My little Harley is now 18 months old and I still must write a review soon! In the meantime, if anyo...
My little Harley is now 18 months old and I still must write a review soon! In the meantime, if anyone is interested in visiting my message board for women, it is:
http://p098.ezboard.com/bm umsandtums
Member since:29.11.2003
Reviews:35
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Estepona...Never heard of it? I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were the case. Estepona is a little known resort (and I use the term 'resort' very loosely) half way between Malaga and Gibraltar.
I had the pleasure of living in Estepona for a year, and we left only three months ago, so things are still relatively fresh in my mind! Let's start with the good points, shall we....
Estepona has good all year round weather. The summer finds temperatures in excess of 100 degrees (Fahrenheit!). The hottest months of the year are July and August, although it is still very hot between the months of May through to the end of September. The winter months are no slouch, either. Temperatures do cool, but remain usually in the 60's. The month of January was very wet while we were there, so if I suggest a time NOT to go, then I would pick Jan-Mar.
The beaches in Estepona are wonderful. They stretch for miles and the sand is soft and golden. The beaches are cleaned every night, so that the next morning, if you get to the beach early, it appears as though you are the first person ever to tread there. Dotted along the beach are various beach bars, known as Chirinquitos. These are usually open only during the Summer months, mainly because they are made from wood and have virtually no heating facilities, although there are a few die-hard establishments that stay open when it cools down. If any of you know that incredibly catchy Ketchup Song -
the video for the track was filmed in Palm Beach, which is one of the Chirinquitos situated on Estepona Beach.
If you are looking for something alternative to do in the evening, they have wooden boats, half buried in the sand, where the locals have BBQs and beach parties. Please beware though, you do need to have permission from the local Police. A security officer comes around during the evening and asks for you to prove that you have indeed 'registered' the boat. Also make sure that you clean up thoroughly after you. I wouldn't personally want the Spanish police on my back!
Estepona is often thought of as the quiet soul of the Costa del Sol and leaves the hussle and bussle to it's lively neighbours, Fuengirola and Torremolinos. It is a small town, relatively new to tourism. As little as 20 years ago, fishing and farming were still Estepona's main sources of income. This fact given, I will excuse the nationals who live in Estepona for their rudeness and put it down to the fact that they are not used to foreign visitors. Like most Mediterranean towns, Estepona has an old town, complete with cobbled streets. It's not hard to lose yourself in the myriad of backstreets, each one leading on to yet another alleyway. It's here that you will really slip in to traditional Spain. There are many tapas bars, but one word of warning - don't attempt to frequent local places on a Friday or Saturday. The locals come out en masse, and they have the ability to squeeze many bodies into one tightly enclosed bar!
The shopping in Estepona is not bad. They seem to have a penchant for shoes and you can pick up a nice pair for as little as 15 euros. They also have Zara's and Mango - great if you are a size 6 as most of the young Spanish ladies are!!
Other than the typically Spanish restaurants, you will also find a couple of Chinese eateries, two Indians and countless Italian/pizza places. The prices range depending on where you eat. Remember, the more native you go, the less you will pay!
There is a port in Estepona, which has views over looking the yachts and expensive boats. The port is very popular on a weekend,as they have numerous bars, with seating outside. One popular place was Reindaldos and a bottle of Heneiken or San Miguel cost 2.50 euros. Vodka with Redbull cost approx 4.00 euros. The restaurants in the port were oaky, but over-priced. They catered for the owners of the expensive boats and therefore over-charged.
Estepona is ideally situated to visit both the livelier resorts in the Costadel Sol and Gibraltar. Gibraltar is 40 minutes away from Estepona and you can either take a local bus, very cheaply, or go on a 'package' tour. I am trying to remember the price of the tour, I believe it was about 20 euros. Or, you could hire a car whilst you were there. There are many car hire agents, especially at Malaga (AGP) airport. One word of warning, pre book your carhire before you go. It speeds up the whole process upon arrival and ensures that you can pick and choose your company without the pressure of being newly arrived in an unfamiliar country.
Gibraltar is a place that you must visit once. But only once! I found it to be a strange place, where the locals spoke a weird mix Spanglish - some words in Spanish and others in English. They were also rather strange looking! We first went to Gib around the time of some football competition, can't remember if it was the World or European cup - but I was amazed to see tower blocks, proudly displaying their Union Jacks! The Gibraltarians do not want to be anything else other than British! Gibraltar is seeped in history and the town is surrounded by an old city wall, dating back to the 18th century. The shops are all British - M&S, Tescos, Safeway, BHS,Top Shop etc.
You also have the chance to pop up to see the monkeys - they were pretty elusive when we were there. Beware - anyone scared of heights must avoid this journey!
If you head in the other direction from Estepona you will reach Fuengirola in 45 minutes and Torremolinos is a further 10 minutes along the coast. To be honest, I didn't spend a great deal of time in these places. Far too lively and 'British' for my liking!
Other places in the area to visit are Ronda (spectacular views), which is about 40 minutes away. Marbella and Puerto Banus (boats and money!) about a 15 minute journey from Estepona.
AGP is just under an hour from Estepona. As far as I know, the only tour operator at the moment to go to Estepona is Thomson, although I am sure that it will soon change. New buildings are being completed daily, so in ten years time I think the resort will be hardly identifiable. If you travel to Estepona independantly, there is a bus that runs from AGP, but stops at Marbella, a total journey time of about 90 minutes. Or you could hire a taxi, but it isn't cheap - about 70 euros.
The one draw back of Estepona has to be the Spanish,I am afraid. I have lived in many other countries, I even lived a year in Benidorm, but no-one has come close to the hostility we experienced. Many would refuse to speak to you once they realised we were British. In shops they preferred to speak on their mobile phone than give you eye contact. They also found it almost impossible to smile. I must say that the locals did damper my enthusiasm for Estepona.
To summarise (because I know I have rambled on!) :
Positives:
Hot, constant good weather
Gorgeous beaches, clean and safe
Reasonable value for money
Near to other places of interest
Somewhere a little off the beaten track
Negatives:
Unfriendly locals
Not ideal for families with small children, there is very little to do, compared with resorts such as Fuengirola.
No good for youngsters - there is not a great deal of nightlife apart from weekends.
Not everyone speaks English - especially in the older parts of the town. Many DO speak English, but pretend they don't!
So - enough said! Estepona is definitely worth it if you want to travel to a destination less than three hours away, love beaches and the nice weather, but aren't so keen on noisy children!
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sorry you experienced this unpoliteness, and I agree that spanish people should learn english, because its just for our own profit!! look at me, i am here with my mistakes but i am trying!! oh, I get tired of spanish narrow-minds sometimes!! but good op and hugs!!!
jo145 02.02.2004 22:50
We didn't go to Gib burt might if we go back to Marbella. Jo
gilipu 20.12.2003 19:25
Estepona is also known for his "polvorones" (it is like a mixture of sweet and bread eaten in Christmas). I am sorry for the unpoliteness :-(
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Dec 17th, 2003
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