sol, whilst the annual summer feria gives everyone a week to enjoy dancing, drinking and eating. The festival Estepona is best known for though is the Virgen del Carmen parade. The annual Virgen del Carmen celebrations are organised by fishermen as she is their patron saint. This brings great multitudes of people to the seaside to see images of the Virgen del Carmen paraded from land into the sea.

Best beaches in Estepona

Estepona boasts 21 kilometres of fine sand beaches situated on the Mediterranean Sea, and thanks to its huge expanse of beaches they tend to be much quieter than other beaches in the Costa del Sol, even in the high season. Perhaps the best beach is the Playa de la Rada beach, which is trimmed by the Paseo Marítimo seafront promenade. To the east of Estepona you will find the fishing port and marina which are a popular location for sailing and watersports enthusiasts. If you’re not a water sports fan the pretty marina is still worth visiting for its excellent selection of bars and restaurants.