Spanish
Cities and Towns
Once you have selected your preferred
region of Spain read up on some of the towns and cities to
narrow your choice for a property purchase. The most popular
of these are described in the following pages.
Alicante,
Almeria,
Altea,
Andalusia,
Aspe,
Barcelona,
Baza,
Benalmadena,
Benidorm,
Benitachell,
Blanes,
Calpe,
Cartegena,
Castilla la Macha,
Catalonia,
Crevillent,
Denia,
Elche,
Estepona,
Fuengirola,
Granada,
Guadix,
La Romana,
La Vega Baja,
Lorca,
Malaga,
Mar Menor,
Marbella,
Mazarron,
Mijas,
Murcia,
Nerja,
Orihuela,
Puerto Banus,
Quesada,
Salinas,
Salou,
Sitges,
Sotogrande,
Spanish regions,
Tabarca,
Taberno,
Tarragona,
Torremolinos,
Torrevieja,
Tossa del Mar,
Valencia,
Valencian Community,
Zurgena
Estepona
Estepona. An Andalucian fishing village
on the Costa del Sol that has begun to move into the tourist
industry yet still preserve it's peaceful, town atmosphere.
The town is located 25km from Marbella and just within an
hour of Malaga. The town is sheltered on it's northern side
by the Sierra Bermeja mountains which reach 1,449m at their
highest point, Los Reales.
Estepona has a wonderful, quiet cove
Playa de Cristo, which is ideal for small children because
of its shallow, safe waters, a long, sandy beach called La
Rada (see details at bottom of page) and a small nudist beach.
The beaches are very clean and well cared for and all have
bars on them. In total there is 23km of sand. The beaches
boast the Blue Flag Award. Estepona port and harbour was built
in 1977 and is of two parts. It is located a short walk from
the town centre. Half is mainly fishing orientated, the other
mostly sports and modern marina facilities. Here it is possible
to rent a boat with or without a skipper. You can find companies
offering dolphin spotting trips and fishing excursions. There
are also many bars and restaurants to cater for all tastes.
The port has direct sun most of the day. The port also has
its own market on a Sunday. There is limited parking in the
port; especially busy on Sundays for the market. The town
is of attractive construction, combining modern with old and
has many places to see including the Plaza de las Flores and
the Torre de Reloj (clock tower). There is a wonderful Wednesday
market at which all manners of local produce can be found
(one of the best on the coast). Estepona has a good, internal
bus system along with ample supplies of local taxis. Hotels
are low-rise and quite rare. There are thousands of apartments
for sale or rent and a massive amount of property agents.
The main N340 highway and the new toll road easily access
the town. English, German and French is understood in most
establishments. The Paseo Maritimo is currently being rebuilt
and improved. On the outskirts of the town, heading towards
Gibraltar is the town bullring This white-washed building
has a strange architectural style, similar in style to that
of Dali's work. The bullring offers bullfights on a regular
basis, as well as doubling up for concerts and filmshows.
The climate of the Estepona area is a big attraction to tourists
for it has an average annual temperature of 18.7º. The
golf is also a major attraction as there are 8 courses in
this area alone out of over 40 on the Costa del Sol.
If you take time to explore Estepona
you will discover the quiet resting place in the centre known
as Plaza de las Flores,surrounded by quaint bars and orange
trees. The clock tower in Plaza del Reloj, built by Henry
V, dates from the 15th century and still keeps perfect time.
See the tool museum near the bullring which has an impressive
array of tools from the town's history.
In 1996 Estepona opened the doors to
it's new conference and exhibition centre which caters for
up to 300 people. This is located on the northern side of
the town, accessed by the N340 coastal road.
In the Misioneros Square in Estepona
is the Municipal Museum of Palaeontology which presents a
diverse collection of fossils from the area. In total, the
newly constructed museum holds 36,000 fossils, 20,000 of which
are from Estepona.
Fiestas
When it comes to festivals and fiestas, Estepona is no different
to any other Spanish town and has it's fair share of festivities.
The 15th May is the Fiesta of San Isidro Labrador when the
townfolk take to the streets with processions and during Easter
(Semana Santa), the street processions are both beautiful
and impressive.One of the biggest fiestas is the annual feria
that takes place in July. The event lasts a whole week and
consists of a day fair and a night fair. Both fairs give way
to the rhythm of 'Sevillianas', rumbas and popular Spanish
music. The whole of the town bursts into colour and passion.
At midday the bars fill to capacity
when all manner of Andalucian cuisine can be sampled including
the well known paella which is traditionally eaten in the
streets. The day fair continues until seven in the evening
when everyone rests in preparation for the night fair.
The town is illuminated at night with
thousands of light bulbs and the meeting points change from
the bars to the outdoor pavillions and the fairground rides.
A children's paradise emerges from the darkness with rides
of every description. The smell of candyfloss mingles with
that of cooked octopus and music emits from every street.
Estepona's annual fair is repeated on the grand scale every
year and never fails to attract thousands of visitors and
satisfies each and every one of them. The evening of the 16th
July is a very special time for the residents of Estepona
for this is the night when the patron saint Virgen del Carmen
is celebrated. This is one of the most deeply rooted traditions
of this fishing village and the celebrations begin with the
image of the Virgin being carried through the town, towards
the sea. All along the coast, the tiny fishing boats, all
illuminated, await her arrival. Boats sounding their horns
and decorated with flowers and lanterns receive the blessing
of the Virgin. Prayers are said for those lost at sea and
for the protection of those that continue to make a living
from the ocean.
The religious masses begin on the 13th July and continue each
evening until the 16th with offerings of flowers and presentations
of commemorative medals. After the blessing at sea, the Virgin
is carried through the streets once ore to her resting place
in the chapel where the 'Queen of the Seas' watches over the
fishing community. The fiesta comes to completion with a public
holiday on the Monday.
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