Estepona is a popular resort town located halfway between Marbella and Gibraltar on the Costa del Sol. It has a lovely crescent-shaped beach and a modern promenade and marina, backed by a lovely traditional old town. Its old town is considered one of the most beautiful in Andalusia and is sometimes referred to as the Garden of the Costa del Sol. Unlike many other resorts in the area, Estepona has managed to retain its traditional charm and local vibe.
If you’re deciding where to live in Andalucia, Estepona could be a great option, offering you the best of a local Andalusian village, along with a lovely beach resort and lots of other expats and services for foreigners.
Living in Estepona: Essential Information
One of Estepona's pretty, flower lined streets
Population
According to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE), Estepona had a total population of 76,975 in 2023. The latest available stats from the Instituto de Estadística y Cartografía de Andalucía in 2022, show that 19,098 of these were foreigners. Those from the UK make up the largest number of foreigners in the city, representing around a quarter of them.
Another flower-lined narrow street in Estepona's old town
Healthcare in Estepona
The healthcare facilities you can access in Estepona will depend on if you have private or public healthcare. Generally, you will have access to public healthcare if you pay into the social security system and work or are self-employed. There are two public health clinics in Estepona itself. These are the Centro de Salud Estepona and the Consultorio Cancelada. The one you’re assigned to will most likely depend on where you live.
There aren’t any big public hospitals in Estepona, so for more serious health issues and emergencies you will have to travel either to Marbella or the border with Gibraltar. The hospital there is the Hospital de La Línea de La Concepción, while the one near Marbella is the Hospital Universitario Costa del Sol.
If you have private health insurance there are many different clinics, surgeries and clinics you can access in Estepona including Hospital Vithas Xanit Estepona, Cenyt Hospital and Compass Clinic.
Moving to Estepona will probably mean searching for a new job or even having to change careers. This may be a challenge, but our useful guide to finding a job in Spain will help you out.
According to the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and local government, the main careers in Estepona are in the commerce sector, then jobs in construction, then real estate. This is followed up by professional careers in science and tech and then hospitality.
There are several traditional websites that list jobs within Estepona including Glassdoor and Indeed and InfoJobs.
It’s worth keeping in mind that if you are from outside the EU such as the UK, without a visa to live in Spain and permission to work, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get many of these jobs. This is because in order to sponsor you for a visa, companies in these sectors would have to show that there isn’t anyone else in the EU able to carry out the work.
You may find that there are more jobs in international companies in Málaga city, so it’s worth considering commuting from Estepona too, which takes just over one hour by car.
There are also alternatives like the Digital Nomad Visa which allows you to be self-employed or work remotely for a company abroad. If you have a partner and have included them on the visa, however, then they will have permission to work in Spain.
If you are working remotely while living in Estepona, it’s likely you’ll need either a home office or to join a co-working space. Thankfully there are plenty of options to choose from. Co-working Tuespacio is popular with expats, as is Savage Co-working.
According to the Fair Internet Report, Estepona has an average internet speed of 205 Mbps, which is around 116 percent higher than the rest of Spain.
A fountain in Estepona's town centre
Schools and education in Estepona
There are many different schools in Estepona which include both public and private and cater to a range of ages and levels.
It’s worth keeping in mind that if you choose a public school, it’s free but the main language of instruction is Spanish. If you want your children to learn in English or another language, then you’re better off choosing a private or international school.
There are two in Estepona itself. The first is Colegio San José, which is a bilingual private school teaching ages 3 to 18 in both English and Spanish and following the IB curriculum. The second is Queens British Grammar School which follows the British curriculum such as GCSEs and A-levels. It accepts ages 3 to 17 and is quite a small school with just over 100 students.
Estepona is served by both local and long-distance buses. The local bus network can take you around the town, as well as nearby urbanisations. Other buses leave from one of the two main bus terminals - Antigua Estación Estepona or Estación de Autobuses de Estepona. The quickest bus to Marbella takes 35 minutes. You can also take the bus to Fuengirola in just over an hour, from where you can take the local Cercanías train network along the coast all the way to Málaga city.
