I fell for a humble Spanish town overshadowed by its glamorous neighbours Sandwiched between Marbella’s blinged-out boutiques and the millionaire’s playground of Sotogrande, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Estepona is one of Spain’s most exclusive resorts.
A taxi will set you back around €100 (£83), but if you’re on a budget a direct bus also runs from the airport to Estepona Bus Station.
But rather than leaning into the elite urbanisation of its luxury neighbours, this humble town has preserved its identity as a traditional ‘Pueblos Blanco’ — one of the ‘White Towns of Andalusia’.
What was once a site believed to have been occupied by the Romans is now a picturesque holiday spot, with a palm-lined promenade, traditional Spanish tapas bars and a micro-climate that bathes the streets in 325 days of sunshine each year.
But only 253,376 – just over 2% – stopped in Estepona, despite it coming second in the European City of the Year awards last year.
