Friendly advise needed :)

Good afternoon Collette,

Estepona is very pretty and also has the benefit of a Marina. It is still more Spanish than foreigners but be aware it has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years and will gradually change (like everything) The old town is very pretty with flower pots of different colours in each street so if you cant remember the street name try to remember the flower pot colours...

It is also getting to be a more expensive place to live, I have a lot of people that want to be in the old town but you have to realize that the Spanish tend to avoid the sun and you will not find much in the old town with a private terrace and very few have garages.

The better value for money (depending on your budget would probably be on the outskirts of town or maybe close to the Marina. They have five new developments finishing in this area but you will find prices start at around 250,000€ (two bed with two baths) 

Most of the towns and villages along the coast tend to be busy all year round, I tell people that you can go down as far as Duquesa Port and it will still be lively in the winter BUT further along in Alcaidesa and Sotogrande it seems to pretty much close up in the winter months.

Hope this helps a little. Any questions feel free to ask, I have been in this business for over 20 years in Spain and advice will cost you nothing. It might even save you from making a mistake on area etc

regards Bill

Hi Collette,

Try searching this site for information on Estepona and surrounding areas.  You might find alot of opinions from previous questions that are similar to yours.

I live in Casares, up the mountain about 20 minutes from Estepona.  As many have said, where you are located in Spain is really so determined by what sort of life you want.  There are so many options (which is great but takes more time to consider the pros and cons of each one).  Even Estepona can offer many options for different lifestyles, whether you live in the old town, the Port or the surrounding Urbanizations.

As Bill said about Estepona, its sort of becoming the new smaller Marbella, which is great in one way and not so great in another.  Its certainly a wonderful town with all the elements you mentioned.  I go to Estepona whenever I want to experience the fruits of a larger town, but I know, for me, it would be too busy all the time.  So again, its really how you like to live, how far you expect to travel to get to get the experiences you enjoy.  Because I have a huge private terrace with amazing uninterrupted views of the valleys and Casares, with its large public pool, (and our smaller private one) I could stay there for months, only venturing out for food.  LOL  So, you see how many options there are in Spain for the perfect lifestyle that suits you.

Many people say they wish to live in a more traditional Spanish area (I mean, it is Spain after all - LOL) but they may find that not speaking Spanish limits their ability to communicate with locals.  When really, a more multi cultural area would have been better.  

I hope you find the information you need on this site to help you with your decisions and good luck with the transition.  Its always exciting to change your environment.

Have a look at Wellingtonia development. It’s under construction and is just at the back of the Old Town. It’s a  10 min walk through the old town to the beach. There’s also Estepona Gardens. I have a friend called Yasser who is amazingly helpful in all areas of home buying. He’s also English and knows the area really well. 
yasser,s number is +34655393561. Regards Niall

Have a look at Wellingtonia development. It’s under construction and is just at the back of the Old Town. It’s a  10 min walk through the old town to the beach. There’s also Estepona Gardens. I have a friend called Yasser who is amazingly helpful in all areas of home buying. He’s also English and knows the area really well. 
yasser,s number is +34655393561. Regards Niall

Hi - I agree with one of the other comments on here...we love Estepona and are in the process of buying in Estepona Gardens by the old town so nice central location...prices are affordable and it doesn't seem to be aimed at the tourist crowd etc so there was no hard sell...service so far has been excellent - just a shame we can't get out there at the mo to see how things are progressing. That said we are sent very regular updates and pics etc...

Good luck

Michael