The nearest international airports are in Málaga and Gibraltar, which both serve destinations across Europe. Málaga Airport is the fourth busiest in Spain and takes on 85 percent of the air traffic in Andalucía. easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways, Jet2, Iberia, TUI, BA Euroflyer and American Airlines all fly direct to Málaga, making it a big hub. While, easyJet, American Airlines, British Airways and Qatar Airways all fly direct to Gibraltar.
Things to do in Estepona
Beaches
Estepona's stunning beach
One of the main reasons you want to buy property in Estepona is most likely because of its coastal location on the Costa del Sol. The town and its surroundings have a total of 21km of golden sandy stretches. La Rada is the town’s main beach right in the centre of Estepona, which extends for 2.6km. It’s lined with beach bars and has lots of facilities. The other beach in the centre is Playa Seghers.
Playa de la Cala extends onwards from Playa de la Rada and is known for its dark charcoal coloured sand. Playa Arroyo Vaquero and Playa Costa Natura lie to the west of town alongside the urbanisations. They also have darker coloured sand and have lots of space to find your own spot. Costa Natura has a nudist area which stretches for 400m and is known throughout the area.
Water sports
View of Estepona's marina from a local restaurant
Living near the beach and making most of the excellent climate means that water sports could become the perfect hobby. There are options for paddle surfing, kayaking, wakeboarding, sailing and jet skiing. Beach Monkey Jet Ski is one company in Estepona which offers the chance to learn many of these.
Golf
Marbella golf course at sunset
If you’re a fan of golf or want to take it up, moving to Estepona is a great option with a total of seven golf courses within the municipal area. There are several 18-hole championship golf courses, par-3 courses and 9-hole courses. In the town itself is the 9-hole Club de Golf El Coto, then there are two just outside the centre – the 18-hole Valle Romano Golf & Resort and the 18-hole Azata Golf and Estepona Golf, which only opened in 2024.
One of the best in the area is La Zagaleta which is ranked as outstanding by the website Leading Courses. It’s 36 holes and lies closer to Marbella.
Local markets & shopping
Estepona central square, lined with shops and restaurants
Shopping at local markets is a great way to help support your new community and integrate by meeting the people who live here. The town has a total of three markets.
The first is the biggest market held every Wednesday from 9:30am to 2pm. It sells a mixture of fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes, ceramics, bric-a-brac and lots of handicrafts brought over from Africa.
There is another market held every Sunday by the port from 1am – 2:30pm. It has a fun and vibrant atmosphere with the number of bars and restaurants located around the outside. The market itself sells a variety of clothes, jewellery, handbags, watches and ceramics.
The town also has a permanent covered market – the Mercado de Abastos selling meat, fish and fresh vegetables every day from 7am to 3pm.
Hiking
View of the Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja Natural Area, a great spot for hiking
The Costa del Sol is not only about beaches and resorts, it’s backed mountains which are ideal for hiking, getting out and exploring nature. One of the best places to hike nearby is the Sierra Bermeja, which looms over the town. Its highest peak is Sierra Bermeja Mountain itself, standing at 1,449 metres. There are hiking trails for all different levels and lengths depending on your ability and fitness.
Expat clubs & activities
Moving to Estepona will be a lot easier if you make some friends and one of the best ways of doing that is to join clubs and activities.
Despite being called the American Club of Estepona, because it was started by Americans in the 1970s, this club is now mostly run by British residents and anyone can join. It’s open for socialising throughout the week and has a bar, pool table, dart board and library. They also have weekly activities including bridge evenings, sewing, line dancing, art classes and choir practice.
Estepona town hall
International Club of Estepona is another group open to all English speakers living in and around Estepona and Manilva, including La Duquesa. They meet in the nearby urbanisation of Bahia de Dorada and organise activities for expats such as coffee mornings, mahjong evenings, film nights, ladies golf and rambling.
The Royal British Legion Estepona branch meets on the first, third and fifth Tuesdays of the month and on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
If you fancy yourself green-fingered or simply want to learn more about plants and flowers, why not join the Estepona Floral Arts Club? The group have been meeting for more than 24 years and all flower arranging classes and demonstrations are conducted in English.
